Question

London includes a quote about John Thornton as he is observing Hal attempt to motivate the exhausted dogs "It was idle, he knew, to get between a fool and his folly". If the word "idle" is defined as "of no real worth, importance, or significance", what does this statement mean with regard to Hal? Who is the fool? What is Hal's folly? Why would John Thornton think it of no real worth or useless to intervene?

Answer 1

Answer: 1. "It was idle, he knew, to get between a fool and his folly" means that it was useless and unimportant to make a fool understand something. 2. The fool is Hal. 3. His folly was his lack of good sense, trying to wake the dogs up. 4. John Thornton thought it was non-sense to intervene because regardless of the past warnings of the ice breaking down, he still wanted to wake the dogs up and continue moving.

Explanation: In the story, the team that is traveling towards their destination encounters difficulties to cross the river. John Thornton warns them that the ice is melting and that they might sink If they continue. Despite all the tragedies and losses the team has had in the trip, Hal ignores the warnings and tries to wake the dogs up. Thornton concludes that trying to convince a fool and his lack of non-sense is useless and unimportant since there is no way Hal will understand.