The+Most+Dangerous+Game

The Most Dangerous Game

Point of View: Third Person, limited-omniscient narrator

Protagonist: Rainsford the game hunter

What type of character is the Protagonist? He is a round, dynamic character

Antagonist: General Zaroff

Describe the setting: The story takes place during the mid 20’s to 30’s, on the Caribbean Sea. Most of the action is on a small island near the Amazon owned by an eccentric, Cossack (General Zaroff). This story has a suspenseful, action-packed feel.

Type of Conflict: Man Vs Man

Describe the main conflict: The main conflict inclueds Rainsford trying to survive long enough so that he can win the General’s “hunting game”, along with his plans of revenge on Zaroff.

Describe the Climax of the Story: The climax of the story is when Rainsford leaps off a cliff into the sea to avoid being killed by General Zaroff and his pack of hounds.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? The protagonist changes over the course of the story from being relieved to find General Zaroff to having a increasing sense of dread. He becomes desperate as the "hunt" progresses, almost paranoid. Also he finds a way to empathize with animals.

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. The relationship between the title "The Most Dangerous Game" and the theme of the relationship between the hunter and the hunted because hunting is often seen as a dangerous sport for both hunter and hunted. the hunted for obvious reasons and if your not carful like in this story the hunter can quickly become the hunted.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? The main conflict helps to illustrate the theme by putting Rainsford into the place of the hunted and Zaroff as the hunter and at the end it switches.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? The climax of the story helps to illustrate the theme because it implies that Rainsford will try anything to escape being hunted down, thus also showing Zaroff's determination.

Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):

Simile: "...It's like moist black velvet..."

Metaphor: "...I hunt the scum of the earth, --sailors from tramp ships..."

Personification: "...the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore."

Symbol: To Zaroff, hunting Rainsford represents a challenge for his skill, something he can enjoy without any sense of boredom unlike the regular sailors who know nothing of hunting.

Foreshadowing (give both elements): Zaroff talks about how no game animal was a match for him because they can not reason "No animal had a chance with me any more. That is no boast; it is a mathematical certainty. The animal had nothing but his legs and his instinct. Instinct is no match for reason..." then he tells you that he hunts humans.

Irony: It is ironic that Rainsford at the start of the story say "who cares how a jaguar feels?" then later he is hunted himself rather like a jaguar.

Imagery: "...he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were on one enormous building--a structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked it's greedy lips in the shadows..."

Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. The story is related to the class theme of choices because the whole story would not have taken place if it were not for rainsfords initial choice to jump on the railings to hear the shots beter and then after he falls of his choice to swim to the origin of the shots. This story is full of choices be rainsford and the general and they shape the story into what it is.

The Most Dangerous Game

QUESTIONS: Answer the following questions. /32

1. What is meant by “He lived a year in a minute”? /2 “He lived a year in a minute” states that because he's so stressed and tired time seems to pass so slowly for him that every minute seems to take a year to pass.

2. What is meant by “I am still a beast at bay”? /2 “I am still a beast at bays means that one has not yet been killed and can still cause serious damage. Also Rainsford was hunted like someone would hunt a beast and like a beast will take every opportunity to strike back against it's hunter.

3. In which sea has Connell set Ship-Trap Island? /1 Caribbean Sea.

4. How is Zaroff able to finance his life style? /2 Zaroff is able to finance his lifestyle using his parent's wealth and his investment in American security services.

5. If Rainsford wins the hunt, what does Zaroff promise him? /1 His freedom.

6. What happened to Lazarus? /2 Lazarus was killed chasing after his human quarry when he fell into the quicksand swamp.

7. Where does Rainsford spend the first night of his hunt? /1 In a tree.

8. How many acres did Zaroff’s father have in the Crimea? /1 250,000 acres.

9. Why does Zaroff suggest Rainsford wear moccasins? /1 It is harder to track Rainsford when he wears moccasins so it makes the game harder

10. What caused Rainsford to believe Zaroff knew he was hiding in the tree? Do you think he was right? Give reasons. /3 The event that caused Rainsford to believe Zaroff knew he was hiding in a tree was that the general looks straight at him, then suddenly walks away leaving the hunt for no apparent reason. I agree with Rainsford’s suspicions because the general is interested in Rainsford’s skills because they unlike the skills of sailors do not bore him and he wants to keep the game going longer. Killing Rainsford would not be as much fun as another day of the hunt.

11. How does Zaroff stock his island with “game”? /2 He traps ships by setting up channel lights where there is no channel causing them to crash. He then takes in the survivors and uses them for “game”.

12. What happened to General Zaroff at the end of the story? /2 Rainsford wins the game and hids in the generals bedroom and waits for him then even after the general offers him freedom he attacks and kills the general so no one else will have to be hunted like he was.

13. Inspite of being hurt, Zaroff congratulates Rainsford on his “Malay mancatcher,” why? /2 Because it almost defeated him. It is like congratulating an enemy who makes a good strategic move.

14. How do we know Rainsford is an exceptionally fit man? /2 He runs for hours on end and because he can swim or run for great distances and he can still kill a general after three days without sleep.

15. Discuss the state of mind of Rainsford before he lands on the island versus that after he meets the General. What is different? (Especially about how he perceives animal feelings.)3/5 Before he lands on the island he doesn't believe animals feel anything, they are stupid and after he realizes that they do have feelings of at least fear also disapproves of people with the same ideals to Zaroff's and respects nature's power over people and I think he becomes slightly paranoid.

16. How does Connell inspire fear without obvious bloodshed/grotesqueness. /3 He builds suspense and he hints at things instead of explaining them in great detail which allows you to imagine it for yourself.