Characters
This character is a world-renowned hunter who falls off a yacht.
Who is Sanger Rainsford?
What sound startles Rainsford while he is on the yacht, causing him to lean over the railing?
What is the sound of gunshots?
The phrase "An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded snake" is an example of this.
What is a simile?
The name of the island where the story takes place.
What is Ship-Trap Island?
The author's primary purpose in writing this story.
What is to entertain readers with a suspenseful adventure story while exploring a deeper theme.
The Cossack general who believes hunting human beings is the most exciting sport.
Who is General Zaroff?
Name two of the three traps Rainsford builds to try and injure or kill Zaroff.
What are the Malay mancatcher, the Burmese tiger pit, and the Uganda knife trick?
Giving the sea human qualities, such as describing it as "rumbling and hissing," is an example of this device.
What is personification?
Describe the mood at the beginning of the story on the yacht.
What is calm, relaxed, or tranquil?
The double meaning of the story's title, "The Most Dangerous Game."
What is a reference to hunting human beings and the risky, life-or-death sport itself?
This mute servant is Zaroff's assistant and torturer.
Who is Ivan?
What is the inciting incident that leads to Zaroff hunting Rainsford?
Rainsford refuses to join Zaroff on a human hunt.
The moment when Zaroff tells Rainsford he has an "old complaint" (ennui) is an example of this literary term.
What is foreshadowing?
How does the setting of Zaroff's chateau create a sense of irony?
It is a symbol of civilization and luxury in a place of great savagery and murder.
The author's message about the difference between civilization and savagery, as seen through Zaroff's character.
What is that civilization is a thin veneer, and even the most "cultured" people can be driven by savage, primal instincts?
Explain how Rainsford's perspective on hunting changes throughout the story, citing one specific event.
Rainsford initially believes animals don't feel fear, but after becoming the hunted, he understands "how an animal at bay feels."
What is the climax of the story?
The final confrontation between Rainsford and Zaroff in the bedroom.
Explain how the setting of Ship-Trap Island acts as a character in the story.
The island's treacherous features, like the quicksand and jagged cliffs, present obstacles that directly impact the plot and create a sense of danger.
The author uses vivid descriptions of the jungle at night to create this mood.
What is suspenseful, eerie, or ominous?
What Connell wants the reader to understand about Rainsford's change in perspective on hunting?
What is that animals, like humans, feel fear and that the hunter-prey relationship can be easily reversed?
Describe the internal conflict Zaroff experiences before Rainsford's arrival.
He is bored and suffers from ennui because hunting animals no longer offers a sufficient challenge.
Explain the resolution of the story.
Rainsford kills Zaroff and feeds him to the hounds, then takes his place by sleeping in the bed.
Identify the literary device and explain its effect in the line: "The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse."
It is a metaphor that highlights the power dynamic and the cruel, playful nature of the hunt.
How does the setting of the "Death Swamp" create a feeling of hopelessness for Rainsford?
It is a dangerous and inescapable part of the island that traps him and further limits his options for escape.
The final line of the story, "He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided," reveals what about Rainsford's character and the story's overall theme?
What is that Rainsford has fully embraced a new, ruthless perspective, and the "game" has changed him forever?