"Most Dangerous Game" Review

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Locate words that suggest the mood/atmosphere of the opening scene.
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Terms in this set (42)
Locate words that suggest the mood/atmosphere of the opening scene.
- mystery
- curious dread
- thick warm blackness
- superstition
- moist black velvet
- moonless Caribbean night
- strange
- dank tropical night
These words suggest that the mood and atmosphere are that something negative will happen, it's foreboding, and it's unsettling.
What is suggested by Rainsford's comments below, and why might they be significant?

When Rainsford and Whitney discuss the pleasures of hunting, Whitney acknowledges, '"For the hunter...Not for the jaguar'" (19). Rainsford replies, "'Who cares how a jaguar feels?'" (19).

When Whitney says animals understand the "'fear of pain'" and the "'fear of death,'" Rainsford replies, "'Nonsense...This hot weather is making you soft...Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the hunters'" (20).
Rainsford's comments might be significant because they could foreshadow that something bad might happen to Whitney and Rainsford. They're the hunters right now, but later they might become hunted.
Rainsford is a celebrated hunter. What might this passage suggest?

"Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror. He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to..." (21).
This passage may suggest that he might die. He is a hunting expert with a lot of experience but he can't recognize what animal it is, which could cause him harm. This also might suggest that the animal is actually an animal, but it might be a human. If Rainsford is one of the best hunters, he should be able to figure out what animal made that noise. He would never hunt humans so he wouldn't be able to recognize whether a human made that noise. he has no experience on killing humans like Zaroff does.
What does Rainsford refer to as his enemy? Explain why this may or may not be true.

"...the most welcome [sound] he had ever heard--the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. He was almost on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would have been shattered against them" (21).
Rainsford refers to the sea as his enemy. This may not be true because an animal was mentioned earlier and could be dangerous. The animals or people on the island could be his true enemy. Also, the sea helps him get to Zaroffs house at the end, which shows that the sea is not his enemy. The sea also lets him live when he jumps into the water. Zaroff even assumes he's dead when that happens, which shows that even Zaroff thinks the sea was dangerous enough to kill Rainsford. The sea isn't his enemy, it's Zaroff.
Explain the significance of the following passage.

"A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge. 'A twenty-two...That's odd. It must have been a fairly large animal too. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun'" (22).
The significance of this specific passage is that it shows if the 'animal' is truly dangerous or not. A light gun would probably be used to smaller animals, not more dangerous animals. The noise he heard before was probably not an animal, but possibly a human.
Describe the type of figurative language used below and what it might suggest.

"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 greedy lips in the shadows" (22).
The type of figurative language used in the quote is personification. The sea can't lick its lips because it doesn't have lips. Rainsford doesn't consider the sea to be good. The sea is being characterized in a negative way when the author writes "greedy lips".
General Zaroff is described on page 23. How would you characterize him by his physical traits?
General Zaroff could be considered a violent man because of his black eyes, his dark face, and his pointed teeth. His black eyes may symbolize power, his dark face may show that he is feared by others, and his pointed teeth show that he is an aggressive powerful person. His white hair and black eyes, black eyebrows, and sharp jawline could show he is bipolar. Since and white and black are oppossite, it shows that he has two personalities. The kind side (white) shows how he cares about his guests and feeds them and gives them a nice bed and clothes to sleep in. The aggressive side (black) shows that he kills humans for pleasure and feels that killing is good.
What might the following comment by Zaroff imply?

Zaroff says, "'We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know'" (24).
The following comment by Zaroff implies that the island isn't well known and it's secluded. The quote "'We are well off the beaten track, you know'" shows that his way of living is different from society and his beliefs and actions don't match with most people.
How might the childhood experience described on page 25 correlate to the man Zaroff is today?
The childhood experience described on page 68 might correlate to the man Zaroff is today because as a child, he was very good at shooting and as an adult, he can kill some of the most dangerous animals. His skill of hunting has grown over his life and likes hunting because of the hobby from his childhood. Also, his father taught him that hunting and killing was good. When he was younger, he was told not to shoot the prized turkeys but he still did. Instead of getting yelled at by his dad, he was praised and over the years, he's believed that killing is a good thing. No one taught him how wrong it is to kill.
Read the paragraph on page 27 that begins with Zaroff stating, "'Life is for the strong...'" Finish the paragraph. Then note how this passage compares to the one above in question #2.
This passage compares to question #2 because they both think the strong should use their skills to hunt the weak. Zaroff and Rainsford may be different in some ways but they have similar opinions.
What are the rules of Zaroff's hunting game?The person that enters the island has two choices. Either play Zaroff's game or become the bait for Ivan's game.Rainsford appears to be a prisoner. Give examples from the text that support this.The door wouldn't open and he was in a really big tower. Even if he did manage to climb down the tower he would meet dogs that are trained to kill him in a matter of minutes.What is Rainsford saying when he replies to Zaroff, "'You don't mean--'"? (30).He's saying that he realized that Zaroff hunts humans. He finds this wrong to do.Rainsford hides in a tree while Zaroff examines his footprints below. What does Rainsford realize after Zaroff leaves?Rainsford realizes that Zaroff wants to play the game for longer because he thinks he'll find him again. Zaroff is very confident he will win the game. He knows what Rainsford is doing and where he is. He's just playing the game because of the excitement he feels from killing humans.List Rainsford's three traps and what occurs at each?A tree fell on Zaroff's shoulder, a 'solid' ground that a dog fell in (which really upset Zaroff because he cared about the dog), and when Rainsford attached a knife to a sapling and falls, which kills Ivan.Rainsford appears in Zaroff's chambers and says, "'I am still a beast at bay'" (36). What does Rainsford mean by this, and how does it affect his actions?Rainsford means that he doesn't want Zaroff to live. He is waiting for the right moment to 'leave bay' and and kill.The last line of the story states, "He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided" (36). What might this imply?This implies that Zaroff is dead and Rainsford might take Zaroff's place.What events occur in the story during the exposition?The conversation between Rainsford and Whitney. It reveals the setting and characters of the story. We learn about Rainsford's beliefs and we learn that he doesn't have compassion for animals.What events occur in the story during the inciting incident?He falls off the boat in the night where there's nothing but darkness which causes him to go to the island. When arriving at the island he eventually finds Zaroff's house and is treated very nicely.What events occur in the story during the rising action?Zaroff introduces the game and the first three traps happen.What events occur in the story during the climax?When Rainsford jumps into the sea to save himself from getting killed by the dogs. (There are a lot of ups and downs in the story during the rising action and the climax)What events occur in the story during the falling action?Rainsford arrives at Zaroff's room and surprises him. The fight happens during the falling action. (The falling action is a very small slope)What events occur in the story during the resolution?Zaroff dies and Rainsford is possibly the next Zaroff. We learn that Rainsford is the victor.character vs. characterThis conflict type exists because the two characters going against each other are Zaroff and Rainsford. Rainsford is being hunted by Zaroff. Both are in a battle against their smartness and strength.character vs. selfThis conflict type exists because the quote "I must keep my nerve" shows that Rainsford is telling himself to not go out of his hiding spot. If he did come out of his hiding spot he would get killed by Zaroff or his dogs.character vs. societyThis conflict type doesn't exist because there is no society, it's just Zaroff vs. Rainsford which is character vs. character. They are on an island with barely any people.character vs. fate/natureRainsford has to use his wits to survive which is character vs. nature. The conflict of character vs. fate is when Rainsford falls into the sea to save himself.Rainsford (Dynamic or Static)Rainsford is a dynamic character because at the beginning of the story he feels that the prey doesn't matter, but at the end, he understands what it's like to be hunted. This depends on how you read the last sentence of the story. If you think Rainsford is the next Zaroff, then he would be a static character because he hasn't changed his beliefs from the beginning.Zaroff (Dynamic or Static)Zaroff is a static character because his beliefs never change throughout the story. The way of achieving pleasure is the same throughout the story, which is through killing humans.Ivan (Dynamic or Static)Ivan is a static character because he feels the need to torture humans throughout the entire story.Direct or Indirect Characterization? Rainsford - "'Don't talk rot, Whitney,' said Rainsford. 'You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?'"directDirect or Indirect Characterization? Zaroff - "'Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not.'"directDirect or Indirect Characterization? Zaroff - "'When I was only five years old, he gave me a little gun, specially made in Moscow for me, to shoot sparrows with. When I shot some of his prize turkeys with it, he did not punish me; he complimented me on my marksmanship.'"indirectDirect or Indirect Characterization? Ivan - "'Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow,' remarked the general, 'but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple fellow, but, I'm afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage.'"directvisual imagerydescriptive language that appeals to the sense of sightauditory imageryuse of language to represent an experience pertaining to soundolfactory imagerydescriptive language that appeals to the sense of smelltactile imagerydescriptive language that appeals to the sense of touchgustatory imagerydescriptive language that appeals to the sense of tasteorganic imageryinternal or emotional sensation: hunger, thirst, fatigue, fear.kinestetic imagerymovement, physical tensionfigurative language imagerysimile, metaphor, and personification