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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which is the best description of Rainsford when he is in the water?

2. Which word does the narrator use to describe General Zaroff's home?

3. What kind of people does Rainsford guess might live on the island?

4. What is the first thing that Rainsford does once he is on top of the cliffs?

5. What does Zaroff tell Rainsford he lives for?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Rainsford's first impression of General Zaroff.

2. What does Rainsford find in the jungle as he is walking toward Zaroff's house, and what does he conclude from it?

3. Describe Zaroff's dining room.

4. Once he falls overboard, what does Rainsford do and what does it show about his character?

5. How does Rainsford end up falling overboard?

6. Describe the early warning signs about Zaroff's island that Rainsford ignores.

7. What layers of irony are later revealed about Rainsford's suggestion that cannibals might live on Ship-Trap Island?

8. In what ways does Zaroff show himself to be a good host?

9. What warning signs are present in Zaroff's banter about Cossacks?

10. Describe the first encounter between Rainsford and Ivan.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you believe Rainsford's plans are for the days following the death of General Zaroff? Write an essay in which you use textual evidence to support a thesis about what he will choose to do next and how he will accomplish it.

Essay Topic 2

General Zaroff's ideas about civilization are shocking to Rainsford, but since he explicitly refers to World War I as a reason for believing what he believes, the reader should understand that Connell created this character to comment on a specific moment in history. Write an essay in which you analyze the relationship between Zaroff's ideas about civilization and the story's historical context. Support your claims with both historical and textual evidence; be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

When Zaroff explains what kind of men he hunts, he makes it clear that he considers a particular sort of person beneath him--barely human. Write an essay in which you analyze his remarks to show what distinctions he is making between "types" of human beings and how this functions thematically in the overall story. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

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