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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. On page 51, Rainsford's night is said to be "apprehensive." What kind of a night is it?

2. What word does Rainsford repeat three times and Zaroff call "unpleasant" (35)?

3. On page 59, Rainsford's waiting is described with the phrase "He lived a year in a minute." What literary technique is being used here?

4. What justification does Zaroff give for his actions?

5. On the morning of the second day of the hunt, what warns Rainsford that Zaroff is approaching?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Zaroff want to show Rainsford in the cellar and in the library, and what does this tell the reader about him?

2. What does Zaroff say about the "strong" and the "weak" (35)?

3. How does General Zaroff react to Rainsford's various traps?

4. How does Zaroff characterize Rainsford's views on hunting human beings?

5. What does the sentence "He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame" mean? (49)

6. How does Rainsford finally escape Zaroff, and why is Zaroff foolish to assume that Rainsford is dead?

7. What part of the island does Zaroff tell Rainsford to avoid, and what are at least two likely motives for his warning?

8. How does Zaroff obtain his victims?

9. What disagreement do Zaroff and Rainsford have about the difference between "hunting" and "murder"?

10. What are the terms of General Zaroff's "game"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Write an essay in which you analyze how Rainsford's attitude toward game animals changes over the course of the story. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you analyze the imagery used in "The Most Dangerous Game." Identify patterns in Connell's use of imagery; create a thesis that connects these patterns to the story's overall meaning. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

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