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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. To what ethnic group do Zaroff and his servant belong?

2. What is the best description of the General's servant's clothing?

3. Why did Zaroff go into the army?

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

5. What does Zaroff say is the problem with ordinary big-game hunting?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe General Zaroff's house.

3. How did General Zaroff's early life prepare him to be a hunter?

4. What is the disagreement between Rainsford and Whitney?

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

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

7. Describe the physical setting of Ship-Trap Island.

8. Describe the first encounter between Rainsford and Ivan.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the story's ending in which you consider this question: Is Rainsford a hypocrite? Think about Rainsford's statements about hunting versus murder and animals versus humans. Are his beliefs consistent or do they seem to be designed to allow him to do something that he suspects might be wrong? How does this question relate to the ending of the story and his choice to seek out and kill Zaroff instead of finding and using Zaroff's boat? Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claims.

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

In what way is this story about more than hunting animals? Explain how this story comments on the way that human beings treat one another as much as it comments on how humans treat other animals. Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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