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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. Why does Zaroff no longer hunt tigers?

2. What is the name of the island on which the story takes place?

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

4. Which animal does Rainsford call the most dangerous?

5. What is Rainsford's first reaction when he falls overboard?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe General Zaroff's house.

2. Describe Zaroff's dining room.

3. How does the discussion of the Cape buffalo introduce a possible meaning of the story's title?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

The plot structure of "The Most Dangerous Game" is less evenly balanced than those of many short stories in the Western Canon. Write an essay in which you discuss what is gained and lost from the decision to end the story so quickly after the story's climax.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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