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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. What does Zaroff believe fighting in the war should have taught Rainsford?

2. What is most clearly implied by the last line of this story?

3. What does General Zaroff imply is true about hunting human beings?

4. On the second night, what danger does Rainsford narrowly avoid?

5. How does Rainsford finally succeed in getting away from Zaroff?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe General Zaroff's actions when Rainsford is hiding in the tree.

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

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

5. During Rainsford's attempt to escape Zaroff, there are many references to animals. How are they used and what is their significance?

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

7. What allusion is contained in the sentence "I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable," and what is the meaning of the allusion (50)?

8. Explain at least two ways in which the story's title can be understood.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

From the very beginning, Connell offers the reader a number of clues about what will happen later in the story. Write an essay in which you analyze Connell's use of foreshadowing in this story; be sure to support your claims with textual evidence.

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.

(see the answer keys)

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