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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 Rainsford keep telling himself after the first two hours or running from Zaroff?

2. What is in General Zaroff's cellar?

3. On page 43, Rainsford looks out the window and sees a "sallow" moon. What kind of moon does this mean he is looking at?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does General Zaroff's definition of "civilized" seem to be?

3. What does Zaroff ask Rainsford to promise him he will do if he wins the "game," and what is the result?

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

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

6. 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)?

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

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

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

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

What is the significance of Ivan and Zaroff being Cossacks? Do some research on the history of the Cossack people, especially as it relates to serfdom and to the Czars of Russia. Then write an essay in which you analyze Connell's use of this detail to create meaning. Be sure to use textual evidence as support for your claims and to cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you analyze how the use of a third-person point of view and an objective tone shapes the reader's feelings (mood) as they read "The Most Dangerous Game." Be sure to offer textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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