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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 the second night, what danger does Rainsford narrowly avoid?

2. What supplies does Zaroff offer the men he hunts?

3. What kind of animals does Zaroff say are better than the people he hunts?

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

5. On page 49, Rainsford thinks that running away from the chateau in a straight line is "futile." What kind of a plan is "futile"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. How does Zaroff obtain his victims?

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

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 3

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.

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