Literary+Devices-The+Most+Dangerous+Game


 * The Most Dangerous Game**

Omniscient
 * Point of View:**

**Protagonist**: Sanger Rainsford

Static, round
 * What type of character is the Protagonist? **

General Zaroff
 * Antagonist: **

A secluded, tropical island with lush forestry and muggy air.
 * Describe the setting **

Man vs. Man
 * Type of Conflict:**

Rainsford finds himself running from a psychotic general on a large, secluded island he knows nothing about. As well as running for his life, he must fight to take another man's, as well as prove what he is doing is wrong.
 * Describe the main conflict: **

When the protagonist, Rainsford, finds himself face-to-face with general Zaroff at the end of the story.
 * Describe the Climax of the Story: **

His perception of hunting and the animals' feelings change completely. He realizes that his idea of what the animals felt like was wrong in it's entirety, and he becomes less ignorant and naive.
 * How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? **

There is none, other than the reference to hunting in the word "game". The theme is role-reversal, and the title has nothing to do with that.
 * Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. **

When Rainsford is running from Zaroff, he experiences the role-reversal; he is now the hunted as opposed to the hunter.
 * How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? **

When Rainsford is faced with the opportunity to kill Zaroff, his role is reversed yet AGAIN! He becomes the hunter again, and Zaroff becomes the hunted.
 * How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? **


 * Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes): **

"Ugh! It's like moist black velvet"
 * Simile: **

"He tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of his life"
 * Metaphor**:

"The sea licked greedy lips in the shadows."
 * Personification: **

**Symbol**: Ship trap island is a symbol; it represents general Zaroff's yearning for a game of cat and mouse that is both challenging and dangerous.

When Rainsford builds the burmese tiger trap, it suggests that one of Zaroff's dogs may fall in.
 * Foreshadowing: **

**Irony**: At the beginning, when Whitney and Rainsford mention how lucky they are to be the hunters, and not the hunted.

"The largest man he had ever seen - a gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist."
 * Imagery: **

General Zaroff is obsessed with entertaining himself, and entertainment is a big part of humanity. The products that sell in vast quantities are all to entertain us. The general was so consumed with the idea of being challenged and amused, that he took the lives of innocent people to feed his addiction. Though us humans go to great lengths to keep ourselves amused and entertained, Zaroff went to an extreme. This story was a hyperbole, however, it illustrated perfectly a flaw in humanity.
 * Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. **

Because of the an anxiety and tenseness felt by Rainsford, time seemed to slow down immensely. He felt that a year had gone past when it had, in fact, been only one minute.
 * Questions **
 * 1. What is meant by “He lived a year in a minute”? /2 **

Rainsford meant that what he was truly capable of had not yet been revealed to General Zaroff. By saying "beast", perhaps he was speaking of the ugly side of humanity, the malicious, merciless aspects.
 * 2. What is meant by “I am still a beast at bay”? /2 **

The Caribbean Sea
 * 3. In which sea has Connell set Ship-Trap island? /1 **

He invested in property in America, and he was able to do so because his father was a very wealthy man, a nobleman.
 * 4. How is Zaroff able to finance his life style? /2 **

Transportation back to his home, under the condition that Rainsford never spoke of his encounter with Zaroff.
 * 5. If Rainsford wins the hunt, what does Zaroff promise him? /1 **

Lazarus, Zaroff's best dog, was killed in quicksand after he was lured there by Rainsford.
 * 6. What happened to Lazarus? /2 **
 * 7. Where does Rainsford spend the first night of his hunt? /1 **

A quarter of a million acres
 * 8. How many acres did Zaroff’s father have in the Crimea? /1 **

Because they leave the least amount of evidence.
 * 9. Why does Zarroff suggest Rainsford wear moccasins? /1 **

Zaroff has too much experience in hunting to simply look halfway up a tree before concluding that there is nothing hiding in it. Rainsford knew about Zaroff's immense hunting knowledge, and to be frank, Rainsford's conclusion is very plausible and, in my opinion, correct. Zaroff enjoyed this game of cat and mouse far too much to end it with such ease.
 * 10. What caused Rainsford to believe Zaroff knew he was hiding in the tree? Do you think he was right? Give reasons. /3 **

He set up a light to look like a lighthouse in order to lure ignorant sailors. The light, however, was positioned in a very dangerous, rocky side of the island, and it forced sailors to take refuge on his island. He kept them there with his hospitable nature.
 * 11. How does Zaroff stock his island with “game”? /2 **

He was shot by Rainsford. Rainsford was enraged by the malicious, near sociopathic air about Zaroff, and reacted in a very human way: with violence.
 * 12. What happened to General Zaroff at the end of the story? /2 **

Because the Malay Mancatcher is a very advanced, rare hunting technique and Zaroff was impressed that he could boast a prestigious skill.
 * 13. Inspite of being hurt, Zaroff congratulates Rainsford on his “Malay mancatcher,” why? /2 **

Because of the distance he swam in such good time, on top of running from a murderous General for three days.
 * 14. How do we know Rainsford is an exceptionally fit man? /2 **

Before his encounter on General Zaroff's island, he believes hunting to be a game that harmed no one; the hunter got his prize and the animal never understood what was happening. Very ironically, he discusses with his fellow hunter that he is fortunate to be the hunter, not the hunted. During the time that Rainsford is being hunted by Zaroff, he discovers what it's like to be running for one's life. I believe he comes to retract his previous statement, that animals fear not the hunting.
 * 15. Discuss the state of mind of Rainsford before he lands on the island versus that after he meets the General. What is different? (Especially about how he perceives animal feelings.)/5 **

Connell's use of imagery and metaphors and even hyperboles were excellent ways of evoking fearfulness in the readers. By staying away from the bloodshed, it made the fear more easily understood, because there was nothing to disgust the reader.
 * 16. How does Connell inspire fear without obvious bloodshed/grotesqueness. /3 **

Completion 5/5 Effort 4/5 Content 3.5/5 Questions 32/32 total 44.5/47