The Most Dangerous Game

Richard Connell

1. Define the following words and expressions. Recall the situations from the text in which they were used:

palpable

big-game hunter

God-forsaken place

cannibal

tangible

indolently

sensuous drowsiness

extremity of anguish

vitality

staccato

opaqueness

leer

deliberateness

singularly handsome

bizarre

amenities of civilization

appraising

capital hunting

quarry

surmount

to match one’s wits

condone

to be droll

to have sth in store for sb

scruples

Providence

barbarous

invariably

grotesque

venerable

to acknowledge oneself defeated

animate sb

futile flight

imperative need for rest

zealous hunter

apprehensive

uncanny powers

placid

a beast at bay

repast

1. Learn to pronounce the following words. Explain who or what is meant by the words and expressions:

Caribbean, palatial chateau, gargoyle, astrakhan, feudal times, cosmopolite, Crimea, Caucasus, debacle, mid-Victorian point of view, lascars, tartar, Madame Butterfly, Marcus Aurelius

1. Do the matching:

1. lore a) full of burning enthusiasm; having an intese feeling for something

2. perils b) odd, strange

3. mirage c) liveliness

4. bizarre d) to overlook, to allow

5. ardent e) not successful, useless

6. condone f) endurance

7. elude g) all knowledge of a subject belonging to one group

8. stamina h) to escape unnoticed

9. futile i) an optical illusion

10. agility j) dangers, risks

1. Answer the following quick questions.

1. What is meant by “He lived a year in a minute”?

2. What is meant by “I am still a beast at bay”?

3. In which sea has Connell set Ship-Trap island?

4. How is Zaroff able to finance his life style?

5. If Rainsford wins the hunt, what does Zaroff promise him?

6. What happened to Lazarus?

7. Where does Rainsford spend the first night of his hunt?

8. How many acres did Zaroff’s father have in the Crimea?

9. Why does Zarroff suggest Rainsford wear moccasins?

10. What caused Rainsford to believe Zaroff knew he was hiding in the tree? Do you think he was right? Give reasons.

11. How does Zaroff stock his island with “game”?

12. What happened to General Zaroff at the end of the story?

13. Inspite of being hurt, Zaroff congratulates Rainsford on his “Malay mancatcher,” why?

14. How do we know Rainsford is an exceptionally fit man?

1. Study the stylistic devices handouts.

1. Questions for discussion

1. On what simple ironical reversal is the plot of the story based? What two meanings has the title?
2. How important is suspense in the story? In what ways is it aroused ans sustained? What part do chance and coincidence play in the story?
3. Discuss the characterizations of Rainford and General Zaroff. Which one is more fully characterized? Are both characters plausible?
4. What purpose is served by the “philosophical” discussion between Whitney and Rainford at the beginning of the story? What limitation does it show Rainford to have? To what extend is his character illuminated during the cause of the story? Does he change his ideas?
5. In what ways is the discussion between Whitney and Rainford paralleled by the after-dinner discussion between Rainford and Zaroff? In theses discussions, is Rainford more like Whitney or Zaroff? How does he differ from Zaroff? Does the end of the story resolve that difference?
6. How might Rainsford’s experience on the island change him? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
7. Identify the conflicts in the story (human vs. nature, human vs. human, human vs. himself)
8. What does Zaroff stand for? Is he the monster in each of us? Why or why not?
9. Were you satisfied with the outcome of the story? Why or why not?

1. Writing: a) alternative ending.

Write an alternative ending to the story “The Most Dangerous Game”. You might use the following prompts:

1. If the general, rather that his dog, had fallen into the trap, how might the story have ended?
2. If Rainsford hadn’t jumped into the sea, how might the story have ended?

b) essay:

Immorality can be defined as “wickedness.” Amorality is defined as “the inability to distinguish from right & wrong. Based on details from the story, is Zaroff immoral or amoral? Explain.

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