Now read the complete story "The Most Dangerous Game" to see how the eerie promise of "Ship-Trap Island" is fulfilled. Then use the questions below to help you identify the story's structure and to analyze the author's use of suspense.
What do you learn about Rainsford in the story's exposition? How does his attitude toward hunting foreshadow events to come?
What event sets off the story's rising action?
How does Zaroff first seem to Rainsford? At what point does Rainsford--and the reader--realize that Zaroff is dangerous?
What events and details heighten the suspense about Rainsford's fate during the "hunt"?
What is the climax of the story, and what uncertainty remains after it?
What is the final resolution of the story's conflict?
What parts of "The Most Dangerous Game" add most to the story's suspense? Explain how these parts help create a sense of uncertainty or anticipation for readers.
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| We learn that Rainsford is a sharp shooter and a good hunter because he can see things most other people cant. He feels no pity for the animals he hunts and does not believe that they feel fear when hunted, and this attitude foreshadows the challenge he will face on the island. | |
| Rainsford falls overboard and has to swim to shore, in the direction he heard shots fired right before falling into the water. From then on, he is fighting to survive—one way or another. | |
| At first Rainsford thinks that Zaroff is just like any other hunter, a generous man to be respected and admired, but not feared. He doesn't realize that Zaroff is dangerous until Zaroff explains that he prefers to hunt humans. | |
| General Zaroff gets very close to catching Rainsford several times, but either does not find him or gives him another chance. | |
| The climax of the story occurs when Rainsford is very tired and seems to be trapped by Zaroff and his dogs. Rainsford jumps into the sea rather than having General Zaroff kill or capture him. | |
| The final resolution is when Rainsford appears in General Zaroff's bedroom and then later sleeps in his bed. (The story suggests, but does not state, that Rainsford has killed Zaroff, thus winning the "game.") | |
| The parts that add the most suspense in "The Most Dangerous Game" are when Rainsford is every time almost caught by General Zaroff but then he survives. These parts create suspense because they are unnerving moments in the story—you don't know what's going to happen. | |
