Name:
Date:
The Most Dangerous Game
As you read the second time:
1. Pg 218 Literary Analysis Conflict: With what external conflict is Rainsford suddenly
confronted?
The external conflict that Rainsford is suddenly confronted with is battling for his life against the
sea.
2. Pg 219 Reading Skill Make Inferences: What inference does Rainsford make based on
the evidence of pistol shots?
The inference Rainsford makes based on the evidence of pistol shots is that men are present on the
island. He also infers that the men must have food.
3. Pg 220 Reading Skill Make Inferences: Which details here lead you to infer that the two
men Rainsford meets have a shared military past?
The details that lead me to infer that the two men Rainsford meets have a shared military past are
that the giant man, who stands rigidly holding a gun, is dressed in a uniform, clearly indicating that he
is or was part of a military unit. Then, as the slender man approaches, the giant makes a military
salute and clicks his heels.
4. Pg 221 Read the Literature in Context box: What traits does Zaroff show that might be
due, in part, to his having been a Cossack?
The traits that Zaroff shows that might be due, in part, to his having been a Cossack are his
fierceness and independence.
5. Pg 222 Literary Analysis Conflict: Explain how Rainsford’s discomfort in this passage is
both an internal and an external conflict.
Rainsford’s discomfort in this passage is both an internal and an external conflict because the internal
conflict is how he was struggling to understand why he feels uncomfortable. His discomfort is an
external conflict because the source of his concern is Zaroff, who keeps looking at Zaroff strangely.
6. Pg 222 Infer: What questions might be running through Rainsford’s mind during this
conversation with Zaroff?
Answers can vary, but here are some sample questions.
The questions that might be running through Rainsford’s mind during this conversation with Zaroff are
“Can I trust this man,” “Is this just a pleasant dinner, or am I in real danger?”
7. Pg 223 Reading Skill Make Inferences: How do the details about Zaroff’s life support the
inference that he feels neither guilt nor fear concerning hunting?
The details about Zaroff’s life support the inference that he feels neither guilt nor fear concerning the
hunting because he says that he speaks modestly, but he is actually proud of inventing a new hunting
sensations. He brags about hunting during his childhood, killing a bear at ten, and hunting every kind
of animal. His self-description betrays no guilt; in fact, he justifies himself by saying God created him
to be a hunter. He is not afraid of any animal, even the fierce Cape buffalo and the jaguar.
8. Pg 224 Literary Analysis Conflict: How was the “tragic moment,” Zaroff refers to, the
sign of an internal conflict?
The “tragic moment,” that Zaroff refers to, is a sign of an internal conflict because Zaroff was torn
between two emotions: his passion for hunting, and his growing boredom with it.
9. Pg 225 Literary Analysis Conflict: What does Rainsford suddenly understand about
Zaroff?
Rainsford suddenly understands that Zaroff hunts human beings.
10. Pg 226 Reading Skill Make Inferences: Based on this description of how Zaroff lures
quarry to his island, what can you infer about Zaroff’s feelings about people compared
to himself?
Based on the description of how Zaroff lures quarry to his island, I can infer he feels people are below
him, and only there for his own entertainment. He calculatingly destroys people and property for his
own personal pleasure.
11. Pg 226 Literary Analysis Conflict: Is Zaroff’s statement that his captives do not have to
participate in the hunt really true? Explain.
Zaroff’s statement that his captives do not have to participate in the hunt is not really true because
their only other option is death by the hands of Ivan, and this is not really a choice, death or death. A
real choice would be setting them free if they did not want to be involved in the hunt.
12. Pg 227 Reading Skill Make Inferences: What kind of heads do you think Zaroff wants to
show Rainsford? Explain.
The type of heads that Zaroff wants to show to Rainsford are probably human heads in the library.
There are animal heads mounted in the dining room and it is reasonable to infer that the other heads
he wants to show Rainsford are human because Zaroff refers to them as his “new collection” and we
know he hunts humans.
13. Pg 228 Literary Analysis Conflict: How does Rainsford’s statement about wishing to
leave make his internal conflict an external one?
Rainsford’s statement about wishing to leave makes his internal conflict an external one because his
statements show he is no longer struggling internally with the issue of whether or not to trust Zaroff.
His feelings are now out in the open and will prompt Zaroff’s response, most likely creating an
external conflict with Zaroff.
14. Pg 228 What does General Zaroff say that makes the reader infer that he does not mean
that he and Rainsford will hunt together, but rather that Zaroff means he will hunt
Rainsford?
General Zaroff says that the choice rests completely with Rainsford and that if he would like Zaroff’s
idea of hunting better than Ivan’s. We already know that the General sends people that don’t want to
hunt to Ivan, so we can infer that the General now wants to hunt Rainsford.
15. Pg 232 Literary Analysis Conflict: Who seems to be winning the conflict at this point in
the story? Explain.
At this point in the story, Zaroff seems to be winning the conflict because he has survived the trap and
is confident that he will return and easily find Rainsford. Rainsford is now in a “desperate, hopeless
fight.”
16. Pg 235 Literary Analysis Conflict: What new internal conflict does the sound of the
baying dogs create for Rainsford?
The new internal conflict that the sound of the baying dogs creates for Rainsford is controlling his own
internal panic because he knows the dogs are getting closer and that he has a limited amount of time
to think of a way to escape.