6th period:
Tone: anxious, apprehensive, uneasy, paranoid, intimidated, weary
Mood: foreboding, ominous, taunted, uncertain, gloomy, puzzled,
eerie, suspenseful
Details/images/diction:
 "curious dread"
 "moist black velvet" - describes the darkness of the night
 Captain – usually fearless – is nervous about the island
 "dank tropical night"
 Repetition of evil, repetition of fear
 "God-forsaken" place
 Poisonous air
 "there was no breeze... sea as flat as plate glass window"
 "I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are
in danger"
 "the place has a reputation, a bad one"
 Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place
 Anyhow, I'm glad we're getting out of the zone
In "The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell conveys a tone of
paranoia through the use of ominous diction and eerie imagery in
order to create suspense surrounding the mysterious island. As
Rainsford and Whitney approach the island, Whitney observes the
"curious dread" and "superstition" centered around 'Ship-Trap Island'"
(Connell 60). The phrase "curious dread" suggests the fearful interest
of the sailors who are not brave enough to approach the island
themselves for fear of the unknown. The very name 'Ship-Trap Island'
emphasizes the idea that there will be no return, thus allowing the
reader to believe this is the cause of the superstition.
2