“The Most Dangerous Game” reading questions.
1. Pg 23 The exposition of a story introduces its setting and characters. What do you know about
these story elements so far?
2. Pg 24 “A certain coolheadedness head come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a
tight place.” Consider what this passage suggests about Rainsford. What type of situation do
you think he might encounter during the course of the story?
3. Pg 25 “the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds
was stained crimson.” How does the author’s word choice add suspense in this passage?
4. Pg 27 “We can talk later. Now you want clothes, food, rest. You shall have them. This is a most
restful spot.” What effect does General Zaroff’s words have on you as a reader?
5. Pg 28 “Here in my preserve on this island,” he said in the same slow tone, “I hunt more
dangerous game.” Why does information about dangerous game heighten the suspense?
6. Pg 29 “I had to invent a new animal to hunt,” he said. What future events does General Zaroff’s
story seem to foreshadow?
7. Pg 30 “My dear fellow,” said the general, “there is one that can.” What does this statement
suggest about the way the general might act in the future?
8. Pg 31 Consider what you have learned about General Zaroff so far. What main conflict, or
struggle, is he likely to be a part of in the story?
9. Pg 32 “I want to show you my new collection of heads.” What is particularly foreboding about
General Zaroff’s statement at this point in the story?
10. Pg 33 “As you wish, my friend,” he said. “The choice rests entirely with you. But may I not
venture to suggest that you will find my idea of sport more diverting that Ivan’s?” The rising
action of a story often offers complications, or difficulties. In this passage, how is Rainsford’s
situation made more difficult?
11. Pg 36 “like a wounded snake, and sleep did not visit Rainsford, although the silence of a dead
world was on the jungle.” What words and images does the author use in this passage to
foreshadow events and to heighten the suspense?
12. Pg 36 “The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day’s sport!
The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse.” What is the main conflict of this story? Identify
ways in which this conflict might be resolved.
13. Pg 37 “I am going now to have my wound dresses; it’s only a slight on. But I shall be back.”
Identify the plot complication that occurs in this passage. What effect does it have on you as a
reader?
14. Pg 37 “He knew where he was now. Death Swamp and its quicksand.” Why does this detail
heighten the suspense?
15. Pg 38 “It was a distant sound, faint and wavering, but he knew it. It was the baying of a pack of
hounds.” What additional challenge does Rainsford become aware of in this passage? Do you
think he can overcome this complication? Explain your thoughts.
16. Pg 39 “Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the
hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea….” The climax, or turning point, is the moment of
greatest intensity in a story. What shocking situation occurs in this passage?
17. Pg 39 “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.” The resolution reveals the final
outcome of events and ties up the loose ends of a story. How did Rainsford manage to escape
his earlier predicament? What does he do to end his conflict with General Zaroff?