The Most Dangerous Game Group

Question:

mrtaylor
mrtaylor
Teacher
High School - 12th Grade

In "The Most Dangerous Game," what realizations does Rainsford come to in better understanding Zaroff and Zaroff's game play?

At the climax, what things does Rainsford realize?

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Posted by mrtaylor on Friday October 2, 2009 at 3:06 PM and tagged with better understanding, climax, rainsford, realize, the most dangerous game, zaroff.

Answers:

  1. lhc
    lhc Teacher
    Middle School

    eNotes Editor

    Rainsford realizes fairly quickly into this adventure that Zaroff is playing a game of "cat and mouse" with him.  Rainsford, with his 3 hour head start, still is no match for Zaroff, who finds him quickly and pretends he can't see his prey hiding in the tree overhead.  Rainsford sets a trap that kills Ivan, not Zaroff, and winds up jumping off a cliff to save himself.  As readers, we assume he's dead; the dramatic irony leads us to the climax, when Rainsford shows up in Zaroff's room, the "winner."  Although Rainsford is dismissed by Zaroff, given the go-ahead to go home safely, we can assume that Rainsford's true character is revealed when he sleeps soundly that night in Zaroff's bed. 

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    Posted by lhc on Friday October 2, 2009 at 4:35 PM