Student Question
Can you paraphrase this passage from "The Most Dangerous Game"?
Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears--the most welcome he had ever heard--the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. He was almost on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would have been shattered against them. With his remaining strength he dragged himself from the swirling waters. Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness; he forced himself upward, hand over hand. Gasping, his hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top. Dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs. What perils that tangle of trees and underbrush might hold for him did not concern Rainsford just then. All he knew was that he was safe from his enemy, the sea, and that utter weariness was on him. He flung himself down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of his life.
Quick answer:
In the passage, Rainsford, after falling overboard, hears the sea crashing against a rocky shore, signaling hope. He nearly collides with the rocks but manages to pull himself out of the water. Exhausted, he climbs jagged crags to reach solid ground. Though surrounded by dense jungle, he is relieved to be alive and safe from the sea, collapsing into a deep sleep at the jungle's edge.
In this selection from the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford, the main character, is in a desperate predicament. In the beginning of the story, he is enjoying a conversation with his friend, Whitney. He falls overboard and the yacht continues onward. Rainsford then swims frantically, hoping to save himself. Fortunately, he hears a pistol shot and swims in the direction of the sound. This excerpt begins by explaining that, ten minutes later, he hears another sound that gives him hope. He knows that he hears the sound of water splashing against the rocks on shore. He has made it safely to land. Despite his exhaustion, he grips the rocks and climbs up until he reaches solid ground. Although he seems to be in a jungle environment, he is grateful to be alive and he falls into a deep and restful sleep.
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