Student Question
What are the three most suspenseful parts of "The Most Dangerous Game"?
Quick answer:
The three most suspenseful parts occur when Rainsford falls off the yacht into dark waters, hears a gunshot, and swims to safety. The second is when Rainsford hides in a tree while General Zaroff passes by, seemingly spotting him but choosing not to act. The third is when Rainsford is pursued by Ivan and hunting dogs, cleverly setting a trap that kills Ivan, allowing him to escape into the sea.
The first suspenseful situation in "The Most Dangerous Game" occurs when Sanger Rainsford falls off the yacht unnoticed and must depend on himself to swim to safety in the dark and unfamiliar waters. And in doing so, he hears the inhospitable sound of a pistol shot and an anguished cry from shore.
A second suspenseful situation occurs when Rainsford spends his first night in the jungle evading General Zaroff; he watches from a tree branch as Zaroff smokes a cigarette below. Zaroff's gaze travels up the branches of the tree but breaks off before he lays eyes on Rainsford, who realizes, once the general walks away, that he had actually been spotted but let go for the time being.
A third suspenseful situation occurs when Ivan, with a pack of hunting hounds on a lead, pursues Rainsford's scent with General Zaroff following close behind. Rainsford is able to quickly rig a knife to a sapling with some knowledge he picked up on a hunt in Uganda; it kills Ivan and buys Rainsford the few moments he needs to jump into the sea and lose the dogs and Zaroff.
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