Literary+Devices

Short Stories - Literary Devises Title:___The Most DangerousGame___

Point of View: third

Protagonist: Rainsford What type of character is the Protagonist? The protagonist is a positive character.

Antagonist: General Zaroff

Describe the setting: (time, place, mood and atmosphere)

The story takes place on an island. The island is remote, isolated, enchanting, and unusual. The atmosphere is at first interesting and fun then turns hostile and threatening.

Type of Conflict:

Describe the main conflict: A hunter being hunted and getting punished - the conflict of human behaviour. Also, how some people get bored with their lives and will do anything to entertain themselves, even commit murder. Another one is the conflict of the protagonist: his character changes throughout the story,along with his views on hunting (like - dislike - and, perhaps, like again).

Describe the Climax of the Story: This story is quite unusual. You could argue it has two climaxes- the first one is when Rainsford is hiding from the General, and the second one at the end, quite unexpected. While reading this story I did not expect Rainsford to be hiding in the general's bedroom. The second climax is more important for the story.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? Rainsford at first likes hunting and thinks there is nothing wrong with it, just a rite of passage for strong beings. Throughout the story, he starts realizing that hunting is immoral. Nevertheless, at the end, he is the one who kills both Ivan and the General. One has to wonder that perhaps he will take place of the General on the island.

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. The Dangerous Game is a good title because it illustrates that one of the main characters, Zaroff, who invented it and constantly played it, ironically lost it and became the victim of his own invention.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?

It helps because it shows the most dangerous game one of the main characters invented, and eventually the hunter is killed.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?

It shows that the hunter gets its punishment - do not play your own dangerous games!

Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):

Simile: 'Night is like moist black velvet.'

Metaphor: 'The night would be my eyelids.'

Personification: 'An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil.'

'Night pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht.'

Symbol: 'leering gargoyle,' 'spiked iron gate' (shows evil, threat, and danger)

Foreshadowing (give both elements): 'Don't you feel anything? Now, you mustn't laugh when I tell you this - I did feel something like a sudden chill. ' (It shows that danger and doom are near).

Irony: 'Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow, but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb.'

Imagery: 'There was a medieval magnificance about it. It suggested a baronial hall of feudal times with its oak panels, its high ceiling, its vast reflectory table... About the hall were mounted heads of many animals...'

Completion 5/5 Content 8/10 Effort 4/5 total 17/20