Mrs. Leach 2011-2012
“The Most Dangerous Game”
By Richard Connell
Style: Powerful Verbs
• I told the Doberman to stop snarling.
• I screamed at the Doberman to stop
his snarling.
Which of these sentences is more interesting?
Which contains more information? Both sentences
are basically the same except for the choice of
verbs. Verbs are the engines that drive your writing
forward. POWERFUL VERBS take your reader for a
fast-paced, fascinating ride!
Identifying Powerful Verbs
Match each verb in the left-hand column below to a more vivid and precise
verb in the right-hand column. Write the letter of the more precise verb in
the space provided.
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____ 1. likes
____2. follow
____3. walked
____4. fell
____5. light
____6. take
____7. write
____8. tried
____9. laughed
____10. broke
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A. ambled
B. snapped
C. adores
D. giggled
E. pursue
F. crashed
G. scribble
H. ignite
I. struggled
J. grasp
Using Powerful Verbs
• Write ten sentences using ten of the
verbs listed in the right-handed column of
the previous exercise. Use one verb in
each sentence, and underline the verb.
Write your sentences about the
characters, events, and the setting in
“The Most Dangerous Game.”
• EXAMPLE: General Zaroff
adores the finer things in life.
Making Powerful Verbs Your Own
• Write one paragraph
describing your thoughts,
feelings, and actions as if you
were the person being chased.
Write in the present tense and
use at least five POWERFUL
VERBS!
Conflict
• Conflict is a struggle between
opposing forces. There are two types
of conflict: internal and external.
• Internal: a character struggles with
his or her own opposing feelings,
beliefs, needs, or desires.
• External: a character struggles
against an outside force, such as
another character, society, or nature.
A REAL SOLUTION
• Conflict and the search for a solution are the
mainspring of a story’s plot. The solution,
which usually occurs near the end of the story,
is called the resolution.
AN EPIPHANY
• In some stories, the conflict is not truly
resolved. Instead, the main character
experiences an epiphany, or sudden flash of
spiritual insight. Although the conflict is not
resolved, the character’s thoughts about it
change.
LITERARY ANALYSIS: CONFLICT
• Directions: “The Most Dangerous Game: contains a number of
conflicts. Briefly describe the story situations surrounding
each conflict, below.
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1. Rainsford vs. Nature
2. General Zaroff v. the “visitors” to his island
3. Rainsford v. General Zaroff
4. Rainsford within himself
Literary Analysis: CONFLICT
• In 4-6 sentences, discuss the story’s
ending. Does the ending contain a
resolution that solves the story’s
main conflict? Have Rainsford’s
experiences changed his views about
hunting? Explain your answer by
citing details from the story.
Enrichment: Dealing with Competition
• General Zaroff develops his
gruesome variation on hunting
because he says that hunting
animals is no longer a challenge
for him. He is driven by
competition. His need for evergreater challenges spins out of
control.
Competition
• Competition can be a positive
quality in life as a whole, and
specifically in the environment of
the workplace. However,
competition can also be
troublesome if taken to the
extreme.
Dear ADVICE-GIVER,
• In each of the following
situations, a competitive situation
causes problems. Write 2-3
sentence for each. Give advice to
the people in each situation.
Dear ADVICE-GIVER,
My younger brother and I play
one-on-one basketball every night. I
am older and taller than my brother
and always win. He insists on
playing, however, and he insists on
keeping score. Should I let him win?
Sincerely,
Robert
Dear ADVICE-GIVER,
This girl at our school, Tiana, has
the best voice in the school chorus.
During tryouts, she always wins the
solos for the choral concerts. The
other singers are feeling left out and
are thinking of quitting the chorus.
What should I do?
Sincerely,
Carmella
Dear ADVICE-GIVER,
A friend and I are working part time
at Dairy Queen. I would like to work
together, but my friend is continually
trying to outdo me in every task. I am
afraid that this will make me look bad
and I will be fired. What do I do?
Sincerely confused in Blizzard-land,
Lydia
Anticipation Guide Revisited
Now that we have read “The Most
Dangerous Game” go back to
your Anticipation Guide and reanswer the same questions. Did
you change your mind? If so,
why? Did any of your beliefs stay
the same? What do you think this
is attributed to?
The Map Project
After Rainsford returns to civilization, he is
asked by police to help in their
investigation of General Zaroff. They would
like for him to describe to the police artist
the island so that they can fully understand
what occurred there. YOU ARE THIS POLICE
ARTIST! The next slide is a list of important
locations on the island which Rainsford has
given you; however, he is still shaken from
his ordeal, so you will have to help him
place these locations on the map since you
have read the police report. (Use your
knowledge of the story to help.)
The Map Project
Be sure to include the following:
1. Channel- trap for ships
2. Chateau
3. Tree- where Rainsford first hid after making
a trail
4. Jungle- Malay Mancatcher, Uganda Knife
Trick, Death Swamp, Burmese Tiger Pit
5. Cliff
6. Use symbols to represent what happened in
each location and include these symbols in
a key or legend to explain your map.
The Map Project