The Most Dangerous Game—Literary Journal Two
Name______
Now that you have read The Most Dangerous Game, you will complete a literary journal. For each section entry, you will: 1. identify text examples to support the use of literary elements such as setting, irony, symbolism, foreshadowing, conflict, mood, point of view, suspense and theme. 2. complete the figurative language section. Be sure to look over the Literary Journal Rubric to familiarize yourself with the criteria for each part of the journal entry. Type your answers in complete sentences into this document and then submit to the dropbox. Please type your name on the line above.
Part I. Text Examples to Support Literary Elements:
Connell uses conflict and point of view to enhance the overall effect of the story.
Definition of Conflict: An internal or external struggle between two opposing forces in a story.
Using your “Short Story Terms” as a reference, identify where in the story specific text-based examples of the following conflicts are found:
1. Man v. Man: Zaroff v. Rainsford (hunter v. hunted)
2. Man v. Self: Rainsford v. inner resolve/strength/nerve
3. Man v. Nature: Rainsford v. jungle/sea/quicksand
4. Man v. Machine: Rainsford v. gun
5. Man v. Society: Zaroff’s justification that his new “game” was acceptable and civilized
Definition of Point of View: The narrator an author chooses to tell a story—
Different Points of View:
Narrative/First Person: Told from the narrator’s point of view—uses the pronoun “I”-we only know the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Ex: Speak
Second Person: Told from the reader’s point of view—uses the pronoun “You”—we only know the thoughts of the reader. Ex: Directions on an assignment
Omniscient: Told from the point of view of ALL the characters—uses the pronouns “He” and “She”—we know the thoughts and feelings of ALL the characters. Ex: chapter books that switch character point of view on every chapter.
Third Person Limited: Told from one or more character’s point of view—uses the pronouns “He” and “She”—we know the feelings of SOME of the characters, but not all. Ex: The Most Dangerous Game.
1. Why is The Most Dangerous Game classified as third person limited point of view? Name the character(s) whose thoughts and feelings we know.
We know the thoughts and feelings of two characters—Rainsford and for a short bit at the end, Zaroff. We do not know the thoughts and feelings of Ivan, Whitney or the dogs, except for what they say—but we are not in their thoughts.
2. Why is the use of third person limited effective in The Most Dangerous Game? How does it create suspense?
It effectively creates suspense because, until the end, we do not know what Zaroff is thinking—how he plans to try to kill Rainsford or what his next strategy will be. This puts us in Rainsford ‘s shoes for most of the story, and we sympathize with his feelings of panic and fear.
IMPORTANT TIP: An author should stick to one point of view consistently throughout a story (no mixing pronouns)
Part II. Figurative Language in The Most Dangerous Game
Identify the type of figurative language in the following examples from the story. Examples will include metaphors, similes, and personification. Some examples will contain both a metaphor or simile AND personification. Then, label the parts of the figurative language in this manner:
a. Metaphor and Simile—Identify the two unlike things being compared
b. Personification- Identify the words or phrases that give a non-human thing human traits
Type in your answers below the examples:
1. “…it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows.”
The sea licked greedy lips--Personification
2. “Rainsford stood blinking in the river of glaring gold light that poured out.”
River of glaring gold light and the actual light coming from the doorway--Metaphor
3. “….the largest man Rainsford had ever seen…a gigantic creature.”
Ivan and a gigantic creature--Metaphor