Literature Study Guide
Literature Exam 1 Study Guide
Chapter 1: Reading the Story
Terms:
Commercial Fiction: Fiction written to meet the taste of a wide popular audience and relying usually on tested formulas for satisfying such taste. (pgs. 61-66)
Literary fiction: Fiction written with serious artistic intentions, providing an imagined experience yielding authentic insights into some significant aspect of life. (pgs. 61-66)
Stories:
“The Most Dangerous Game” (pgs. 67-85)
Published 1924
Commercial Fiction
Richard Connell- (1893-1949) From NY, graduated from Harvard, served a year in France with US Army during WW1
Characters:
Sanger Rainsford - A world-renowned big-game hunter and the story’s protagonist. Intelligent, experienced, and level-headed, Rainsford uses his wits and physical prowess to outwit General Zaroff. His understanding of civilization and the relationship between hunter and prey is radically transformed during his harrowing days on the island. Hiding from Zaroff, he recalls his days fighting in the trenches of World War I, where he witnessed unimaginable violence. At the same time, the three-day chase reverses his life of privilege and ease, forcing him to sacrifice comfort and luxury to survive.
General Zaroff - A Russian Cossack and expatriate who lives on Ship-Trap Island and enjoys hunting men. General Zaroff’s high cheekbones, sharply defined nose, and pointed military mustache accentuate his mysteriousness and savagery. With a cultivated voice and deliberate, slightly accented way of speaking, his regal bearing and rarefied aristocratic air belie his dementia and sadism. He hunts human beings to experience the most satisfying thrill.
Whitney - Rainsford’s friend and traveling companion. On the yacht, Whitney suggests to Rainsford that hunted animals feel fear. Highly suggestible, Whitney feels anxious as they sail near the mysterious Ship-Trap Island. He argues that evil emanates in waves like light and sound.
Ivan - A Cossack and Zaroff’s mute
Chapter 1: Reading the Story
Terms:
Commercial Fiction: Fiction written to meet the taste of a wide popular audience and relying usually on tested formulas for satisfying such taste. (pgs. 61-66)
Literary fiction: Fiction written with serious artistic intentions, providing an imagined experience yielding authentic insights into some significant aspect of life. (pgs. 61-66)
Stories:
“The Most Dangerous Game” (pgs. 67-85)
Published 1924
Commercial Fiction
Richard Connell- (1893-1949) From NY, graduated from Harvard, served a year in France with US Army during WW1
Characters:
Sanger Rainsford - A world-renowned big-game hunter and the story’s protagonist. Intelligent, experienced, and level-headed, Rainsford uses his wits and physical prowess to outwit General Zaroff. His understanding of civilization and the relationship between hunter and prey is radically transformed during his harrowing days on the island. Hiding from Zaroff, he recalls his days fighting in the trenches of World War I, where he witnessed unimaginable violence. At the same time, the three-day chase reverses his life of privilege and ease, forcing him to sacrifice comfort and luxury to survive.
General Zaroff - A Russian Cossack and expatriate who lives on Ship-Trap Island and enjoys hunting men. General Zaroff’s high cheekbones, sharply defined nose, and pointed military mustache accentuate his mysteriousness and savagery. With a cultivated voice and deliberate, slightly accented way of speaking, his regal bearing and rarefied aristocratic air belie his dementia and sadism. He hunts human beings to experience the most satisfying thrill.
Whitney - Rainsford’s friend and traveling companion. On the yacht, Whitney suggests to Rainsford that hunted animals feel fear. Highly suggestible, Whitney feels anxious as they sail near the mysterious Ship-Trap Island. He argues that evil emanates in waves like light and sound.
Ivan - A Cossack and Zaroff’s mute