Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What wins out in the end: instinct or reason? How does Rainsford survive?
- Why did Connell make Rainsford an American and Zaroff a Cossack? Is there a political message to this story?
- Should we make anything of Rainsford’s initial attraction to Zaroff? Are the two men similar?
- Is the ending conclusive or sort of open? Why? What do you think happens next?
- Does everyone follow the rules of the game? Any cheaters there? Do rules count if only one person knows them?
- What, ultimately, is “the most dangerous game”? Does "game" refer to the hunted ("game animals"), or to the competition between Rainsford and Zaroff? Or both? Does that change the meaning of the story?
- Does Richard Connell appear to condemn hunting or condemn hunting animals—or both?
- What purpose does Whitney serve in the story?