THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

CHARACTERIZATION He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed military moustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharp-cut nose, a spare, dark face, the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat. (lines )

What makes the character so vivid for the reader? Modifiers. – adjectives and adverbs: thick, pointed, black as the night, sharp-cut, bright, vivid Connections. – The man introduces himself as a general. Rainsford’s description of him includes the things he infers about the man’s character, based on what he knows about the military: military moustache, the face of a man used to giving orders.

Your turn! Use modifiers and whatever connections you can make for the reader to describe your impressions of the following character…

And this one?

If these two characters needed to be developed and added to The Most Dangerous Game, what roles would they play? When would they be introduced in the story?

Word Study Prefixes, suffixes and roots Prefix – comes before, modifies root Suffix – comes after, modifies root Eg: – a, an (meaning without, none)  atypical – anti (meaning against, opposed)  antihistamine, antivirus – bio (meaning life)  biography

Your turn!!! Use the following prefixes and suffixes to create as many words as possible in three minutes (GO!): Prefixes Suffixes arch (chief, principal) co, con, com (together, with) dis (apart, from, out, opposite of) hyper (excessive, over, above, beyond) multi (many) pseudo (false) sub (under) cide (killing) ant, ent, er, or, eer, ier (one who acts) fy (fo make) ic, ical (of, like) ion, sion, tion (state of, condition of) phobia (fear) ment (state of being)

Simile A simile compares two things with “like” or “as”. – “Ugh! It’s like moist black velvet” (14-15) – The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. (49- 50) – He tried to wrench it back, but the muck sucked viciously at his foot as if it were a giant leech. ( )

Your turn! Use a simile to describe the following things: – The ring of a cell phone. – The texture of a new sweater. – The color of your crush’s eyes. – The color of your archenemy’s eyes.

Metaphor A metaphor compares one thing to another by saying that it is that other thing. “He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame.” ( ) The lights of the yacht became faint and ever- vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night. (94-96)

Your turn! Can you think of a way to use the eye of a hurricane as a metaphor for a situation you may encounter?

Making Connections We all compare everything we encounter to what we already know (our existing schemata). “One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naïve, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It’s like finding a snuffbox in a limousine.” ( ) Something unexpectedly old- fashioned and simple in something modern and luxurious. Can you think of another comparison that would be more teen-speak?

Games, games, games. “If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game.” “Suppose he refuses to be hunted?” “If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan…Invariably they choose the hunt.” ( ) It’s not really a choice, is it. Are there any instances in which you have become involved in a game that was not of your choosing? What were the stakes?

Context Clues Good readers use context clues extensively to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. – “You’ll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford,” he suggested. The cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table appointments were of the finest – the linen, the crystal, the silver, the china.

Your turn! If the vocabulary word was internet slang, and you needed to use the same technique to make examples readily available for the reader, how might that look? Choose “text talk” or an internet term that is unusual or very new. How would you use it so that all readers, even those from another generation or another place, would understand your message?

Transitional phrases build suspense… Transitional phrases move the plot forward, or indicate that flashbacks from the past are being referred to. – For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly: “No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game.” ( ) – “After the debacle in Russia I left the country, for it was imprudent for an officer of the czar to stay there…” ( )

Your turn! With a partner, generate a list of transitional phrases that you might be able to use in your writing. You have three minutes! * Note that when you write, numbers less than ten must be written out in words. Those greater than ten may be written in numerals.

So, did you include:

Ok, this is a lot! On the plone, in the grammar folder, there is a link to an extensive list. Within that list is another link to a “cheat sheet” that would make a great resource (two pages, print it out for yourself).

Your turn! Write an to your grandpa/grandma. Give him/her directions that would enable them to do something that you do regularly (surf the web, use your cell phone, do a trick on a skateboard – something that they have never done before). You will need to use transitions and transitional phrases to explain clearly. Remember, Gammy is old-school – she expects the writing to be PROPER.

Use of commas In dialogue: – “We will have some capital hunting, you and I,” said the general. “I shall be most glad to have your society.” ( ) – “May I pour you another glass of port, Mr. Rainsford?” ( ) * The rules for comma use are extensive. We’ll do a little at a time. There is a Comma Quick Reference page on the plone, which is excellent.

Ethics – What do you think? Identity. – “I was lying in my tent with a splitting headache one night when a terrible thought pushed its way into my mind. Hunting was beginning to bore me! And hunting, remember, had been my life.” ( ) The general defines his identity as a hunter. He can be nothing else, it seems. So focused is he on his own identity, that no other options occur to him. He becomes creative at finding ways to get what he needs (challenge) and remain who he is (a hunter).

Can you think of other situations in which an individual gives themselves over completely to an intensely focused role, and it becomes singularly who he/she is? What happens when he/she is faced with the dissolution of that role? What does it do to that person’s identity? Do we see examples of success and of failure in handling this kind of change in the real world? What does that mean to you?

“Hunting had ceased to be what you call a sporting proposition. It had become too easy. I always got my quarry. Always. There is no greater bore than perfection.” ( ) Do you feel that this happens to regular folks in real life? Can you give some examples?

Do you have a mantra? Self-talk can be positive or negative. – “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,” he said through tight teeth. ( ) – “I will not lose my nerve. I will not.” (650) – “Nerve, nerve, nerve!” he panted, as he dashed along. (766) Rainsford uses his self-talk to keep calm and carry on. It gives him strength.

Do you have a mantra? If you don’t what word or phrase “fits” for you? What does your choice say about your identity?