Short Story Unit Test Review of stories

“The Most Dangerous Game”

Characters

General Zaroff Buys the island because he is bored of hunting animals that can’t reason. He is super excited when Rainsford shows up at his island because he knows of him and his expert hunting. Zaroff explains to Rainsford his new hunting game of humans - he likes that they can reason. Zaroff believes that hunting humans is still “survival of the fittest”, but Zaroff has a better weapon and a pack of dogs. Zaroff “stocks” his island by using fake lights to get ships stuck At the end of the story, he is killed by Rainsford

Rainsford Ends up on the island because he falls overboard on his yacht. A famous hunter has written hunting books Becomes the huntee – without a choice Is able to set traps for Zaroff – but is still caught by Zaroff Jumps off the cliff – reader thinks he is dead, but he swims back to the chateau and kills Zaroff

Whitney (minor Character) On the yacht with Rainsford at the beginning of the story. Whitney warns Rainsford about the Ship Trap Island – just the name spooks him.

Ivan (minor character) A giant that works for General Zaroff. Opens the door for Rainsford. If someone refuses to hunt with Zaroff, they are given to Ivan……(so not really a choice!) Ivan is killed in one of Rainsford’s traps

Literary Elements Foreshadowing – just the name of the island “Ship Trap” is foreshadowing that events on that island will not go well. Infer – the reader knows that Zaroff has found Rainsford up the tree when Zaroff smirks and walks off.

“The Lottery” Characters – Tessie Hutchinson – the person that wins the lottery – doesn’t think that the process is fair. She is stoned to death. Old Man Warner – oldest man in the village that believes the Lottery is what helps the crops grow plentiful – thinks that people that want to give up the lotter are fools. Davey Hutchinson – youngest member of the family – is given a stone to his mother with. Mr. Summers – runs the ritual of the lottery and gets the black box with the pieces of paper (one with a black dot)

Key Events to know The lottery happens annually – June 27th “Lottery in June, Corn be heavy soon” – people of the village believe that the sacrifice of a person will help their crops be plentiful. Before the village got so big and used paper they used wood chips. The lottery is a tradition that some younger people want to give up. Lottery: Black box has a slip of paper for each family – once the head of the house hold picks the paper with the black dot – then each person from THAT family picks a piece of paper – The black dot is the “Winner” – Stoned to Death. This story is an example of Dystopian

Literary Terms used in the story Duality – When Tessie is making small talk with her neighbors, but then they kill her in the end (Good vs. Evil) Suspense is built when the reader understands that the lottery isn’t a “good” thing, but doesn’t know what it is yet.

Lamb to the Slaughter Characters Mary Malone – protagonist whose husband wants to leave her while she is pregnant. She kills him with a frozen leg of lamb, but is smart enough to cover up her murder when she feeds the cooked meat to the police officers. At the beginning of the story she appears to be a very mild, meek woman, but ends up being coy. Patrick – Mary’s husband – police officer that tells his pregnant wife that he is going to leave her. Police Officers – Come to the house to investigate the murder, but end up eating the murder weapon. They think the weapon is a metal club (really a frozen piece of meat)

Literary terms found in story “Lamb to the Slaughter” – Mary’s husband was as easy to kill as sheep in a slaughter house. Ironic – when one of the officers says “The murder weapon is probably right under our noses” when they are eating the meat. Symoblism – When Mary makes her husband and her a drink – hers is weak and Patrick’s is strong

“Masque of the Red Death” Prince Prospero has 1,000 of his closes friends join him in this castle to escape the red death that is killing the people of the land. The people are in the castle for months when the Prince decides to hold a grand masquerade party. At the party, when the clock strikes everyone stops (the end is near??). When it is close to midnight they notice a very scary masked person. Everyone is afraid, but the Prince is mad and decides to chase the masked person through his 7 rooms (symbol for the 7 deadly sins – rooms range from blue (birth) to black (death). Once the Prince gets to the last room (death) he is killed by the masked man (really not anyone – just symbolizes death or the red death) Theme: It doesn’t matter who you are (how much wealth) everyone dies Allegory – exaggerated personification/metaphors