Question

How does this excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game" advance the plot?

"I'll give him a trail to follow," muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore of the fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox.... A big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was near by, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested. Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark.

Question 6 options:

It makes readers think that Rainsford is careless, so they worry about him.


It creates a humorous tone, which leads readers to believe that the story will have a happy ending.


It shows readers that Rainsford is smart and has skills. He has a chance of survival in the "game" against Zaroff.


It serves as the climax of the story.

Answer 1

It shows readers that Rainsford is smart and has skills. He has a chance of survival in the "game" against Zaroff.

Step-by-step explanation:

Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," tells the story of how an experienced hunter Sanger Rainsford became the hunted in a grim-twist of fate. The story deals with the themes of hunter-hunted relationships, social Darwinism, civilization, and murder.

In the given excerpt, Sanger Rainsford is already hunted by Colonel Zaroof, in an attempt to see whether he can achieve his freedom by escaping the hunter for three days. With that in mind, he decided to leave a "trail to follow" which will be confusing (or so he thought). His idea was to deceive the Colonel by providing some clues which will be all a ruse. This plan shows the readers that Rainsford is smart and has skills that can provide a chance to survive and win the "game" against Colonel Zaroff.

Thus, the correct answer is the third option.