Walking Contradictions

Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island could have one of three possibilities. First off, the great contrast may enrich his life. Happiness is easier to reach for those who suffer and overcome extreme challenges precisely because they know how to appreciate what they have. When your life is clearly in mortal danger, such as the situation Rainsford was in, you start to realize what life means to you, and what your morals are. With that knowledge, he may have a better appreciation of life, and know exactly how to enjoy it. Rainsford’s morals could have been completely sorted out. He has been the hunted and survived to know the fear that might have been going to the mind of the animals being hunted. And from what he experienced, one might assume that he would never hunt again.

The second, darker outcome could be that the guilt from killing two people and some dogs would haunt his conscience and drive him insane. This may bring back memories and thrills of “the game” and he could end up taking over Ship-Trap Island, and then begin hunting people there, just like Zaroff, becoming the very person he thought was insane. Rainsford may become an even more fearsome hunter, for he has learned from Zaroff’s mistake; don’t bother toying around with the person, just kill them. Through this chain of events, it is possible that there can be a “cycle of Ship-Trap Island.”

(The tab button won't work so i just used the spacebar)

#1 Kahao L. on 2008-09-17 19:41 (Reply)

The third possibility is that Rainsford’s experiences would have made him a recluse, or a hermit of some sort. He may live in the giant house built on Ship-Trap Island for the rest of his life, only with the company of the dogs (and possibly the puppies if they have puppies). It appears that he will be able to have wine just about every day, and have fancy meals, and he can cook learning techniques he learned in the wild. Maybe if he is lucky, and finds some sailor who washes up on the island a really good cook, and a good friend, maybe he can have company and have him/her cook. What he decides to do to the rest of the people could either be hunt them, or help them, which is explained in my post above.

(Note, the space button didn't work either...)

#1.1 Kahao L. on 2008-09-17 19:52 (Reply)

No, the space bar doesn't work. It drives me a little crazy, especially since I want everyone to get used to proper MLA format. Fortunately, I've learned to treasure the blog's good qualities (such as the opportunity to see all of you writing in the same place!) and ignore the minor irritants built into the blogging-software (can't leave multiple comments without leaving the thread and coming back in, etc.).

Nice work, Kahao!

#1.1.1 M. Feraco-Eberle on 2008-09-18 23:10 (Reply)

tiffany

#2 Tiffany C. on 2008-09-17 20:21 (Reply)

omg! I'm sooo sorry, I accidentally pressed the wrong button. Sorry

#3 Tiffany C. on 2008-09-17 20:22 (Reply)

I KINDA DONT UNDERSTAND... well not tiffanys comment but how to answer theese ?s... do we answer just one??? or all???
HELP!!!

~~~confuzzzeld~~~

#4 Meliza R. on 2008-09-17 20:40 (Reply)

Feel free to respond to as many – or as few – as you prefer.

#4.1 Priscilla C. on 2008-09-17 21:31 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will probably now wants to appreciate life more than ever and will not hunt any more animals. I think that he will now want to leave the island to forget all of the terrible memories on that island. I think that he will try to stop people from hunting so he can save some lives unlike Zaroff.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

I would not put the part about talking to Whitney in the beginning. I wouldn't put it because people (like me) might want to know what happened to him since he one one of the main characters on the yacht.

-John Arunarsirakul
Period 1 English 9

#5 John A. on 2008-09-18 15:32 (Reply)

"Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?"

Rainsford, after meeting the terrifying General Zaroff, will certainly enjoy life more. After seeing this, he will learn to appreciate the fact that he was nothing like Zaroff, and fortunate to survive the game. He also has a new mansion to enjoy! How could life be any worse?

"Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?"

I would not have left so many loose ends untied; for example, Whitney's yacht. What happened to the ship, and what did the crew think of the missing Rainsford? What about the dozen or so people in General Zaroff's training academy? What will happen now that Zaroff has deceased? Though the ending was clever, it left enough questions unanswered to be almost unsatisfactory.

#6 Andrew X. on 2008-09-18 16:34 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

#7 Keemlin N. on 2008-09-18 16:39 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If i were to change any part of this story, I would change the part where Rainsford fell off the yacht. Instead, the story would seem more interesting if Whitney and Rainsford fell off the boat at the same time while trying to catch Rainsford's pipe. I believe this because it would add more suspense and excitement to the story for the part where they hunt for each other until someone dies. If Rainsford was a good man he would also help Whitney survive with him.

Because of this, it makes it more difficult for Rainsford and Whitney to survive together because they're only as strong as their weakest player, which in this case Whitney is considered the weak one. Another thing that Rainsford and Whitney could do to survive is split up and hope Zaroff catches the both of them. Though this would cause complications to Whitney and Rainsford it gives a better chance for one of them to survive and it would also make this story more exciting. If i had to change part of this story, Whitney would fall off the boat with Rainsford and in the end, Rainsford dies while Whitney is left and she kills Zaroff.

#8 Keemlin N. on 2008-09-18 17:03 (Reply)

+ General Zaroff is a contradictory figure; parts of him don't make sense when you compare them to other parts. For example, he loves being "civilized" - drinking wine, smoking expensive cigarettes, dressing in nice clothes, living in a giant mansion, etc. But he also hunts human beings for sport, even mounting their heads on his wall. (For someone who loves "civilization" so much, he sure seems to love killing "civilians.")

Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another? Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.
I do have contradictory qualities, not as evil as Zaroff’s though. I love animals, I’m against wearing fur and never eat KFC because they torture animals and I know they have feelings and could easily get hurt like humans. It brings tears to my eyes when I see abused/neglected animals. Although I care about them so much, I‘m still a big meat lover. For me, the hardest thing to do is give up meat.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?
I would have killed off Whitney or at least let the readers know what happened to her. She was in the beginning of the story and just disappeared until the end. It is unknown what happened to her.
If Zaroff caused her death and Rainsford found her, he would probably get more upset and want revenge from Zaroff, which might get more exciting in the story.

+ Which lines do you feel strongly about (such as Zaroff's comments about the men he hunts, or the early discussion about whether it's moral to hunt jaguars), and why?
I liked how Zaroff described the men he hunts as animals, it shows his character and who he really is. I also liked how Rainsford and Whitney were talking about jaguars, when Rainsford said that the animal has no feelings. Then later in the story when Rainsford himself is being hunted by Zaroff finally knows the feeling of a jaguar when it’s being hunted.

#9 Farah S. on 2008-09-18 17:20 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life less because after his encounter of being hunted, he realized that what he had done all these years have been very wrong and unjust. He realizes that hunting is a horrid thing to do and probably feels bad for all those years he spent hunting down various animals.
I also think that Rainsford will enjoy life less is because he probably is stuck on the island. Sure there is a boat, but does it work? Can he operate it? There are other people on the island too. They might create a hassle and cause Rainsford to stay stranded on the island. Rainsford will definitely enjoy life less.

#10 Bryan M. on 2008-09-18 17:22 (Reply)

Thats two paragraphs. I don't know if you can tell or not

#10.1 Bryan M. on 2008-09-18 17:23 (Reply)

I can - but the paragraph breaks tend to be clearer when you type your response in Microsoft Word before copying and pasting it into the commenting field.

#10.1.1 M. Feraco-Eberle on 2008-09-18 23:04 (Reply)

I think that Rainsford will learn to appreciate his life more now that he has been hunted like an animal. He values human and animal life more and more since he was hunted. He also knew what it was like to feel fear and terror like an animal does. General Zaroff regarded Rainsford as a celebrated hunter while in reality, he was thinking of a way to fight against someone of his level.

I would not have changed a many things in the story. I wouldn't have left Whitney out because the talk at the beginning was forshadowing what will happen to Rainsford later. Ivan was a "bodyguard" for General Zaroff because he took the knife ment for him without knowing it. The things that I would change would add more traps for Zaroff and a bit more hysterical Rainsford since it won't let people know who would win.

#11 Jeffrey S. on 2008-09-18 17:25 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford's experiences, no matter how horrible, will cause him to appreciate life more. Being so close to death really makes you appreciate every day you've got. Rainsford may be a bit more tentative with trusting people, after all he did trust General Zaroff; and that almost got him killed! Hunting will also take on a new meaning to Rainsford, his perspective probably has changed after becoming the one being hunted.
Life in general will take on a new meaning to Rainsford. Most people don't even appreciate what they have until you almost lose it, and Rainsford almost seemed like one of those people. Life is a precious thing, not something to toy with. When Rainsford became the one whose life was on the line his perspective most likely changed. He may leave the island, or maybe he'll stay there; but wherever his life leads him he'll enjoy everyday, and take it all in stride.

#12 Danielle P. on 2008-09-18 17:36 (Reply)

I believe that Rainsford’s frightening experience on Ship-Trap Island will change his look at life forever. In the past five days, Rainsford has outsmarted an expert hunter, a pack of dogs, and a giant (Ivan). At the end of the story, only two branches lead out of the “tree” (“The Most Dangerous Game”), on the topic of life. Rainsford has just killed two people and an animal and it might affect how he lives. I believe there are two endings to how Rainsford would live his life. One, he would return back to civilization or he will commit suicide.
In “branch a”, I believe Rainsford would come back to civilization and take pleasure in life. Before being threatened with his own life, Rainsford did not take notice about life. After Ship-Trap Island, Rainsford begins to realize how easy your life can be taken away from you. This decision would be life-changing for than Rainsford would be living “as if there was no tomorrow.” He would give up hunting, for after all he has been the “hunted” once, and probably live a happily ever after for all we know, drinking at pubs with his friends and telling them stories about his adventures on the deranged Ship-Trap Island. There could be another branch in “branch a” in which Rainsford might go insane from killing people on Ship-Trap Island. He could possibly go nuts and might visit their local “Sigmund Freud.” In conclusion, I believe that Rainsford would return back home in one piece and have one heck of a story to tell.
In “branch b”, the other possibility that Rainsford could commit suicide is a definite possibility to the story. The fact that he just killed two people and fed one of them to the dogs could turn him insane really easy. Few have killed people and not have it bother them the rest of their life. He might turn crazy and become really frightened, screaming at the top of his lungs inside in his mind, “WHAT HAVE I DONE!” He could loose touch with life and take his own life without even thinking, believing it was the right thing to do. Overall, losing touch with life is an actual path people might take after killing another human being.

#13 Li Xing C. on 2008-09-18 17:39 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I predict that Rainsford may slightly enjoy life less from the extra time and stress he may gain from being cautious against strangers. Along with being vigilant, he'd probably end up giving up hunting and value the lives of wild animals and humans and, in the extreme, become some wildlife protection member. Aside from these, there shouldn't be much of a negative effect on his life since his horrible expiriences weren't nearly as bad as they could have been.
Not many people are lucky enough to survive physically unscathed.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I had been the author of this story, I would change Rainsford's mind set and create a mood of panic. This way many more details would be avaliable in the story, his actions would be more rash, and it would end with Rainsford recieving a stronger impact to his life. Also, he could be more similar to a wolf than a jaguar since they're more aware of guns and have a larger habit of using their wits to conquer their enemies instead of brute force and agility.

#14 Justin K. on 2008-09-18 17:39 (Reply)

I believe that Rainsford’s frightening experience on Ship-Trap Island will change his look at life forever. In the past five days, Rainsford has outsmarted an expert hunter, a pack of dogs, and a giant (Ivan). At the end of the story, only two branches lead out of the “tree” (“The Most Dangerous Game”), on the topic of life. Rainsford has just killed two people and an animal and it might affect how he lives. I believe there are two endings to how Rainsford would live his life. One, he would return back to civilization or he will commit suicide.
In “branch a”, I believe Rainsford would come back to civilization and take pleasure in life. Before being threatened with his own life, Rainsford did not take notice about life. After Ship-Trap Island, Rainsford begins to realize how easy your life can be taken away from you. This decision would be life-changing for than Rainsford would be living “as if there was no tomorrow.” He would give up hunting, for after all he has been the “hunted” once, and probably live a happily ever after for all we know, drinking at pubs with his friends and telling them stories about his adventures on the deranged Ship-Trap Island. There could be another branch in “branch a” in which Rainsford might go insane from killing people on Ship-Trap Island. He could possibly go nuts and might visit their local “Sigmund Freud.” In conclusion, I believe that Rainsford would return back home in one piece and have one heck of a story to tell.
In “branch b”, the other possibility that Rainsford could commit suicide is a definite possibility to the story. The fact that he just killed two people and fed one of them to the dogs could turn him insane really easy. Few have killed people and not have it bother them the rest of their life. He might turn crazy and become really frightened, screaming at the top of his lungs inside in his mind, “WHAT HAVE I DONE!” He could loose touch with life and take his own life without even thinking, believing it was the right thing to do. Overall, losing touch with life is an actual path people might take after killing another human being.

there are three paragraphs, the first two are hard to telll

#15 Li Xing C. on 2008-09-18 17:47 (Reply)

Gabo Aristizabal
Feraco
English 9 period 1
18 September 2008
Every day I feel like I contradict my self in some way. I’ll do things like make fun someone for wearing tight cloths while mine look painted on. Sometimes I will call things like paint balling crude, barbaric, or violent even though I want to go do it. I’m extremely outspoken against war but every Saturday I go home and spend hours obliterating people on my X-box and watching epic war movies. So am I addicted to violence just like General Zaroff?

I guess in a way I am but unlike him I will NEVER put a gun to someone’s head or hunt down people. To me war is ok as long as no one dies. To me war is a game not a passion or a way of living.

#16 Gabriel A. on 2008-09-18 17:56 (Reply)

Seeing the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings, Rainsford will probably look at the glass of milk half full instead of empty. He will expect the best in people and not the worst, having already seen the worst, and enjoy life much more than he did before. Or he will expect everyone he meets to be the same. Cruel, selfish, and cold-hearted is what he may expect the people to be.
From his whole experience he will definetely see the world in a new and different light. I truely believe that he will apprieciate his life more, being almost killed, and realize that life is short. He will probably never hunt again, being in the position of the jaguar once before. Doing all of these things, he probably will enjoy life to its full potential.

#17 Rachel T. on 2008-09-18 17:58 (Reply)

Is Whitney a boy or a girl?

#18 Bryan K. on 2008-09-18 18:11 (Reply)

Male - "Whitney" is a last name in this case, just like "Zaroff" and "Rainsford."

#18.1 M. Feraco-Eberle on 2008-09-18 23:04 (Reply)

I think that Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life more. Since now he understands that being hunted is not the best feeling in the world. He’ll grow from this experience and learn to appreciate being alive. He almost died, he was on the brink of death; he was just a step above the grave. These occurrences happened for a reason and a purpose. He faced insurmountable odds; the general had never lost, was an excellent hunter, and cheats to win. In the beginning of the story Rainsford was insulting the animals, he learned. Rainsford will quit hunting and join an animal rights group.

If I were the author, one of the parts I would change would be the section when Rainsford falls off the yacht. I would have put Whitney with him, and when he falls off, Whitney tries to save him and end up falling in herself. This makes the story more interesting, because it’ll end up revealing more of Whitney’s character and personality. Another part I would change is when Rainsford is being hunted, Zaroff should be better at catching him. It seems that Rainsford is too good to be caught, and not once in the story you think he’s going to die. With Zaroff finding him easier and maybe injuring Rainsford a little, the story will be much more exciting, and would have you even more intrigued from start to finish.

#19 Bryan K. on 2008-09-18 18:28 (Reply)

Ashley C. period 4

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experience on Ship Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life more because he finally got away from General Zaroff. I think he will always remember his experience on Ship Trap Island and he will make sure to think about what he hunts before he hunts it.

#20 Ashley(Yuga-Chan) C. on 2008-09-18 18:37 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

Yes, I think that he would stop hunting animals. Now that he has been hunted he knows how the animals feel when they are being hunted, therefore he would stop hunting them.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

I would have Whitney fall into the sea with Rainsford. It would make the story more entertaining because Whitney was only mentioned in the beginning and no one really knows what happened to her.

#21 Mark T. on 2008-09-18 18:43 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I was the author, I would have described the fight that Rainsford and General Zaroff had in detail instead of flashing forward to the end. If Zaroff was not killed by Rainsford during the fight then I would have described what happened to General Zaroff after he was beaten. (Most readers yearn to know if Rainsford showed pity towards him or if he was thrown to the hungry vicious man-eating dogs.) If those options were impossible to create, then an epilogue describing what happened to Rainsford and what he did would probably be appropriate.

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford experience on Ship-Trap Island will have left him thinking that there is more to life than just the hunter and the prey. I say this because in the beginning of the story, Rainsford was a man who believed the strong should prevail. After he was given a taste on how terrifying being hunted was, I think Rainsford realized that every kind of life- animal and human- was important. There is no reason why Rainsford should enjoy life less based on what one single crazy murderous guy did.

#22 Johnny W. on 2008-09-18 18:49 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

Have you ever lost anything? It could be anything at all from a favorite toy to a person or relative close to you. Most people realize when its too late how much they appreciate the things they lost. Rainsford was lucky though; he came close to but didn’t lose his life. Rainsford will defiantly enjoy life more than just hunting after his mishap on Ship-Trap Island.

#23 Kevin G. on 2008-09-18 19:09 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I were Richard Connell I would of wrote more about when Rainsford got to General Zaroff’s mansion and the days he spent there before the hunt. For me it was as if Rainsford got to the mansion then was on the hunt the next day. Also I would of explained more at the end of the story, even though it was a good ending. The last thing I would of done differently would have been not immediately shown that General Zaroff was the “bad guy” and that he hunted humans. I would of elaborated more on the dangerous game with wit to have a chance against him.

#23.1 Kevin G. on 2008-09-18 19:38 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford’s frightening experience will cause him to enjoy each second of his life. After all, he was hunted down for 5 days straight, and had a taste of what it feels like to be hunted rather than being the hunter. It would probably pursue Raisnford to stop hunting and start preventing people like Zaroff from their strange and dangerous addictions. Also knowing that you have killed three living things (Zaroff, Ivan, and the hound) will affect how he feels about himself, even if it was for the better or worst.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I where the author I would have written about what happens to Whitney. It was a character that rapidly faded that needed an ending. At the end of the story I was disappointed knowing that there was no more story to what happenes to Whitney and the crew. Did they land on Ship-Trap Island? Did they sail away back home safely? Also what about the other civilians in Zaroff’s training academy? Where they saved by Rainsford? These questions that were not answered was dissatisfying in my opinion.

#24 Shana M. on 2008-09-18 19:10 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life more, because even though he has seen, felt immense feelings, and experience the thrill/anguish of being the hunted, I still believe he will cherish life more. Since life is something precious in this world, who wouldn't want to treasure it more, especially one in which your life was almost taken from a psychotic "hunter." Although, i assume that Rainsford will NEVER forget his experience on that island and that experience will dwell over him the rest of his life.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

I think the one part of the story I would've change would be when he accepted the hunt, because I think it would've made the General surprised that ANYONE would actually go with the so-called-giant named: Ivan. Then it turns out that Rainsford indures the pain, until the inner "beast" comes out and kills Ivan and mysteriously escape on that boat. I think the story would be more interesting.

#25 Arpisara(Lexy) P. on 2008-09-18 19:23 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think Rainsford will enjoy life less and maybe stop doing his favorite sport- hunting. Since he had the experience of being hunted, it might give him a different perspective on the way the animals feel when they are being hunted. But, he stayed on Ship- Trap Island for five days and beat Zaroff at his own game, he survived, let alone even getting there safely. He could’ve hit the rocks and died! That would be some story to write about when he gets home, just like the one he wrote about hunting snow leopards in Tibet except this one will be about how he survived playing the most dangerous game.

#26 Lena K. on 2008-09-18 19:31 (Reply)

Joshua Colton
Feraco
English 9, Period 4
18, September, 2008
I think that the events on Ship- Trap Island are going to make Rainsford enjoy life much less. How could someone go to an island where there is a crazy man (General Zaroff) killing humans for sport, and then come back to civilization and have a better view on life. While Rainsford was on Ship-Trap Island he experiences the worst thing man can feel in life…extreme fear. While Rainsford is being hunted, Zaroff toys with him by blowing smoke rings at him when he is hiding in the tree and giving him compliments when he injures him. I think that when Rainsford is finally rescued he will never hunt again, Rainsford now knows how the animal feels. He knows how it feels when your predator is sneaking up on you, taunting you, and what the baying of the blood thirsty dog’s sounds like as they close in for a kill. How can you enjoy life when you have experienced such a horrible thing?

I feel strongly about when General Zeroff is telling Rainsford about how he has found a new more exiting animal to hunt. It disturbs me that someone could talk about something like that so calmly and happily. It disturbs me even more that he could laugh the end of sentences such as at the end of “I refuse to believe that so a modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the values of human life…” I think that any man who can kill another man for sport is a monster and doesn’t deserve to live.

#27 Joshua C. on 2008-09-18 19:35 (Reply)

If I were the author of the story “The dangerous game”, a part of the story I would change, would definitely be when Rainsford fell off the ship, I feel that as that being the climax of the story, there should have been more tension involved. Whitney should have been a part of it, and been there with him as he fell off, or even fallen with him. It would have made the story better because it would have showed that they cared for each other, and she could have saved him. Also as her being one of the main characters it would have included her more, because after the beginning of the story, they kind of stoped talking about her, and lost track of where she was.

I think for the time that Rainsford was on ship Trap Island that he learned to take more advantage of life, and enjoy it more. As you might oppose that seeing that kind of darkness and terrible things it may make you enjoy life less. That type of wrongness can have an impact and even though, he saw a terrible side to humans, I think he learned that you can trust and know few, but it’s those people that make you enjoy life. Knowing that I feel that he will now enjoy life more and it made him a better person in the end.

#28 Tayler N. on 2008-09-18 19:43 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that his experiences on Ship - Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life because he would love how he deceased Zaroff, and kill all those rumors going on because he survived. Also, I predict that he will give up hunting because now he knows what it feels like to be hunted.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I was the author, I would have changed the ending of the story. I personally did not like how there was so many questions that we didn't figure out. I would add what had happened to Whitney because she was only mentioned in the beginning and not the end. Also, I think that it would be more interesting if Whitney fell off the boat as well.

Wendy Wang
Feraco - Eberle
English 9 - Period 1
17 September 2008

#29 Wendy W. on 2008-09-18 19:45 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I were the author, I wouldn’t have made all the foreshadowing so blunt and obvious. Also, I would have added more detail to the ending. Though Richard Connell concluded the tale with a clever ending, readers are still somewhat unsatisfied. There are many plot holes in his short story; he leaves many questions unanswered.

+ Which lines do you feel strongly about (such as Zaroff's comments about the men he hunts, or the early discussion about whether it's moral to hunt jaguars), and why?

When the general spoke the words, “I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life,” I was extremely shocked and infuriated. It is one thing to fight in a war to defend your beliefs and country, and another, entirely, when you rob people of their lives for the sake of alleviating your boredom. Murder should not be viewed as a game. What also irks me is Zaroff’s complete disregard towards the value of life; his apathy towards human feelings leaves me seething in anger. Selfish and arrogant to the core, he sits on his throne of bones like a wrathful god and snuffs out the lives of others for entertainment, even though he himself is human.

#30 Tiffany W. on 2008-09-18 19:50 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think Rainsford has drastically changed his view of life after his thrilling journey to Ship-trap Island. Rainsford faces many obstacles and enemies to fight off, but after facing death countless times, his thoughts of life have now become more valuable to him. Propelled by fear and his human nature of survival, Rainsford kills everything from a pack of vicious dogs and an expert hunter, to a deaf-mute giant.
One of Rainsford’s most immediate epiphanies was the conversation that he has with Whitney aboard the ship. They talked about whether or not their preys have reason-whether or not they have feelings or thoughts. Rainsford takes this as a joke answering with complete sureness that they don’t. Later in the story he actually becomes the prey of General Zaroff and experiences the feeling of using every breath to survive. He has lived through and survived the hunt and now respects life, and even the lives of the animals he hunts. I think he would value their lives as much as his own now that he has faced near death

#31 Simon L. on 2008-09-18 19:54 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less. His experience will cause him to enjoy life less because Rainsford finally knows what it feels like to be the huntee instead of the hunter. I also think that Rainsford never expected to find someone that hunts humans so he must have been pretty shocked and he will never forget this terrifying experience.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I was the author I would most definitely change the part where Rainsford was being hunted because all those different traps were confusing. I didn’t know what was going on and what in the world was a Burmese tiger pit. I would also change the ending because the author left the ending up to your imagination. I hate endings that make you think, especially when there are millions of questions unanswered.

#32 Tiffany S. on 2008-09-18 19:55 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

After witnessing his experience of pure suffering in Zaroff’s deranged game of chess, I feel Rainsford will embrace and enjoy the good of life instead of dreading the dark. Hunting, a favored pastime is a passion I predict Rainsford will soon abandon. He is accustomed to being the hunter, but now has become the hunted and can empathize with his former prey. With the tables turned, Rainsford sees that in the case of animals and humans alike, he must remember the golden rule: treat others the way you would wish to be treated. Without the guilt of animal’s blood on his hands, Rainsford will live a better and more fulfilling life.
Lastly, Rainsford encountered the ultimate challenge, overcame it, and lived passed it. After all that, it would be foolish for him to cower in the shadow of the past; after all, he was the fittest in a race of survival. Furthermore, a man in the present who lives in the past gets left behind with it, so Rainsford must live for the current and the future and cherish every second of it.

#33 Eric F. on 2008-09-18 19:55 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

#34 Rakan A. on 2008-09-18 20:05 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?
No i think that Rainsford will enjoy life even more knowing that he has overcome the darkest side of man and killed it (so we know). He can feel victory, that any human can defeat the dark side that all men have. He can rest knowing that he has won the battle against Zarroff.

#35 Rakan A. on 2008-09-18 20:09 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?
I think Rainsford experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy his life less. Because he had been hunted by a man. No one could’ve got bigger shock than this. Most people can't get away with some fear or guilty after experience of terrible shock. So I think Rainsford's experience will make him live under fear of death.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?
I wouldn’t write some parts of story differently but I’d love to add some more. For example, what happened to the people on the boat after Rainsford fell off the boat?
My story goes like this. Whitney finds out that Rainsford was gone. So he turns the boat back to the place where he fell off. And Whitney sees him swimming toward the Ship-Trap Island. Unwillingly Whitney follows Rainsford despite of dread. Now, Rainsford and Whitney are together facing Zaroff. There will be more complicated story. Because Rainsford and Whitney have different ideas of hunting and animals, it will make more conflicts between themselves other than with Zaroff.

+ Which lines do you feel strongly about (such as Zaroff's comments about the men he hunts, or the early discussion about whether it's moral to hunt jaguars), and why?
“Be realistic. The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters.” I felt strongly about this line because it made me appreciate for being who I am right now. I thank that I was not born as an animal.
I also feel sorry for the animals. I hated every single living creature except for human. But now I know that animals might have their own feelings and I might have hurt their feelings. So from now on, I will try to understand and change my attitudes toward animals.

#36 Joo Young(Julia) L. on 2008-09-18 20:11 (Reply)

+ General Zaroff is a contradictory figure; parts of him don't make sense when you compare them to other parts. For example, he loves being "civilized" - drinking wine, smoking expensive cigarettes, dressing in nice clothes, living in a giant mansion, etc. But he also hunts human beings for sport, even mounting their heads on his wall. (For someone who loves "civilization" so much, he sure seems to love killing "civilians.")

Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another? Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.

One thing that I care a lot about is my grades. I’d cram and study right before a test, sleeping for 4 hours, even if it isn’t healthful. However, I’m a procrastinator as well, and I rarely turn in homework assignments. I also rarely ever pay attention in class. It’s a real challenge to pay attention to a book when you want to doze off.

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I believe that Rainsford will still enjoy life the same as before, if not more than ever. Because of nearly being killed, he would feel grateful to be alive. Also, instead of not enjoying life because of seeing the other side of human beings, I believe that he would be more considerate of his surroundings. In my opinion, Rainsford would be much more compassionate to the weak after experiencing the role of being the hunted.

#37 Angela F. on 2008-09-18 20:13 (Reply)

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life more because he appreciates it now. If you’ve ever thought you could never get something back, and it returns you cherish it forever, while remembering how you almost lost it.In a life or death situation like Rainsford was, people start thinking about HOW they’ve lived their lives, what they’re going to do if they make it out. Seeing the dogs helped shape him as a character by making him more aware of his life. Almost like a sign that it was meant to be. Zaroff has also changed him. It will affect the way he trusts people in the future, if he even trusts them at all. At first Zaroff welcomed him with the warmest arms; feeding him the finest foods, sipping the finest wines with him. Then suddenly talking about hunting he turns onto him. I want to know if Rainsford will ever trust again.

#38 Gabriela(Gaby) C. on 2008-09-18 20:15 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford would enjoy life more after his experiences on Ship-Trap Island. After being that close to death, he would probably stop taking every minute of his life for granted, and enjoy it instead. Now that he knows what he puts the animals (that he hunts) through, he will no longer spend time hunting the animals. Instead he will probably now focus on the perks of life like, literature, the outdoors, and museums.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I were the author of this story, I would have changed the beginning part to make it so Whitney and Rainsford fall off the yacht. Then I would have put that both of them begin to swim towards the island, but then they get separated (since it was a pitch black night). Then the story continues as it did after Rainsford arrived at the island, until the point when Rainsford is hiding after setting the knife up, so that it can kill General Zaroff. Instead of hitting Ivan with the knife, I would have written it so that Whitney is the person that gets hit with the knife. This, to me, would have made the book more interesting.

#39 Audrey L. on 2008-09-18 20:20 (Reply)

Enjoying life would depend on what point of view you are looking at. If is from a person like Zaroff’s point of view, then life would be an enjoyable game of murder. Rainsford’s “enjoyable life” would depend on how he transformed after the incident of murder.

During the last few days, Rainsford had experienced a very interesting event. He had been caught up in a game of life and death, where he only had his ability, knowledge and very few weapons to defend himself of the coming death. In this story, one can assume that General Zaroff has been killed by Rainsford—but by what reason? So, one would ask the question: Do you think that Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less or more? True, his experiences are a living nightmare; yet, I believe that in this event, he had learned how important a man’s life was. Of all the choices he had, he had chosen to kill Zaroff and play the game of life till the end. Would it be because he was too wrapped-up in this game that he murdered Zaroff? I believe not. By being the hunted, he was frightened and hopeless. This helped him learn how the dead people had felt when they were doing everything they can to survive. Being a human of more sensibility and innocence, it is much more reasonable to say that he killed Zaroff to prevent the deathly game to ever repeat itself.

I don’t think Rainsford would enjoy life less. He has been through a nightmare of a time, but I assume that he is still in his senses. To think that he would hate himself for killing the man who murders just for his own pleasure! Had he not dreaded the thought of being the hunted? Would he truly want to be a feared and hated person, like Zaroff? I don’t think so. Through this experience, Rainsford had learned the importance of a human’s life—would he be senseless enough to save his own self and let the murder continue killing and living in secret?

If I was Rainsford, I would be very… pleased with myself. I have helped the world by destroying the one person creating deadly fear. I learned how life is the most wonderful present anyone could wish for. I found myself making the right choices and living the way a man should live. Life would have a different meaning—a more pleasant view. It would be something I could learn to be satisfied with. It would represent me. It would BE me.

#40 Yoon Ji C. on 2008-09-18 21:13 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?
I think I would have changed the ending to something more exciting, and not so sad. I would have maybe gone into greater detail about what happens at the end with General Zaroff and Rainsford. Also, I would have changed the part at the beginning when Whitney and Rainsford were talking about hunting and the how they feel, and how the animals get hunted feel. For that part, I would replace that with something more detailed, and maybe more about the island, so that it creates more of a background for the setting.

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?
I don’t think it would affect his enjoying of life less, because everyone has their own morals, and when people have experience, its not likely they will change their ideas through that, even though he did see the darkest, most terrifying side of humans.

#41 Mien Chung(Mio) C. on 2008-09-18 21:15 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?
I think Rainsford will enjoy his life more even if he had to experience being the prey because General Zaroff was trying to attack him, but even though Rainsford was the prey he was still able to win the most dangerous game. Now that he can finally rest and stop hiding, Rainsford can enjoy hunting the animals and welcoming sailor men to the island in his free time without the worries of being attacked by general Zaroff. Overall, Rainsford will really appreciate his life on the island because he feels that he has achieved a goal by not giving up and defeat Zaroff.

+ General Zaroff is a contradictory figure; parts of him don't make sense when you compare them to other parts. For example, he loves being "civilized" - drinking wine, smoking expensive cigarettes, dressing in nice clothes, living in a giant mansion, etc. But he also hunts human beings for sport, even mounting their heads on his wall. (For someone who loves "civilization" so much, he sure seems to love killing "civilians.")

Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another?

Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.
I do have contradictory qualities though not as evil as general Zaroff's contradictions. For me I like to stay healthy by eating the right foods everyday. But when I get bored I will start eating anything that is available, or when I am hungry I would eat until my stomach is bloated. My favorite food is JUNK FOOD especially cheeseburgers because they taste alot better then vegetables, especially salad. This contradiction is not as evil as general Zaroffs but is a very bad habit to have.

I have a question who is Whitney again?

#42 Yau Yee(Emily) T. on 2008-09-18 21:23 (Reply)

Loll Whitney was that dude.. That guy who was talking about how a jaguar felt to be hunted? "The morality of hunting".. something our teacher said right?
Btw. Whitneys fine so don't worry o-o

#42.1 Tiffany H. on 2008-09-18 21:53 (Reply)

Yes, the "morality of hunting" - although it's really a debate about whether cruelty is justified if the sufferer cannot reason. In other words, are we allowed to cause pain for fun if we're "superior" to our victims?

#42.1.1 M. Feraco-Eberle on 2008-09-18 23:07 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that after Rainsford has experienced a situation like this, his social skills will drop to rock bottom. Also, he will start to enjoy much less than before because, as he said, “I am still a beast at bay”. Presumably I expect Rainsford to become extremely suspicious of the people around him and eventually become paranoid. After being hunted by someone, it is a hard thing to forget and move on… so I predict that after Rainsford leaves the island, he will be checked into an asylum.

+ Which lines do you feel strongly about (such as Zaroff's comments about the men he hunts, or the early discussion about whether it's moral to hunt jaguars), and why?

I guess I can say I feel strongly about what Zaroff says about the men he hunts. “I hunt the scum of the earth”, bothers me because I always taught myself that everyone in the world is worth their share of life. Just because the General considers sailors as the scum of the earth, it doesn’t mean that he has the right to take away their freedom and life. Zaroff has no right to devalue a human life.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

Well, if I could change a part of the story I would change how Rainsford gets to the island. When I read the part where Rainsford falls off the railing for his pipe, I felt like I was being duped. I believe it would be much more interesting if Rainsford’s yacht had been taken hostage by Zaroff’s students. Then “imported” to the island blindfolded and trained for a few days in the jungle to improve the skills of Rainsford and his crew. If I could change MORE, I would make Rainsford watch each one of his crewmates get picked off 1 by 1 to die (To increase suspense.) And last, I would increase the suspense and action of the chase.

#43 Tiffany H. on 2008-09-18 21:35 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will be scared for life because he has seen really terrifying things happen on the island. I also think he wont enjoy life because hes killed a human being and that's hard to live with.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If i wrote this story i would have taken out the Whitney section because that wasn't really important at all. I would have put more details into it and i would also have put a better ending. I really wanted to see what happens to General Zaroff and what happens to Rainsford's life.

#44 Andrew Y. on 2008-09-18 21:36 (Reply)

+ General Zaroff is a contradictory figure; parts of him don't make sense when you compare them to other parts. For example, he loves being "civilized" - drinking wine, smoking expensive cigarettes, dressing in nice clothes, living in a giant mansion, etc. But he also hunts human beings for sport, even mounting their heads on his wall. (For someone who loves "civilization" so much, he sure seems to love killing "civilians.")

Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another? Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.

General Zaroff had a very demented father that taught him how to kill things. He was brought up as a killer, and therefore, he will always be a killer. As for the civilized part of him, his father was really rich, so i guess he got that from his dad too. You dont have to love civilization to love to drink wine, smoke fine cigars, live in a mansion, or dress nicely. Thats all for his own pleasure and so is hunting humans. So I don't think that General Zaroff is a contradicting figure. But one of the contradicting qualities I have is that i love to eat garlic, but i hate people that do because their breath smells after doing so. So usually after i eat garlic, i will brush my teeth or take a breathmint.

#45 Wesley F. on 2008-09-18 21:40 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life more than he did, because even though he has seen the darkest side of human beings and has survived through General Zaroff hunting him, I think Rainsford will enjoy life more because he lived through all of that ,I think that once you lose something you loved that you appreciate it more than you did, atfer he survived being hunted i think rainsford will apprreciate life more and will be more cautious of new people he meets and stop hunting.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I were Richard Connell I would have changed the ending. I think that he didnt explain enough about what happened to General Zaroff at the end when he finds Rainsford on his bed and they start fighting. I would have written the outcome of the fight between General Zaroff and Rainsford and I also would have added how he got off the island

#46 Nicholas K. on 2008-09-18 21:49 (Reply)

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

If I were the author, I would have explained what happened to Whitney after Rainsford went overboard and found himself on the island. At least tell where she went or if she lived. I also would have changed the ending because; personally I want to know whether or not Rainsford killed Zaroff. He had to have killed him but how did he do it? I would have also told what Rainsford did after that. For example did he stay on the island and take over for Zaroff or did he go home and act like nothing ever happened? These are some of the things I would have added to the story to make it better.

#47 Mollie M. on 2008-09-18 21:54 (Reply)

Tiffany Chin
Feraco
English 9- Period 1
18 September 2008

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford’s experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life more because he has already been through a close-to-death experience and the next time he hunts, he might remember that he almost died before and he would really enjoy hunting. Rainsford also learns how a animal feels when it is hunted unlike before when he said “Don’t talk rot, Whitney,…You’re a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?” “Bah! They’ve no understanding.”This shows that before Rainsford gets stranded on the island, Rainsford doesn’t care about how the animals feel when he hunts them. However, when Rainsford gets hunted by General Zaroff, he understands what animals who get hunted feel.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

The parts of the story that I would have written differently would be when Rainsford meets General Zaroff and they talk about hunting men, I would change it around so Rainsford goes with General Zaroff and he sees him hunt a sailor. That would surprise Rainsford and the reader. General Zaroff could show Rainsford his collection of human heads and Rainsford could confront General Zaroff about killing men. In the end, Rainsford could take General Zaroff along with him back to the Mainland near a town instead of feeding him to the dogs. Rainsford and General Zaroff could go and travel together and hunt and release the animal, and they could write books and become famous hunters and authors.

#48 Tiffany C. on 2008-09-18 21:56 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

While being in Ship-Trap island, I think that Rainsford realizes what it feels like to almost lose his life and he becomes more aware of the things and people around him. He learns that anything can happen, even the unthinkable - like Zaroff hunting humans (& later hunting him). The experience probably would make him not take everything for granted and to really think about the good things he already has in life. He most likely had never seen/met or even heard of, someone who hunts humans for enjoyment, so now having met someone who would actually do something like that, he might feel that doing so is very wrong and try to prevent others from making the same mistake. Maybe his experience there was not the best, but he learned a lot from it and I think he would believe that you can never be perfect, or the best. Just be happy with what you have and don't take one's life for granted.

He will probably enjoy his life more, knowing that there are some people in the world that can't enjoy their life maybe as much as he can. Like the people that Zaroff hunted - they had no control over their life, and couldn't do many things that maybe Rainsford could do.

+ Which lines do you feel strongly about (such as Zaroff's comments about the men he hunts, or the early discussion about whether it's moral to hunt jaguars), and why?

"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing- fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."
I found that very interesting because I have never thought about animals in that way. Thinking of them as just animals, I didn't realize that maybe they had understandings of other things too. Like where they are going, what they are going to eat, who they can recognize (dogs) , what they are doing and the fear of pain & death. I had never thought of animals to understand the fear of pain and death because I thought they just get hurt and heal, or die, without really knowing. This has made me think more about how animals feel and the fears they might have.

CathyLee:)
period1

#49 Catherine L. on 2008-09-18 22:01 (Reply)

+Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another? Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.
Ugh. Another Saturday morning and I’m just barely able to drag my body out of bed to go to ballet class. The average person enjoys weekday evenings after work or school and Saturday mornings to sleep in, but every week I dread Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Along with these days, we are assigned rehearsal days at my ballet school. In total, I have to pull myself to three days a week of dance lessons with yappy teachers. Don’t get me wrong I love to dance, but the lessons may be put on hold. Loving the art of ballet and dance, the rhythm and movements, it’s by far the best thing that has happened to me. The motivation keeping me attending classes and rehearsals is the dramatic feeling of being on a huge stage set, with detailed costumes, extravagant makeup, and bright spotlights.

++ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?
After the life threatening experience on Ship- Trap Island, I believe Rainsford will view life as more precious. He will enjoy life in every aspect after knowing that other’s have been killed, and that as easy life is given it is just as easy for it to be taken away by others. After seeing the horrors on the deathly island, every other place Rainsford goes will probably seem so beautiful, dogs will seem much friendlier, and people who hunt will seem much more evil. I believe Rainsford will enjoy life much more, knowing that he almost lost it.

Bella Muljana
Feraco
English 9-1
17 September 2008

#50 Isabella(Bella) M. on 2008-09-18 22:06 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I believe that Rainsford will enjoy life more because he had a near death experience while on ship trap island therefore making him appreciate his life a lot more. It is a lot like thinking (ex) that you lost your dog and you are in tears but then you don't give up and you find him in the bathroom. You feel like you lost a big part of you but then it is returned so you then appreciate your dog more. Most people would say that he would enjoy life less because of the brutality of Zaroff but his near death experience overcomes that feeling.

+ Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

Because I found out that Rainsford did NOT put Zaroff into his bed after killing him I would change that part so that after Zaroff is killed he is then put into his bed by Rainsford. This would make Rainsford seem even more heroic and suave. Also I would change the part were the fight is not written to have the fight be another part of the story to add a little. After that I don't believe there is anything else to change because the story was excellent and I couldn't have done any better myself.

#51 Brandon M. on 2008-09-18 22:11 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainford’s experience on Ship-Trap Island would make him enjoy life more because he now knows what it’s like to be hunted and play as the game. Rainsford was nearly killed in the jungle by General Zaroff but managed to survive throughout the story. Seeing General Zaroff kill humans and enjoy it would probably make Rainsford give up his hunting ways, especially because now he knows that it’s not the most pleasant feeling to be hunted. He’d appreciate being alive because he was actually hunted by a human being.

Rainsford experienced a lot of things on the island. Most likely, the next time he hunts, he’d think over what had happened on Ship-Trap Island. Even though he survived, the experience would have changed him because anything could have happened on the island, even if he did survive.

#52 Priscilla C. on 2008-09-18 22:16 (Reply)

+ General Zaroff is a contradictory figure; parts of him don't make sense when you compare them to other parts. For example, he loves being "civilized" - drinking wine, smoking expensive cigarettes, dressing in nice clothes, living in a giant mansion, etc. But he also hunts human beings for sport, even mounting their heads on his wall. (For someone who loves "civilization" so much, he sure seems to love killing "civilians.")

-Do you have contradictory qualities - parts of you that, while not as evil as Zaroff's, still clash with one another? Describe them, as well as how you deal with them.

I don't like it when people talk about other people behind their back, or gossip. But I will admit that I do that a lot too. Although *not on purpose*... I do gossip. Even if I don't realize it, I know I do because it's just kind of a natural thing that everyone does right? Yeah, but I know that I can prevent myself from doing so by trying to see the good in everyone. Because if I think about the bad qualities of a person, then of course I will tend to start talking about them. But if I just accept them for who they are and try to think about the better qualities, it helps me not blab about them just because I feel mad.

#53 Catherine L. on 2008-09-18 22:17 (Reply)

+ Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

Well, i believe that Rainsford would probably have a better undrerstanding of hunting through another point of view, (the hunted,) and that he probably would not hunt anymore as he experienced what it actually felt like to be hunted. As time goes on in his life he probably would appreciate life even more whenever he thinks about the island, instead of horrible thoughts and feelings.

#54 Anthony(Ton Ton) P. on 2008-09-18 22:28 (Reply)

Erik Trask
Feraco
English 9 Period 4
September 18,2008

Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

When Rainsford arrived on ship wreck island he found General Zaroffs Mansion. General Zaroff seemed like a well mannered, classy guy. This look that he had was just hiding his real self. When Rainsford found out what General Zaroff would hunt, he got sick to his stomach. I think that Rainsford wont forget about this for the rest of his life and will be haunted by the memories of this gruesome event.

Which parts of the story would you have written differently if you had been the author, and why?

I thought that some of the parts when General Zaroff was hunting Rainsford weren't well writen and could be better. They could use better descriptions of what happens in the ending between Zaroff and Rainsford. Did Rainsford kill Zaroff or did they reason with eachother? I thought that the beggining of the story was best written because it described everything around. There were great descriptions of the darkness that night and the noises that they heard. It was a well written story.

#55 Erik T. on 2008-09-18 22:47 (Reply)

Do you think that Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

I think that Rainsford will enjoy life more after his terrifying experiences on Ship-Trap Island because he basically had to run for his life and felt death constantly closing in on his trail. Never had he been put in such a dangerous scenario. After constant fear and suffering, he would definitely enjoy life a lot more. I know I surely would. Knowing everything that he could have lost and how close he was to losing it, there is no possible way he could enjoy life less.

When I was in 7th grade and suffered a ‘Boxer’s Fracture’ on my right hand, it really made me realize how much I take having the use of my right hand for granted. I couldn’t write or type nearly as fast as I normally could. I couldn’t eat, shower, play, or even carry my backpack without some difficulty. I eventually learned to depend on my left hand for many things. When my cast was finally removed, I was elated to get my hand back. Life was back to normal once again. And this is just the way Rainsford must have felt - ecstatic that he had survived the most dangerous game and got to do all that he couldn’t do for three long, terrifying days…such as eating real food and sleeping on a real mattress. More importantly, he did not have to experience the fear of being hunted. Overall, I believe that Rainsford would truly appreciate life a lot more, especially after having gone from hunter to hunted.

#56 Justin D. on 2008-09-18 23:13 (Reply)

I sometimes have issues with some of my friends once and a while but after a while we think about it and talk it out and get over it.

Well Rainsford might have been, in a way, "scared for life." Its like a person who goes to war is never the same when they come back because of the trama. I think he will always look back on this day and appreciate what he has.

I probubly would have written out the end because im dieing to know what happens in detail. It makes the book more exciting and interesting.

Well when he describes how the heads, up on the wall, look like that was pretty gross. Too many details that would make you feel very uncomfortable to be there in that room.

#57 April D. on 2008-09-19 00:03 (Reply)

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#58 M. Feraco-Eberle on 2008-09-19 08:10 (Reply)

The horrible experiences that Rainsford had on Ship-Trap Island will change the way he views hunting forever. “Be a realist the world is made up of two classes- the hunters and the huntees luckily you and I are hunters…” (Connell, 6). Rainsford feels that hunting is a fun sport but Whitney, his hunting companion, is wondering if animals fear pain and death. Rainsford believes he is better than animals and feels that killing them is ok. Yet Rainsford tells General Zeroff, a man who hunts humans for pleasure, that he is a murderer. How does Rainsford know animals don’t fear pain and death just like humans? While on the island Rainsford experiences great fear, “The baying of the hound drew nearer, then still nearer, nearer, even nearer. On a ridge Rainsford climbed a tree” (Connell, 21). At this point in the story Zaroffs hounds are onto Rainsfords scent and Rainsford is desperately trying to escape. Rainsford now knows what it feels like to be the hunted and not the predator he knows what it feels like to fear for your life. I think that after his experiences on Ship-Trap Island Rainsford will never hunt again.

#59 Joshua C. on 2008-09-21 17:31 (Reply)

Do you think that Rainsford's expeirences on Ship-Trap Island will cause him to enjoy life less (having seen the darkest, most terrifying side of human beings) or more? Why?

Rainsford's experiences on Ship-Trap Island will definately change his view about hunting. At the beggining of the story Rainsford and Whitney talk about the hunt and how jaguars feel. Rainsford remarks "Bah! they've no understanding" (Connell, 6) but then after the terrible experiences on the island with General Zarroff and him face to face with a pack of hounds at the edge of the cliff. Rainsford change's his views by saying "he new know how an animal feels at bay" (Connell, 22). Rainsford used to think of hunting as a very exciting thrilling sport that he loves. But after Ship-Trap Island rainsford has a knew perspective. After the experiences on Ship-Trap Island Rainsford now has a new respect for the animals. And while he may keep hunting the experiences on the island will change his view of hunting forever.

#60 Rakan A. on 2008-09-21 22:33 (Reply)

Gods and Monsters

Wednesday, September 17. 2008

Walking Contradictions

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