Question

read the excerpt from a students essay.
in \the most dangerous game,\ rainsford must face not only zaroff, but he must confront his own assumptions about life. rainsford finds himself engaged in an internal ________ as he comes to terms with the ideas earlier raised by whitney - that the world is not made of hunters and the hunted. these distinct lines that rainsford had created for himself begin to blur. as rainsford scuttles like an animal through the dense jungle, closely pursued by his hunter, he also realizes that fear and pain are not exclusively felt by humans.
which literary term best fills in the blank?
characterization
mood
conflict
irony

Explanation:

Conflict in literature refers to a struggle between opposing forces. An internal conflict is a mental struggle within a character. Here, Rainsford is having an internal struggle (internal conflict) as he re - examines his assumptions about life (hunters vs. the hunted). Characterization is about how a character is presented (traits, appearance etc.), mood is the atmosphere of a text, and irony is a contrast between what is expected and what happens. None of these fit as well as conflict.

Answer:

conflict