Chapter Two: The Groom

     This chapter focuses solely on Prince Humperdinck and his love of hunting. It explores the ways in which his fascination overshadows his cares of anything else in the world. The biggest tragedy to him would be the day his father dies and he is forced to postpone his hunting to find a wife. He doesn't want to do anything, not even be a king, at the expense of his hunting career.

     This chapter tells of the “Zoo of Death,” the five level, underground holding place of hunting animals in the Prince's possession. The first level is for speed, the second for power, the third for poison, the fourth for fear, and the fifth is left empty, preserved for a creature with as much danger and ability as the prince himself.

While wrestling and then killing an orangutan, the Count (Rugen), the princes only confidant, tells him that the king's annual physical has revealed that he is dying. Without any remorse for his father, the Prince simply states that he is hindered; now he must find a wife.

     Again, there wasn't any vocabulary that was difficult for me to understand. Likewise there is little symbolism. On page 74, Prince Humperdinck's hunting is referred to as “Death chess, and he was the international grand master.” This means that his position as a hunter is similar to the undefeated champion of a game: he is an unbeatable hunter. On page 77, “The Orangutan fell like a rag doll.” That metaphor and that simile are basically the only forms of figurative speech in the chapter.
     Actually, now that I think about it, there is the matter of each of the animals representing the different things like speed and power and what not. That's kinda figurative isn't it? I mean it's pretty literal also, but it makes up a physical pyramid which could represent "the predator." All of these parts of the literal pyramid could make up a true, ideal predator. They are each parts of it but all must be used to create a whole. Well, there you go, figurative language (sorta) for this chapter.