Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:-
Solace. He turned the roll of paper between his fingers and wondered if that had not been his error — to search always for solace when there was other game to hunt in the forest. Had he had more spirit, more nerve, more desire and ambition, then perhaps he would have instead hunted for success, distinction, magic. Perhaps he would have followed in pursuit of an art, published a book of poetry, earned a name for himself, a little fame, even gold bangles for Sarla...
But the thought was puerile that it was made him spit out a bitter shred of tobacco. Every effort he had made had ended in defeat: most of the poems he had written and sent to Murad had been rejected, his monograph never published; his wife and son eyed him with blatant disappointment; nor had he won the regard of his colleagues or students. The inherent weakness in his father that had made him an ineffectual, if harmless, teacher and householder, had been passed on to him. He felt it inside him like an empty hole, one he had been staring at all his years, intimidated by its blackness and blankness. Even his attempt to fill it with a genuine and heartfelt homage to a true poet, a man who had distinguished himself as he would have liked to do, had been defeated by all the obstacles that sprang up in his life like shards and pebbles sent up at every step. It was one more blow, and perhaps the bitterest of all.
What does the word 'game' in the given phrase symbolise, 'other games to hunt in the forest'.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Desires or goals being pursued
Game literally means wild animals or birds hunted for food or sport. In the passage the word is used as a metaphor: Deven wonders whether his error was to search always for solace "when there was other game to hunt", and the next line says that with more spirit he might have hunted for success, distinction, magic. The "game" he might have hunted is these goals, so the word stands for desires or goals being pursued.
Example: The hunters returned to the camp with plenty of game.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Wild animals in the forest — Incorrect. Misread: this is only the literal meaning of game; Deven is not a hunter, and the "forest" here is his life.
Option 3: Playful activities — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: game in the sense of play or sport does not fit "to hunt".
Option 4: Rules of a competition. — Incorrect. Not mentioned: nothing in the passage is about a competition or its rules.