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Compare And Contrast Rainsford And Zaroff

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In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, Sanger Rainsford, an experienced hunter, falls overboard from a ship heading to Rio to hunt jaguars with his friend and hunting partner Whitney. He swims to an island nearby called Ship-Trap Island. While there, he meets General Zaroff, an avid hunter who has grown bored of hunting animals, so he begins playing a game where he captures then hunts humans. Rainsford and Zaroff have many differences in their opinions and personalities that cause them to become enemies in Zaroff’s game, where the two fight to the death. Although they each believe the world is made of two classes, they have different opinions of who comprises those classes and where each fits in. Rainsford believes …show more content…

The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure,” (9). He thinks of himself as strong and believes in killing the weak. Rainsford is disgusted by Zaroff’s morally wrong view of the world. Another point of how they differ is Rainsford lives in New York City and is a well known hunter. When Rainsford first arrives at Zaroff’s palace, Zaroff recognizes him: “It is a great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home,” (4). Zaroff sees Rainsford as a skilled hunter. Zaroff, on the other hand, lives on a deserted island and keeps his hunting very secretive. Although he is proud of his accomplishments, he keeps them private because he is aware of the consequences he might face if people found out about his game. After Rainsford and Zaroff make a deal to let Rainsford leave the island if he can win Zaroff’s game, Zaroff says to Rainsford, “Of course, you, in turn, must agree to say nothing of your visit here,” (12). Zaroff realizes some people might construe his game as murder and consider it wrong, so he keeps it confidential and tries to make Rainsford promise to do the

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