Rainsford In The Most Dangerous Game

Being able to overcome something in life is a great feeling. When you want to give up, but your inner body says no. The ability to overcome that feeling, although your mind and physical ability tells you no, is special. In Richard Connel's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," big game as Sanger Rainsford is tested in the following ways: strong versus the weak, the value of life, and becoming what he fears. Next, we will go into great detail about how Rainsford handles his weakness.

People are blessed with the ability and sense to perceive things from another’s eyes, or in other words, from another’s point of view. The tragic part is we often don’t take the opportunity to use this gift. Many times we don’t take into consideration how others may feel until we are put into a similar situation. Rainsford's views on hunting are revealed in the early conversations with Whitney. "The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford. "For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar." "Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?" "Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney. “Bah! They have no understanding" "Even so, I rather think they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death." Therefore, Rainsford hunts only for the sport and has no sympathy for the hunted.

Rainford considers himself civilized. Rainford sees the world as two different sides, one side is hunters and the other one is the huntees. “The world is made up of two classes the hunters and the huntees. Lucky you and I are hunters.” (pg 40)

(1)Many short story authors provide many amazing characters within the plotline. (2)But, in The Most Dangerous by Richard Connell he provides a beautiful character named Rainsford. (3)Rainsford in this story goes through many challenges throughout this story which lead to the reader to characterize him in many different ways. (4)The three ways that can characterize Rainsford in The Most Dangerous Game are that he contains very intelligent, determined, and that he is a very curious man. (5)Through many examples in The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell makes evident that Rainsford exemplifies these three qualities.

As the main character of “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford goes through the phases of the archetypal hero’s journey. For example, Rainsford is surrendered to water when he falls into the ocean, which can also be interpreted as Rainsford falling into his thoughts and subconscious, suggesting the idea that the entire story can be a dream. As an archetypal hero, Rainsford proves his perseverance when “ he [swims] in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he [fights] the sea” (28). Rainsford does not give up even when

Rainsford is disgusted and sickened at the fact that General Zaroff’s idea of hunting means hunting humans. In return for his passage off the island Zaroff forces Rainsford to participate in his hunting game where he is the hunter and Rainsford is the prey. The main characters,

     Rainsford is an intelligent man. Early in the story, “Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and he doggedly swam in that direction” (34). Rainsford had just fallen in the water,

He went through a traumatizing thing but he still stayed strong. He never quit. He persevered and stayed strong. He found a way to calm himself down. He calms himself down by promising to never touch a gun again. And when he found out he killed his brother he showed determination by promising not to touch a gun. And he also showed enthusiasm, because he really felt like that decision to not touch a gun was the right thing. So he had passion for what he was doing. He supported himself and that is how he got through his adversity. In “The Most Dangerous Game” it states that, “Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment he stood there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp” (Connell 21). It also says “They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked frantically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels. He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and Rainsford's heart stopped too. They must have reached

Thus through this experience he began learning about how the animals felt in his previous hunting experiences. During his battle royal fight with the general he had used his experience and knowledge of hunting to catch and kill the general. Consequently he was now violating his own golden rule, loosing his values of not killing humans. Through this action he went through a metamorphosis becoming the “brute”. This newfound outlook lead him learn about what it is like to be the one being hunted. After there continual exchange of mental torment Rainsford enters the main house to murder the general. Something is different though he doesn’t stop when the general said “you have won” he doesn’t care anymore, he just wants to kill him. We can see this when Rainsford says “I am still a beast at bay”. We can see that the use of the language technique of dramatic irony is empathetic towards this scene. The use of this technique shows us that he (who was the hunter of the beast) has now become the beast in the hunt. This emphasizes the idea that Rainsfords experiences of being hunted has changed him and shows how Connell was trying to express the idea that your experiences shape you, and how you learn from it will shape who you are. We can also see how Connells message about learning and experience is expressed through the use of the language technique of metaphor. We can see that this use of metaphor shows us how he has become a “beast”. Through this it

Being lost in an island, hungry, and tired is not an everyday thing. So Rainsford being in that situation, had no other choice than except Zaroff’s generosity. Zaroff gave Rainsford clothes, food and, a place to sleep. Zaroff tells Rainsford to join him for dinner, and Rainsford went to the dinner room as told. Sitting down eating there meal. The two men’s starts a conversation and starts to talk about their lives. Zaroff learns a lot of things about Rainsford and so does Rainsford. Rainsford learns that Zaroff is a smart man and a hunter just like him, but Zaroff him hunting people is part of things that he hunts for. Zaroff on another hand learns that Rainsford is a pretty smart, educated man and lastly a hunter.4

In the beginning of the book,Rainsford does not care for the animals he hunts.Rainsford and whitney were talking about what it would be like to be the hunted and how a Jaguar feels.

Rainsford, from the beginning, reveals his arrogance to the readers. “This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes - the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the hunters.” (Connell 63). The context is that Rainsford is speaking with Whitney and he believes that the animals have a sense of understanding and fear, but Rainsford does not. Rainsford is impudent towards his friend by criticizing his beliefs. He is moreover conceited when he places himself in the higher class of society. The protagonist is being insensitive to Whitney and to the living, fearful animals, commencing the separation from morality, shown throughout this short story. The antagonist, General Zaroff, numerously illustrates his hubristic personality.

In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Sanger Rainsford is shown as brave, athletic, and clever. Rainsford is shown to be brave when he take on the challenge of being hunted by General Zaroff. “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve” (Rainsford 75). This quote shows that Rainsford is brave because he is trying to put his feelings aside and get through the game.

The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.” This shows how the roles have reversed, Rainsford is now the one being hunted instead of being the hunter. This makes Rainsford psychologically sympathize with animals he has previously hunted and understand the tremendous fear they