The Hunter In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

Even though clearly distraught Rainsford was able to make key decisions to save his life. “Nerve, nerve, nerve” he panted, as he dashed along …. Then he leaped far into the sea.”(18). This quote tells the reader even while battling nerves and running away from a pack of dogs Rainsford was able to make a imperative choice to save his life. Rainsford survives the three days to beat Zaroff and win the game but still feels uneasy will not rest until General Zaroff is dead. “I am still a beast at bay,” he said, in a low, hoarse voice.” Get ready, General Zaroff.”(18). This quote discloses to the reader that Rainsford felt like quarry and wanted Zaroff dead and was not satisfied with merely winning the game.This quote also shows what kind of man Rainsford is and how he is willing to die for what he feels is right. Rainsford battled many trials throughout the story but somehow managed to make the best out of each one.

I think Rainsford has learned many things from his experience. For example, I do not think Rainsford will be hunting for a while, after being hunted by Zaroff. I knew Rainsford was hunted because in the text Zaroff said “we will hunt-you and I” I think Rainsford has learned that there is more than one meaning for the word “game”. I also think Rainsford has a different point of view now on hunting. What I mean by this is that in the beginning of the story Rainsford thinks animals as second class compare to humans. I knew this because in the text Rainsford said, “The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees.” I think his view has changed since he was hunted this time. I also think Rainsford has learned how to survive in the wild because of his experience on the island. For example, Zaroff pushed Rainsford to his limits by hunting him, this made Rainsford more committed to kill Zaroff by setting up traps. I know it will be different from this time on because what Zaroff put Rainsford threw has taught him a life lesson (how to survive in the

When Rainsford is put into the game, he thinks of a plan to throw off General Zaroff and says to himself, “‘I'll give him a trail to follow,’ muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate loops” (Connell 34-35). Then Zaroff talks about his life, the war, and brags while saying, “‘I have hunted every kind of game in every land. It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have killed’” (Connell 29). Not only are Rainsford and General Zaroff both hunters, but also they are very good and smart hunters. Rainsford says this during the hunt and it describes him making an intricate trail for Zaroff. He is using all of his skills and being very smart to try to lead Zaroff in the wrong direction. Likewise, General Zaroff says that he has hunted every type of animal. This shows that he is a good hunter and he has hunted so many he couldn’t even tell him how many he’s killed. This displays their similarities as hunters and people because they are very smart. In the very first scene, Rainsford and Whitney discuss hunting in the Amazon and they begin to say, “‘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've no understanding’” (Connell 22). Later, Zaroff tries to persuade Rainsford into hunting humans because he thinks, “‘Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong’” (Connell 30). Another similarity the two hunters have is that they don’t care how others feel. Rainsford doesn’t care

This quote shows that Rainsford is insane because during this part, he is saying that he wants to hunt something that can reason with him, and only one animal can do that. That animal is a human. During the story, General Zaroff is also competitive. He shows that he is competitive when he fights to win the game over the humans. He always believes he will win. “If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him”... “he loses.” (Connell

Rainsford was justified in killing General Zaroff. For instance General Zaroff said “Your brain against mine, Your woodcraft against mine.” (Connell 6). This shows that General Zaroff gives right to rainsford to try and outsmart him and try to win by surviving. If rainsford outsmarts him then he will get the victory or he can do what Zaroff wanted to do to him which was kill him. Also Rainsford disagreed when Zaroff told him about the hunting game. “No,General,”he said “I will not hunt.” Then Zaroff basically said he had to or ivan will kill him.(Connell 9).This quote means that Rainsford did not like the idea that he had to stay in a jungle and

He was able to use “a huge dead tree” that “leaned precariously on a smaller, living one” to build what is called a “Malay mancatcher” (12). While most people would probably just see two trees and walk past them, Rainsford was able to think creatively and put them to effective use. Even though Zaroff did not get caught by it entirely, the hunter was able to buy himself some time to move to a different area so that he could avoid the general. After he went back to treat his injury, Rainsford “took up his flight again” that “carried him on for some hours” (13). His resourceful thinking had allowed him to use even more time to put his plan for winning this life-risking game into action. Without this helpful asset, Rainsford might have been more prone to giving up and letting himself be killed.

Rainsford doesn’t want to be a murderer like the strange General Zaroff. Rainsford was “a hunter, not a murderer” like the General (Connell 27). Rainsford considers the strange General a murderer and doesn’t want to become one. While on the topic of murdering, Rainsford doesn’t consider killing humans hunting, he considers it murder. Rainsford considers what the General is “speak[ing] of [as] murder” and not hunting (Connell 27). He doesn’t think hunting humans is hunting, he thinks if you hunt another person it is murder. Not just is hunting humans murder it is also not civilized according to Rainsford. Rainsford questions on if “shoot[ing] down men” is civilized when the General says it is (Connell 28). Rainsford knows when you shoot down men it’s not civilized and doesn’t want to become like the cruel General Zaroff and shoot down men. He won’t hunt again because he doesn’t want to be a murderer like

Zaroff is much more committed to hunting than Rainsford ( Zaroff explains that hunting is his life, but Rainsford says that he enjoys hunting as the best sport in the world) Rainsford believes that the idea of hunting men is considered murder while ,Zaroff believes that he is morally allowed to do it : in the end, Rainsford wins the game while zaroff loses.

What will happen when hunting animals gets too easy. Rainsford fell off of a boat on his way to a hunt. Then he met the general on the island whose name is Zarroff. Zarroff use to hunt animals but now he is hunting Rainsford. Rainsford wouldn’t ever hunt again because he was frightened by his experiences with general zarroff.

Rainsford will not hunt again because he was traumatized while he was on the island. Rainsford realized he could be killed during the game. While playing the game he “knew the full meaning of terror”(Connell

Zaroff was fascinated by Rainsford and his work. Both were awestruck by big game hunting. Rainsford was beginning to find Zaroff as a true cosmopolite, but there was something that still bothered Rainsford. The two men commuted for a while and Rainsford was amused when Zaroff said that he was hunting more dangerous game than what Rainsford thought to be the most dangerous big game of all. Zaroff tells Rainsford that, although he hunted the big game, he had to stock the island himself. A little while later Rainsford was told by Zaroff that he hunted humans. He asked Rainsford to join, and Rainsford, scared, agreed. The next night Rainsford refused to hunt. Zaroff tells Rainsford if he didn't hunt he would become the

In the dire situation of being thrown into the hunt, when most would have reacted irrationally in blind panic, Rainsford regains his calm quickly and immediately sets out to create a complex trail, telling himself repeatedly “I must keep my nerve.” (6) Moreover, it is clear from the conversation between Zaroff and Rainsford regarding the general’s new, disturbing hunting sensation that Rainsford has strong morals and values human life. Rainsford’s scruples give him the bravery to heavily imply that Zaroff is a murderer and to question the general’s claims of being civilized, even as Zaroff becomes increasingly annoyed (4). However, Rainsford’s hunting career made him, above all, a survivor, and it seems that his morals are conditional to his own survival. This is shown most clearly at the frankly shocking events that unfolded at the end of the story, when Rainsford leaps off the cliff and finds his way back to the château to lurk in Zaroff’s room, and upon the general’s return, they dueled to the death (8). A darker aspect of Rainsford’s character is revealed in the last three paragraphs, and he even refers to himself as a cornered animal

(Connell pg 17) Zaroff had been a hunter since he was a child. “God make some men poets. Some he makes kings, some beggars. Me he made a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger, my father said.” (Connell pg 18) Zaroff was a wise investor. He invested in American securities and was very rich. (Connell pg 19) Zaroff has become bored with hunting animals and now hunts humans on his own private animals called Ship Trap. He traps boats sending false signals. (Connell pg 22) He then rescue any survivors to use as his game. Zaroff challenges Rainsford to the hunt. Rainsford can’t believe what Zaroff

Rainsford clearly has shown that he is terrified by the General. While Rainsford is hiding in a tree after the General spots him and then leaves Rainsford realizes that “the cossack was the cat, he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror” (Connell 36). Rainsford realizes that the general is the cat and he is the mouse, also that Zaroff is the hunter, and he is the hunted, and for the first time in his life, Rainsford is generally terrified. Rainsford is very scared of the general but also wants to survive, that is why he decides to have revenge, and kill the General. Before Rainsford was being hunted, General Zaroff told him about the game that he played Rainsford decides right at that moment that it is wrong, he realizes this when he declares ‘“did not make me condone cold blooded murder”, finished Rainsford stiffly”’ (Connell 30). Right from the moment the General tells Rainsford that he hunts humans for fun, Rainsford is very freaked out, he wants to leave the island. Rainsford is very opposed to the game he believes it is murder. At this point in the story I believe that he will not enjoy hunting the same way as he did before after he undergoes this experience. While Rainsford is in the jungle, he realizes that the General is a very scary person, the narrator states “Rainsfords second thought was even more

Firstly, Rainsford and Zaroff differ in their personal hunting styles or in what they hunt. In fact, Zaroff hunts people. Rainsford once said to Zaroff “Hunting? Good God, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder” (Connell 64). This shows that Rainsford is proving to the audience that Zaroff is a murderer not a hunter.