The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Cornell Essay

In Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game”, the protagonist character, Sander Rainsford is an adventurous and fearless big game hunter. Rainsford has no remorse for his prey. Over the course of the story Rainsford experiences a sudden change of heart when he finds himself where “The world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees.”

It had been a week since Rainsford managed to kill the nefarious General Zaroff. The challenging part was almost over or so it seemed. There was not a clear way for Rainsford to escape. As days passed, Rainsford tried to escape. He tried making a boat from driftwood that he found, he tried swimming, he even tried sending a signal by using a flashlight. Rainsford had become so desperate that he even tried some ridiculous plans like trying to pole vault across the ocean. As a result, Rainsford ended up having huge gashes in his left leg ,which got infected, and he had to amputate it. As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Rainsford had lost hope and became bitter.

Therefore, the foreshadowing in the story creates suspense for both the characters and the readers.

Lastly, for my third plot example General Zaroff was trying to kill Rainsford because humans were his new big game. Zaroff tries to kill Rainsford, but really he is the one who ends up dying at the end, not Rainsford. Richard Connell uses dialogue to highlight how Rainsford and Zaroff are talking about how only one of them are going to die and the another will live happily on the bed. “Rainsford, how did you get here?” “ I swam, it was quicker than walking through the jungle.” “I congratulate you, you win the game.” “I am still a hunted animal.” “ Get ready General Zaroff.” “I see, splendid! One of us will be a meal for the dogs the another will sleep in this excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford.” (Connell pg 22) This helps to see that General was being rude by trying to kill Rainsford for his game. Also he didn’t care what

Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous explains multiple theories, such as nature versus nurture, and survival of the fittest. This short story also seems to have an underlying theme of Social Darwinism (Of Two Classes). Throughout the entirety of the short story, Connell shows a character change of a main character, Rainsford, who is at a constant battle with General Zaroff, the antagonist. This character change shows the importance of the mindset of characters, and how it can be applied to everyday life.

In the story The Most Dangerous Game one conflict is man vs nature. Rainsford is fighting nature because he is on a ship and he came across an island. Rainsford falls overboard and has to swim for safety. “All he knew was that he was safe from his enemy, the sea and the other was weariness on him”. In order to survive rainsford hast to swim to the island and find shelter. In the conflict man vs nature this shows Rainsford bravery.

The first way the author creates suspense in the story is by foreshadowing. When Captain Torres walked into the barber’s shop, the barber, “Started to shake,” (Tellez 1) indicating that the barber felt instant fear, when his enemy approached. This foreshadows that the barber knows the man and that he will be deciding to kill him or not. Foreshadowing creates suspense because it is a clue given to the reader. It is the reader’s job to guess what is going to happen in the story and that is what makes it interesting. Without foreshadowing the reader won’t be able to prepare what is going to happen next. Another scene where the foreshadowing technique is used was when the barber came up with his reasons to not kill Captain Torres. The barber contemplated in his mind, “Don’t want to stain myself with blood. Just lather, and nothing else,” (Tellez 2) which foreshadows that the barber is not going to commit murder.

One example of suspense in “The Monkey’s Paw” by Jacobs is created through setting. For example in the very beginning, it says “the night was cold and wet”, (Jacobs, 1). This example adds suspense because it sets the mood of the story and gives the story a gloomy and dark feel. Also, it is night and sometimes bad things can happen at night. Another example of suspense through setting is when a conversation starts amongst the Whites. Mr. White says “hark at the wind”, (Jacobs, 7). This is showing how the wind is loud and noisy. Lastly, when the Whites are talking about how they had to wait for Sergeant Major Morris because they live so far out with only one neighbor. This is showing suspense through waiting and with the waiting comes

The example, foreshadowing is when the writer gives the audience clues in the text or script about what

In the short story “The Sound of Thunder”, by Ray Bradbury, suspense is built through setting,foreshadow,conflict.The first way, the author creates suspense is by the setting. The setting makes the story suspenseful by how they go throw time to go make in time by a time machine and when they get there they are in the middle of a jungle to 1492. Once they got to the jungle in 1492 they got out of the time machine and started talking about the rules and about how if they step of the trail or kill an animal that was not supposed to be killed there will be consequences. “The Machine slowed; its scream fell to a murmur. The Machine stopped. The sun stopped in the sky. The fog that had enveloped the Machine blew away and they were in an old time, a very old time indeed, three hunters and two Safari Heads with their blue metal guns across their knees.” Oncy they got there they followed they the people showing them which animal to hunt and telling them so hunt the ones with the red paint on them. In conclusion the reader knows it is suspenseful if they step off of the trail or shot one of them without red paint then they would be killed or have to pay a fine.

The literary element of suspense also plays a key role in further emphasizing Connell’s theme that humans possess both reason and instinct. From the beginning of the story Connell repeatedly uses suspense starting from the second Whitney brings up the mysterious island to the very end of the hunt. During the hunt is when the theme becomes most prevalent. Although Rainsford wishes to take the life of Zaroff, he remains more man than animal by keeping his

Hunting big game animals for sport was a popular pastime with the wealthy classes following World War I. The morality of killing for sport was not questioned in reality, but in this short story the author does question it by taking it a step further and having the protagonist, Sangor Rainsford, hunted by the antagonist, General Zaroff.In a short story full of irony, one of the greatest ironies of Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is that General Zaroff repeatedly tells Rainsford that he maintains a sense of civilization on his island.

In “The Most Dangerous Game” life can get to a point where survival is the last option, but in “The Most Dangerous Game” things take a completely different approach. Rainsford went overboard and sought refuge, so he swam to an island. Rainsford spots a house on top of a cliff, when he talks to General Zaroff (the landlord), he talks about a particular type of game unlike any other, “ ‘Oh,’ said the general, ‘it supplies me with the most exciting hunting in the world. No other hunting compares with it for an instant. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored now, for I have a quarry with which I can match my wits.’ ” (Page 7). Rainsford rapidly put the pieces together, with the multiple clues given, like how the name of the island was called “Ship-Trap”, Zaroff also said that this is the a smart, cunning, and is full of courage. Rainsford was able to comprehend the clues and with no doubt, he knew that Zaroff was talking about humans. This means that he was the game, and had to choose if he was going to be the hunter or the hunted. Rainsford's life was on the line, so he took this situation very crucial and acted fast,” ‘Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. ‘I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,’ he said through tight teeth.” (page 11). After Rainsford realized he was being hunted he took a moment to mentally prepare himself for the next series of events to unfold. Rainsford was able to not give up and let his life crumble so in order for Rainsford to keep his life he would have to make sure his footprints were covered so he couldn’t be tracked down. Usually man vs. man is usually the last option available, but in this case, it was the first option.

Plot is defined as, "the authors arrangement of incidents in a story it is the organizing principle that controls the controls the order of events (Meyer,64)." The element of plot is heavily relied on in the short story, "The Killings" by Andre Dubus. The plot which is completely made inside the imagination of an author (Meyer,64), gives the audience important insight to people, places, and events in the story (Meyer,64) . "The Killings" provides a somewhat conventional plot pattern, where the character is confronted with a problem and is then led into a climax, which late leads to the resolution of the story (Meyer,65). The conventional plot is easy to follow and serves as a basis for movies and other

He says that quote because he knows how animals get hunted so he would be talking in fear. He says that because he won and he knows how animals really feel when they get hunt so he is talking in completely the challenge. The first quote is “ it sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being,” (12). The second quote is “I am still a beast at bay,”(15). Rainsford is better person because he how a animals is when it is getting hunted and we won the competition against Zaroff he is a good person because he did not work together with Zaroff for killing people. Rainsford starts to care about animals after he is put in there foot steps for getting hunted the island is still scary nothing change about that and he is a good