Are human beings better as the hunter, or as the hunted? The Most Dangerous game is a short story by Richard Connell. The story follows a renowned hunter named Sanger Rainsford as he interacts with a rich hunter named General Zaroff. Rainsford meets General Zaroff after falling off of a boat while on his way for a hunt in the Amazon rainforest. General Zaroff is an odd character, one who grew tired of hunting animals, and has created an environment in which he can capture and hunt human beings. This story really touches on the morality issues of hunting humans, but General Zaroff also makes some strong points as to why he chooses to hunt humans as a challenge. Although morally wrong, General Zaroff points out that hunting a human can be considered the ultimate hunt due to their courage, cunning and reason.A human being can be calculating and courageous. They don’t act purely out of courage. A human being will always weigh the possibilities and consequences of an action. Human courage is more thought out than the courage of a wild animal. Which gives another challenging dimension to hunting humans as prey. This is evident in the story in two different instances. When Rainsford was running from General Zaroff and his hounds were drawing near, he paused and considered his options. “Across a cove he could see the gloomy gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea.”
Imagine you, a well known hunter, are stranded on a humid, tropical island with no wildlife other than a psychotic man. This psychopath is a fellow hunter, but desires to poach even greater and smarter game with extremely high intelligence, and is the smartest animal of all -- humans. Throughout the story, the author creates a suspenseful mood through several conflicts the main character encounters, while struggling to survive the “most dangerous game.” In Richard Connell’s short adventure story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford, a hunter, travels to South America on a hunting expedition, when he carelessly falls off his yacht and into the Caribbean Sea. Struggling to find a place to rest, he swims to an island off in the distance. Upon reaching the island, he comes across a large building where he is warmly welcomed by the owner of the establishment, also a renowned hunter, named General Zaroff, only to find that he is a lunatic. After learning of General Zaroff’s sins, Rainsford is challenged by the general in a game of life and death, and their specialty, hunting. From beginning to end, the author of this short survival story creates a suspenseful mood through the three main conflicts the main character encounters.
Hunting has been considered as an evil and uncivilized sport to many in our society. Many people are fine with eating hunted animals, but are not okay with people hunting animals. There have been many debates on which situations of hunting are ethical or not. In the story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, it talks about a man named General Zaroff who thinks it is okay to hunt animals and humans. He keeps his humans as prisoners but still takes care of them until they are ready to be hunted. Despite the fact that he feeds and shelters his humans, General Zaroff is uncivilized because he thinks that it is fair to kill other humans for his own pleasure.
America has over one million hunters. These hunters require skills of endurance quick thinking and a sharp eye. In Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” these traits are shown by Rainsford. Rainsford is stranded on an island and use these skills to survive “the game”. Based on his actions, thoughts, and his keen eye that proves he is an expert hunter.
For an abundance of stories the conflicts do not include man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. himself. In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell this is not the case. The main character Rainsford is frequently facing multiple struggles. The story would not keep you on the edge of your seats the same way unless he is constantly fighting through something no matter how big or small the problem is. For example Rainsford the sailor fights nature in this story. In addition to this, he struggles through the toughness and wits of other men. Furthermore, in this story Rainsford puts up with himself as he fights his mind running through the jungle constantly making last minute, and risky decisions. This story shows countless examples of man vs. man, man vs. nature, and even man vs. himself.
Hunter vs. the hunted is one of the main points in Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game.” Sanger Rainsford swims to Ship-Trap Island after falling off the ship on which he was traveling. On the island, Rainsford finds food and lodging with its sole human inhabitants, General Zaroff and Ivan. Zaroff reveals that he intends to hunt Rainsford, since he finds hunting humans most exciting. Rainsford manages to out-smart Zaroff and is waiting in the General’s bedroom when he returns. The authors’ use of characters: Sanger Rainsford, General Zaroff, Whitney, and Ivan, setting: ship, jungle, and island, and symbolism: the island and jungle, help to develop the theme, one who hunts will someday become the hunted.
The short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell describes an adventurous hunt between Mr. Rainsford the hunted, and General Zaroff the hunter; A battle between man and nature. Main character Rainsford, after learning Zaroff’s true intentions, becomes a human tied to nature, while Zaroff becomes an animal in human clothes. Although the general appears to be a wealthy Russian aristocrat, below the surface, he is actually a vile beast who hunts for sport in the sense of bloodlust. He becomes animalistic because he is unethical, vicious, and illogical.
From the words of C.S. Lewis, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny”. Facing hardships and breaking free from their normal world allows the hero inside of people to come out. Many stories document this journey of a hero through the Hero’s Journey Archetype. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, a man named Rainsford stumbles upon an island where humans are hunted by a crazed man. The hero’s journey archetype is implemented throughout Rainsford’s experiences in the story. Richard Connell used the Hero’s Journey Archetype to structure the plot and develop the theme that with clever thinking and lots of hope, one can succeed at anything.
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.
Underestimation and cruel actions lead to many things. In “The Most Dangerous Game,” author Richard Connell reveals a conflict between the main characters, General Zaroff and Rainsford. Rainsford was to play the most dangerous game created by Zaroff, because the only way to survive, is to win it, otherwise death is the only other option. As demonstrated through the use of personification, symbolism, and repetition in the story, it conveys that one should understand to never underestimate another person and remember that there will always be a consequence for the wicked things that one has done.
Whenever people go to the movies or read a book, they long for an interesting story to be entertained by. Whether it is action filled or suspenseful, they want a stimulating plot that makes them feel good. In 1952, Carl Foreman wrote the screenplay for a movie called High Noon; a classic tale of when the hunter becomes the hunted. Then in 1924, Richard Connell wrote another classic, called "The Most Dangerous Game". Although both stories demonstrate similar examples of the setting and conflict, the main characters react very differently to the unusual situations they find themselves stuck in.
C.S. Lewis one said “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny”. Facing hardships and breaking free from their normal world allows the hero inside of people to come out. Many stories document this journey of a hero through the Hero’s Journey Archetype. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, a man named Rainsford stumbles upon an island where humans are hunted by a crazed man. The hero’s journey archetype is implemented throughout Rainsford’s experiences in the story. Richard Connell used the Hero’s Journey Archetype to structure the plot and develop the theme that with clever thinking and the use of past experiences, one can succeed at anything.
Richard Edward Connell was an American author, who was probably most famous for the short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Connell started writing at the age of 10 covering baseball games for his father 's paper. By the age of sixteen he had become the editor of the Poughkeepsie News-Press. Connell was a very smart man who studied at Georgetown and Harvard.While at Harvard he was the editorial chairman. Connell 's writing style was usually action-adventure. Some of his works were probably inspired from his time working as a homicide journalist, and serving in World War I. By the time Connell passed away he had published over 300 short stories. Richard Connell was a very unique author from experiences he had through out his life, and so was the writing style that he portrayed.
When I came into class these last two weeks, I definitely thought that ready a short story from a textbook made in was going to be a drag. I was pleasantly surprised when I actually started to gain interest in The Most Dangerous Game, written by Richard Connell. I really admire the way the author had composed the plot and how the characters were so well developed. I was slightly less juiced up when I found out we were watching a movie made in 1932. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed both works of art tremendously.
Where do you draw the line in hunting? Is it at the point where you feel pity for your prey? Is it the fact your prey feels pain? Or is it just that you’re stronger and they’re weaker so it doesn’t matter. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell is a story about learning and experience, how the hunter becomes the hunted and moralities tested and learning the hard way. The main protagonist Rainsford is a well established hunter who has slaughtered many animals with great joy. He views his prey as aggressive creatures that are lower that lack any reason to live other than hunting. Through the story Rainsford ends washed up on a mysterious island where his ideals about hunting are pit against those of an eccentric Cossack General. Through
Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" is a very exciting story of a manhunt. This story made me think about the morality of hunting: Humans are the cleverest creatures on earth, but does it give them a license to kill the other animals and even human beings weaker than themselves? I give below a short summary of the story to set the scene and then I will explore the ethics involved in hunting as a sport. "The Most Dangerous Game" presents the story of a hunter, General Zaroff, who finds hunting human beings as the most dangerous and fascinating sport.