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Dynamic Change In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

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he Most Dangerous Game Around the time after World War 1 on Ship-Trap Island, Rainsford, the protagonist of this fantastic prose, goes through a dynamic internal change. In his short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell, portrays and paints a picture of how civilization and society can ever defeat a man’s murderous drive; the instinct in a man that pressures him on to perform a murderous task. Connell also touches on how the roles can change: the dominant can become subservient or less than, and how the forceful and strong minded can become the weaker ones. He tries to make the reader understand that to be successful, the hunter (the strong), must imitate the hunted (the weak); the man must act the animal, and civilization must impersonate and hide its brutality. The major conflict reflects dynamic change in the main …show more content…

Instead of being fearful and wanting to give up, Rainsford became zealous; a fearless survivor. “ Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leapt far out into the sea.” (27). When he throws himself off the cliff into the rocky waters below, he knows that he may not live, yet he becomes fearless and takes the risk. Rainsford's instincts arose and he wanted to survive, but he did it in a manner where he stood his ground, retained his strength, and grew valiant. “In his hand the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart… ‘Don't be alarmed,’ said Rainsford with a smile…” (9). Rainsford, in this situation, displayed a smile to show he wasn't the enemy nor was he fearful. Not only does Rainsford survive the gunman and the great fall from the cliff, but he shows the great audacity to go before Zaroff and return to finish the fight. Rainsford is a survivor. Furthermore this shows a change is Rainsford's paradigm from the parts of the story where he believes animals have no

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In the short story The Most Dangerous Game, the author Richard Connell shows that Rainsford needs control of his emotions, patience , and expert hunting and decision making skills in order to defeat Zaroff. Rainsford needs to gain control of his emotions to outthink Zaroff, who symbolizes Rainsfords "steep hill". When he finds that he is going to be hunted his natural instinct is to run and panic, but then he stops to look around and get a grip on the task at hand. Then at a critical moment when Zaroff finds him in a tree, Rainsford panics again because he realizes Zaroff is on his trail and is toying with him. Once again, he gains control of his emotions and formulates a plan.

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"How in God's name did you get here?" "Swam," said Rainsford. "I found it quicker than walking through the jungle." ” In this scene near the end of the story, Rainsford, the protagonist of the story who was deemed dead, has come to have one last fight with the general. In doing so, the author changed the plot of the book from an old hunter going to bed, to a final showdown between two enemies.

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First off, one thing Rainsford faced was strong versus the weak. In the beginning of the story Rainsford fell off a yacht by, what Richard called, “Ship-Trap Island.” Once he

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Rainsford also exhibits courage by doing anything to survive. During Rainsford’s first meal with the general, Zaroff tells of his hunts, expressing the rush he gets from his kills. Rainsford is appalled, telling him it is murder, and would not take part in what Zaroff planned. Of course, he had limited options and ultimately was forced to participate as the newest quarry. However, when the third day of the hunt was nearing completion, Zaroff, Ivan, and his hounds were hot on Rainsford’s trail.

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“After swimming for what seemed like forever, I heard an ear piercing sound off in the distance. I decided to swim in the direction of what I knew was a gun-shot, knowing that where there is men, there is food.” Rainsford explained. He later went on to tell about how he weakly pulled himself onto a rocky shore, knowing that he had now escaped from the tortuous waters, he went into a deep sleep.

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One of us will be a meal for the dogs. The other will sleep in this excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford. He never slept in a better bed, Rainsford thought later.” Therefore Rainsford accomplished his goal of surviving while on the island because he trusted in himself and had faith that he could kill

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–Nolan As a good illustration of a survivor, Rainsford shows an important trait of one. Rainsford has what it takes to be a survivor, that trait Rainsford has is courage. Rainsford is very brave and smart; he is able to confront his fear of things without even thinking he just does it. Clarified in the MDG packet on lines 681-682, “Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds then he leaped far out into the sea.”

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He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea. . . .” (Connell). Rainsford must make a life deciding choice as he finds himself trapped with killer hounds and the fierce ocean raging below him. Rainsford realizes that his only option is to jump which he does.

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Although, "A Dangerous Game", written by Richard Conell, is a short story, it has time, effort and enthusiasm put into a compressed text. The author shows this through his ultimate, main character, Rainsford. Rainsford, a man of many idiosyncrasies, would be tested to his limits in hopes of breaking him and making him succumb to the fate someone else planned for him. However, Rainsford had other plans. His plan would take shape through many abilities and overall, great attributes he possessed.

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One conflict found in the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” is man versus nature. Man versus nature

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“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.

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Hunters believe animals are not capable of reasoning and they see them as something lesser than humans. Throughout time, these positions can change. The short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” written by Richard Connell, consists of General Zaroff being the hunter and Rainsford being the hunted. During the story, their positions change to the complete opposite.

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It is now hard for him to trust anyone after being forced to be hunted. “The pit grew deeper; when it was above his shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up” (Connell 34) because of this flashback Rainsford starts to get scared about himself hurting another human being. He won’t hunt again because he remembers his times of desperation and how he felt while trying to kill a living person. Another factor of Rainsford’s nervousness is when he told that the man being hunted the day before lost his head.

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Rainford exposes his selfishness and lack of empathy by saying, “‘Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees. Luckily you and I are hunters’”(2). His actions throughout the story show his cruelty too. Rainsfords profession is killing animals, and while he does

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He had to fight himself to stay on track. He was so scared in the jungle while the General was trying to hunt him. On page 186, it says “He could not say where he was. That was suicide.” This shows the reader that Rainsford may be thinking of what could go wrong, and is not thinking on the positive side of things.

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