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Hunting In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

703 Words3 Pages

In The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell suggests that the hunter is not that different from the hunted when the big game hunter Rainsford becomes general Zaroff’s prey. Rainsford believes that hunting is a game because he doesn’t value the lives of the animals he hunts. When conversing with his hunting companion Whitney, Rainsford presents his view of the subject by stating that, ”You’re a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?”(92). Contradicting his superior’s opinion, Whitney suggests that “they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death.”(92). Suggesting that perhaps all living organisms are united through the universal concept of fear, he challenges Rainsford’s belief that “The …show more content…

Arguing with the general, Rainsford becomes his next target of prey. “Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels”(111). This external transition from predator to prey connects the natural symbiotic relationship between these opposing sides. This relationship allows Rainsford to experience and understand the prey creating a personal connection. From this experience, he gains a new appreciation, and begins to better value the lives of the prey. The line separating these two classes is further blurred when Rainsford kills the general out of self-defense, while still in the mindset of the prey, not the predator. After having won the game, Rainsford returns to face the general unhappy. “Rainsford did not smile. ‘I am still a beast at bay,’”(112). “I am still a beast at bay” refers to Rainsford’s new connection to the animals he had hunted because although he had already won General Zaroff’s “game”, he still feels like he is the prey trapped on the island. He began as a hunter who was put into a position where he externally transitioned into the position of the prey. Therefore, when Rainsford “murders” General Zaroff, he had already unknowingly transitioned back to being a hunter, but in the confusion he still considers himself the prey. This displays the predator-prey relationship in which the predator can mistakenly becomes the prey and vice

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My dear fellow, said the general, have I not told you I always mean what say about hunting? This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel--at last" (Connell). So since Rainsford refuses to hunt humans the general decides to hunt him. The general thinks it's a great idea because they’re both hunters and both very skilled, so the general thinks it's a great idea while Rainsford thinks it's a horrible idea.

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He then finds a chateau where he meets General Zaroff, a sophisticated man, who proves to be civilized in his own ways. Rainsford respects the general at first thinking he was a true gentleman. That was until Rainsford finds out about the general’s cruel big game. Since the general has gotten bored of hunting animals, he has a new tough crave to hunt human beings, the only animal that can reason thus face him with a challenge. He also arrogantly claims that he once had to break the rules to be able to maintain the record of him never losing at this game.

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He is greeted by a man named General Zaroff. A hunter like him but something is off about him. He hunts Humans. The only animal that can reason. Rainsford is in a terrible situation.

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Zaroff introduces Rainsford to the most exhilarating sport of hunting humans by saying, “It supplies me with the most exciting [hunt] in the world… Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored. . .” (Connell 7). Zaroff’s actions are selfish because he only cares for his thrill and never cares how that impacts his victims. To Zaroff, Rainsford is the ultimate prey.

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One aspect to be considered in Connell 'sThe Most Dangerous Game might be that Rainsford doesn 't just change his mind or personal philosophy about whether animals feel fear while being hunted or not. Rather, consider the possibility that Rainsford 's mind turns into thinking like a hunted animal as though he literally stops thinking like a human by the end of the story. For example, when Rainsford says, I 'm still a beast at bay, he could be expressing the fact that he doesn 't just sympathize with animals who are hunted, but he empathizes with them on a highly personal level. Is it possible that the traumatic experience of being hunted for three days could change Rainsford 's mind his whole system of thinking in his braininto making him

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From the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” written by Richard Connell, Rainsford learns from his encounter with the hunter and understands that animals have feelings too. A sense of empathy is formed through this experience when the hunter turns him as the prey. As the prey, Rainsford now has to run and stay latent from the hunter, General Zaroff. On page 22, the story states,“Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general's mocking laugh ring through the jungle.” Shaken with fear, Rainsford quickly worries and quickly creates a trap for General Zaroff, but to his surprise, General Zaroff is merely hurt by the trap.

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Rainsford is an man that thinks that hunting is just a game, but at the end of the story he is considering hunting. The short story is a action/adventure and it is called “The Most Dangerous Game”by Richard Connell. Zaroff's actions are uncivilized and motivate Rainford to change his point of hunting. General Zaroff states in the story “ If I find him…... he will loses.”

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What is a hunter and a huntee you may ask. Well look no further cause here is your answer. Based of the story “ The most dangerous game” by Richard Connell a hunter is s person or animal that hunts, and this person will be General Zaroff. One reason why he is a hunter is because in the the story when Rainsford gets trained by Zaroff to be hunted by Zaroff is what most hhunters like to do. They love to hunt a prey that is i the same skill mental area as the hunter.

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“The world is made up of two classes- the hunters and the hunted” (Connel 212) . This shows a relationship between hunters and the hunted. In the beginning Rainsford and Zaroff are shown to be of the same value. This is, until the story unravels into Rainsford being put in the hunted position. One focuses on types of people and, the other is focused on

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In the short stories “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, both main characters are great, experienced and risky hunters. Travis from “A Sound of Thunder” takes people through a time machine back in time to hunt dinosaurs. General Zaroff from “The Most Dangerous Game” has found a new interest instead of hunting animals, and he now hunts people. Both of these stories involve hunting out of the ordinary things and show why each character chooses to do so. Although Travis and General Zaroff are both great, experienced hunters, they differ in the game they hunt, their attitudes towards others, and their motivation for shooting people.

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The fear of pain and the fear of death.” Rainsford finally replies with “...Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters.” These quotes from the conversation between Whitney and Rainsford gives an insight into Rainsford’s opinion on hunting animals; further, it provides the proclaimed statement from Rainsford that is later contradicted.

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Fear is not real. It is the product of thoughts you create. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” the main character Rainsford is being hunted which creates fear in him. He is scared of dying but overcame his fear by facing the danger of the hunting game.

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“‘You have won the game.’ Rainsford did not smile. ‘I am still a beast at bay…’Get ready General Zaroff’” (20) He doesn’t kill Zaroff for any reason other than revenge. By beast at bay Rainsford is saying he doesn’t have anywhere to go, so he wants to fight Zaroff, until someone dies which is ironic because Rainsford states that he is against killing another human being when he first meets Zaroff at the beginning of the story.

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There are several conflicts in “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell; while person versus person is the most obvious, person versus self and person versus nature are also present. For example, the “jagged crags” upon which Rainsford lands scratch his hands until they are raw, and when Rainsford is trying to survive the hunt, nature once again acts as an obstacle. The muck is like “ a giant leech” and the insects “[bite] him savagely” through the dense vegetation. On the other hand, Rainsford faces an internal dilemma when he is talking to Zaroff about hunting humans for sport: while Rainsford is shocked by the proposition, he feels no revulsion, no disgust. Therefore, because Rainsford does not seem to have an internal aversion to Zaroff’s proposal, that causes a quandary - his lack of moral dilemma in this situation is a dilemma in itself.

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In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” the main character Rainsford had gotten stranded on a dangerous island where Zaroff, a Russian Cossack General, hunted humans for sport. He feels that God put the weak on earth to give the strong pleasure, and up until it was his turn to be hunted, so did Rainsford. Earlier in the story Rainsford had stated, “The world is made up of two classes-- the hunters and the huntees.” And as harsh as it may sound, it is technically correct. The world is made of hunters and huntees, predator and prey.

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