Imagery In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

In the short narrative story, “The Most Dangerous Game” author Richard Connell tells a story of a hunter who through a series of events, becomes a huntee. The story’s plot, imagery, and irony are the biggest factors of this narrative as well as the purpose. Although this story is fictitious and is without a moral, the author’s purpose was to show an aspect of the human condition.

The plot of “The Most Dangerous Game” is a hunter who gets stranded on an island and finds the house of a general name Zaroff who was also a hunter. After enjoying the hospitality of Zaraoff, the stander hunter, who’s name was Rainsford, was invited to hunt with Zaroff. After a rather long debate, Rainsford realized that Zaraoff, bored by hunting all the best game

The imagery was very well done and majorly impacted narration of the story. In the beginning, when Rainsford was still on his yat smocking his pipe, the author used the term “like thick black velvet” (Richard Connell) to descried how dark and humid the sea was at night. He also used the term “blood warm ocean” (Richard Connell) to describe the ocean. This term, though short, explains how disgusting the ocean felt and how warm it was. He described the sea to be “as flat as a plate-glass window” (Richard Connell). The author conveyed the entire story by using imagery in everything and explained why it was that way. The author knew what he was talking about, in a manner of speaking. He mentioned that Rainsford found “the general to be a most thoughtful and affable host, a true cosmopolite.” (Richard Connell) In this way, the reader can imagine exactly what Zaroff was: professional, mannerly, courteous, neat, well dressed, knows how to work, caring, and smart. The author picked just the right words to convey his vivid imagination of the story. He describes

His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharp-cut nose, a spare, dark face, the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat.” (Richard Connell)

The ‘high cheekbones’ is very customary for describing the typical stereotype of Russians/Ukrainians. Also the Russian/Ukrainian background of Zaroff spices up Zaroff himself and his living; from what he looks like to how he eats, to how his house is decorated, to how he does everything. Only an author of experience could include culture in every description of a man.

The author’s purpose was not easily delivered and was challenging to understand as a reader. After thinking a while, it was realized that the author had several purposes in mind. The main one was to show an aspect of the human condition. Another one was to show the importance of being cautious. Rainsford was not very cautious when he first met Zaroff. At first, Zaroff appeared to be mysteriously extra nice to a strained stranger. Rainsford didn’t think twice but accepting his hospitality. Also, the author showed the importance of considering the other side. Rainsford never considered what it would be like to be hunted. He never considered the anxiety and fear of being hunted. If people would consider what it’s like on the other side, their views and