Literary Techniques In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

There are some stories that seem to drag on and on because of their extremely descriptive writing. There are others that fly by in an instant but leave the reader more confused than when he started. Then there are stories that use the perfect balance of description and suspense so that they enhance the story and each other. “The Most Dangerous Game” written by Richard Connell is an excellent example of this crucial yet delicate balance. There are many points in the story where masterfully expanded moments capture all the fine sensory details of a scene; nevertheless, these points also contain captivating suspense to keep the story interesting. The author uses frequent plot twists, sensory imagery, and expanded moments to create a story

As writings with more action have become increasingly popular, plot twists offer a way for the story to be repeatedly thrown into fast action, making the story more captivating and suspenseful. Richard Connell uses plot twists at the most unexpected times to infatuate the reader, making his story absolutely impossible to put down. “Then he switched on the light. A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, was standing there. “Rainsford!" screamed the general. "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. This is only one of the many great examples of plot twists throughout the

They are the most difficult to achieve without losing the reader’s attention. The story contains wonderfully expanded moments where even a split second can feel like a minute and a minute feel like an hour.

“So intent was the Cossack on his stalking that he was upon the thing Rainsford had made before he saw it. His foot touched the protruding bough that was the trigger. Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger and leaped back with the agility of an ape. But he was not quite quick enough; the dead tree, delicately adjusted to rest on the cut living one, crashed down and struck the general a glancing blow on the shoulder as it fell; but for his alertness, he must have been smashed beneath it. He staggered, but he did not fall; nor did he drop his revolver.”

In this scene, General Zaroff has just stepped into a trap that Rainsford had built and has been hit by the falling tree. The moment is expanded to take up a whole paragraph instead of the few words necessary to describe the event. Many crafts such as metaphors and sensory details are contained in this paragraph, adding to the details of the moment, however the event is, nevertheless, as suspenseful as the rest of the story. The way that the story can successfully portray detail and suspense into one composite sentence is uncommon and that’s why it’s captivating. This is how the story blended detail and suspense into one