Rainsford's Emotions In The Most Dangerous Game

Rainsford’s Life Changing Experience It can sometimes be necessary to experience a situation to truly understand how the other person feels. In “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell shows how Rainsford, an elite hunter, who shows no fear, finally understands his prey. Primarily Rainsford doesn’t value a prey’s feeling, slowly he experiences fear, once and for all Rainsford understands how an animal feels to be hunted. Although Rainsford believes in the hunter and huntee class, later on in the story he can empathize with his hunted victims.

. At first, Rainsford doesn’t believe that an animal knows or feels fear. He is very confident in himself and believes he can take down even the most dangerous game. In all, he shows no fear. When

When Rainsford and Zaroff begin the hunt, Rainsford remembers he “had dug himself in France when a second’s delay meant death. That had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now” ( Connell, 182). Rainsford is comparing death to being hunted, which implies that he really is scared and afraid of Zaroff and the game. The comparison he makes to World War II shows how scared he is and at the last stage of snapping. On the last day Zaroff brings his hounds to help him with the hunt, once Rainsford hears the voices of the hounds he “[knows] how an animal at bay feels” (Connell,183). This shows that Rainsford knows what it feels like to be the prey being hunted by the hunter. By building traps in hopes of catching Zaroff, he’s just like an animal who tends to try and run away but fails. Rainsford understands and feels empathetic toward the animals he never cared about. Rainsford finally understands the fear his prey and empathizes with them, after being the huntee for a change. Although it takes Rainsford some time and the dangerous situation he learns an important lesson in the end. He overcomes his pride and accepts that being hunted is more dangerous and terrifying than death