The Most Dangerous Game Internal Conflict

In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, there is three main conflicts going on in the short story’s plot. One type of conflict shown throughout the story if Man vs. Nature. Rainsford repeatedly has to deal with what nature throws at him. Rainsford falls off his yacht into the sea when he is trying to go to Rio but he luckily swims to shore of an island. Another struggle he has with nature is when he has to face the challenges of ‘Ship-trap island’ such as the cliffs, quicksand, vines and swamps. One example that shows this is “ He stepped forward and his foot sank into ooze. He tried to wrench it back, but the mud sucked viciously at his foot as if it had been a giant leech” (185). Rainsford has found Death Swamp and the surrounding

The uncertainty of the result of conflicts between Rainsford and nature make the reader feel suspenseful of this conflict. Another conflict presented throughout the story is man vs himself. This is the internal conflict between Rainsford and himself. He is fearful of how the game will end and what his next move will be. One reason he has an internal conflict is because Rainsford can not afford to make any mistakes and this puts him under a lot of stress and fear. “Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true- the general was playing him, saving him for another day’s sport…. Then it was that Rainsford knew the meaning of terror” (184). This reveals that Rainsford is realizing that Zaroff knows where he is, and that he is being manipulated by Zaroff. Rainsford's internal conflict is developing in this section of the story since he is becoming more fearful and agitated. Since the story shows his feelings, it keeps readers updated with his thoughts and feelings. The suspense is created by keeping readers on edge about what Zaroff and Rainsford's next moves