Since retreat is impossible, he is then forced to seek refuge in the dangerous sea by jumping from his precarious location. Though Rainsford claims the lives of both the general’s best hunting dog and Ivan, he is eventually trapped on a high cliff. Thus the man-versus-man conflict intensifies, and the game becomes more complex. During the second encounter, Rainsford becomes more successful as he uses a Malayman-catcher at least to wound Zaroff. Nevertheless, the general discovers Rainsford during the first hunt and, preferring to extend the contest not to capture him, decides rather to enjoy what he believes will be his eventual triumph over a longer period. Though outnumbered (Zaroff has dogs and Ivan to help), Rainsford does not panic and uses the tricks of the hunting trade to outsmart his opponent. The story concludes with Rainsford forced to do battle with Zaroff. However, upon his arrival at Ship Trap Island, the safety he anticipates is not evident instead he is faced with a ragged jungle environment and evidence of a fierce struggle that has recently occurred there. The sea and the island’s negative reputation place him in jeopardy, which is heightened when he falls overboard while investigating the sound of three gunshots he hears from the deck of his ship.Īlthough he survives the fall, Rainsford is savvy enough to get to shore by following the direction suggested by the shots.
Their discussion centers on their chosen sport, big game hunting, and whether wild animals have any fear when they are being stalked by humans.Īlmost immediately the reader senses that Rainsford’s surroundings are threatening. Initially set on board a steamer headed for South America, “The Most Dangerous Game” begins with a conversation between two hunters, Rainsford and Whitney, who are aboard the vessel and are nearing a dangerous stretch of water that shipping charts label as Ship Trap Island. Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is widely anthologized in both high school literature and college introductory fiction courses largely because it offers a fine illustration of many of the potential conflicts that an author can incorporate into an compelling plotline: man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus himself.
Analysis of Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game
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