Compare And Contrast Rainsford And General Zaroff

In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the protagonist, Sanger Rainsford, and the antagonist, General Zaroff, are similar characters. Both Rainsford and Zaroff share a common passion for the sport of hunting, the knowledge of hunting, and a common ideology of the weak and the strong. Initially, there is much admiration between Rainsford and Zaroff. Rainsford shows his gratitude to Zaroff by allowing him refuge on his private estate. In turn, Zaroff admires Rainsford for his collection of published books on hunting. However, their common passion and knowledge for hunting, as well as their ideology of the weak and the strong becomes the source of their conflict. Both characters soon discover how similar they are, and it is these similarities that become the origin of

conflict within the story. Both Rainsford and Zaroff share an ideology of the world which consist of a belief that the world is split into a upper and lower class.

Rainsford remarks, “The world is made up of two classes-- the hunters and the huntees,” (1). Where Zaroff believes, “Life is for the strong, to be lived by the the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong,” (9). Zaroff hunts humans because, “Hunting had ceased to be what you call ‘a sporting proposition,’ (7) . He seeks and creates a new challenge by hunting innocent sailors. The men’s ideology is central to the story because Zaroff turns on Rainsford and makes him the hunted. Their fight to the death begins as soon as Rainsford demands to be taken off of Ship-Trap Island. Zaroff becomes disappointed in Rainsford not wishing to engage in hunting humans. He no longer considers Rainsford a strong hunter, but rather one of the weak of the world. Rainsford and Zaroff both have extensive hunting knowledge due to their travels around the world. Since both of the men have equal hunting knowledge they attempt to outsmart each other during the deadly game. For example, Rainsford creates a long and complex trail that would hopefully confuse

Zaroff. However, because of Zaroff’s experiences in tracking prey, he easily found himself within the proximity of where Rainsford was hiding the first morning of the hunt. Rainsford also uses his extensive experience setting traps in hopes of killing Zaroff. Although, Zaroff was quick to recognize the traps that were set for him, he declares, “Not many men know how to make a Malay mancatcher. Luckily for me, I, too, have hunted in Malacca,” (14). Another similarity between Rainsford and Zaroff is that they do not value the lives of the wild animals they hunt. Rainsford did not care about the feelings of his prey, as evident by his statement, “Bah! They’ve no understanding,” (1). Zaroff shares Rainsford belief when he declares,“I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels,” (9). Zaroff tries to hunt Rainsford because of the value that Rainsford places on a human being, Zaroff considers human life to be valueless. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the protagonist, Sanger Rainsford, and the antagonist, General Zaroff, are similar characters. However, these similarities were shallow at best. Zaroff’s short sightedness in the value of life is what ultimately causes his demise at the hands of his nemesis, Rainsford.