Most Dangerous Game Social Darwinism Essay

In the later part of the nineteenth century, a theory arose that changed the idea of how humans were to survive and provided a deeper understanding of the human concept of survival, known to man as survival of the fittest, or Social Darwinism. In Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” he emphasizes the fact that he does not support this idea of Social Darwinism because of how one presented it in many different forms throughout the themes. Throughout the divergent conflicts of the story, characters show their true colors and their display their bright lights, starting with instinct versus reason, already clear halfway through the first page in the fourteen-page work. Besides, as the story develops, events show that the strong do

not always win, but it almost seems like the weak usually win, highlighting the clear fact that Connell does not support the theory of Social Darwinism, putting it on center stage. As well as through direct actions and conflict, there is a third method in which Connell makes his views obvious: by the use of emotion. For these three reasons one can easily and most obviously observe the shown actuality that Connell does not support the nineteenth century theory of Social Darwinism.

The conflict of the strong, used to symbolize the hunters, versus the weak, symbolizing those who get hunted, is one of the leading conflicts that plays an vital role into the progression of the story and exemplifies a deep connection to Connell’s opinion on the nineteenth century theory. As the author stated that hunting is the best sport in the world for the hunter, not the jaguar, the fact that the hunter has control and is, in essence, now Connell shows who is the ‘strong’. Most importantly in the major character-versus-character conflict, the author and reader both consider Zaroff to be the strong character as the author shows that he has every possible advantage, including what taught Rainsford new things about fear: the dogs, Ivan, and a gun. Even against all odds and at a severe disadvantage due to the many upper hands Zaroff had, the fact that Rainsford was able to win shows that Connell does not support the theory of Social Darwinism. As the theory of Social Darwinism is the survival of the fittest, and the fittest did not survive, there is only one way to look at it: the largest conflict of “The Most Dangerous Game” alludes to the fact that Connell does not support the one-hundred-and-fifty year old theory.

Although conflicts are important to a story, events are what makes a story a story.

Ivan was coming down the path, and Rainsford set up a small, native Ugandan trap involving a hunting knife tied to a springy young sapling in the Caribbean forest, with the knife facing down the trail. As Connell described Ivan as a Cossack, savage and incredibly strong, it is only logical that he would be the figurehead for the strong character. Because the knife trap had a reasonably simple setup and seemed to be nowhere near as powerful and strong as mighty Ivan, it is only natural that the trap would portray the weak character. As Ivan was the personification and humanization of the strong character and the trap was personifying the weak, Ivan did not survive and Social Darwinism is the survival of the strong, Connell does not support Social Darwinism because the events contradict the entirety of the

theory.

Even at the emotional level, a scared feeling is one of many ways Connell displays his lack of support for the theorem.

Starting on the first page, Connell displays emotions as clear as a fine window. As the yacht progressed, traversing the rough, Caribbean seas with skies the color of moist black velvet towards South America, there was one island of many that they passed which was the impetus for the crew to become scared. This was Ship-Trap Island. Captain Neilson is one who represents the strong, as Connell described him on the second page as being a “tough-minded old Swede” who would “go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light”. Furthermore, being scared is the fact an emotional feeling that has a weak connotation. Neilson has an emotional conflict with his external and usual characteristics, which are strong and represent the strong, and his internal characteristics exhibited on the yacht now surrounding the passing of Ship-Trap Island, which are weak and represent the weak. If one was to consider all these facts, the only conclusion one can draw except for the fact that Connell is using the emotions and emotional change of the yacht’s captain to prove his refusal to accept the theory of Social Darwinism to be

reality.

Sometimes, in life, one will realize that there are many different methods to affirm the same things. If those people take their realization a step further, they will realize something deeper: the fact that when put together, the points become even more clear and defined, leaving no choice for others to agree with their opinion, but at the least understand their point of view. Connell had made these realizations, and it is for this reason that he is able to portray his ideas and reasons behind his refusal of the theory of Social Darwinism so clear. To make it clear, he could have just used conflicts, events or emotions, but by deciding to use all three, his ideas came to life and one could now comprehend his reasons for negating the theorem of Social Darwinism. By using conflicts, events and emotions together, Connell was able to use an unbelievable literary work to portray his reasons for why the theory of Survival of the Fittest is not correct, emphasizing his ideas and leaving no other choice than for one to agree with Connell and negate the ideas of Social Darwinism.