Perseverance In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

“The Most Dangerous Game – Theme of Perseverance”

The theme of Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game” that I found significant and thought-provoking was perseverance; determined, persistent, and stick to doing something, despite the difficulty or delay in accomplishing. Most important, throughout the story, the lead character Sanger Rainsford is a survivor. I consider an admiring and motivating trait in Rainsford; he does not quit or leave himself to being defeated during the challenges he confronts.

Throughout the story, Connell reveals Rainsford having the quality of perseverance. For instance, Rainsford falls off the yacht, into the ocean, he swims until he succeeds into making it to shore, despite the extreme tiredness he was

going through. Also, when General Zaroff apprises him that he finds interest and excitement in hunting humans, Rainsford contradicts with his belief, which puts him in a strenuous situation of being hunted.
Furthermore, the author verbalizes the character of Rainsford in many ways. For example, “a certain cool headedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place”. The author is pointing out that Rainsford is a hunter and that he has faced many situations that were way more difficult and unpleasant, so what could a little water do?
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Another example is, “and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength”. The author expresses that Rainsford swims slowly and carefully, since he is aware of the long distance and does not want to weaken his stamina.
Fundamentally, “what perils that tangle of trees and underbrush might hold for him did not concern Rainsford just then”. The author states that Rainsford is a man who is striving to survive, so he was not terrified by what was present in front of him.
Another illustration is, “he saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea.

He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame”. The author explains that Rainsford is a tough and determined man; he is facing distressing situations, but he is not afraid or nervous; instead, he is dealing with the situations vigorously and solving the problem using creativity.

Lastly, “Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable”. The author is conveying the message of Rainsford making a decision of accepting the game and being on the hunt in order to reach victory.

In conclusion, I believe Sanger Rainsford had an extremely impressive, influential, and committed role in “The Most Dangerous Game”. Although, I considered all the themes of the story, such as competition, violence, strength and skill, man and the natural world, and fear, very phenomenal, I found the theme of perseverance the greatest of all, because it revealed that Rainsford was someone who ad courage and determination to finish his mission; he was not a

quitter.