Ship-Trap Island In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

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The surroundings of a character in the story play a very important part in shaping the characters. The geography of a story creates the characters who inhabit that environment. In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, the remote and treacherous geography of Ship-Trap Island and its remoteness plays a pivotal role in shaping General Zaroff's characterization as a vampire-like character hunting his prey. For example, in The Most Dangerous Game, Rainsford and his companion are sailing to Brazil to hunt. His companion mentioned the distance they are from their location. “We should make it in a few days.” (Page 1, P.7) it implies that they are days away from any kind of civilization, making it isolated and very remote in the middle of nowhere. The isolation gave General Zaroff the …show more content…

There was also other terrain on the island that could be considered dangerous, including a swamp and a dense forest. This dangerous terrain has made it easy for Zaroff to corner and kill his prey. He mentioned before his hunt with Rainsford, to stay away from the swamp, which narrowed down where Rainsford’s could go. Zaroff's hunting grounds were strategically narrowed, further emphasizing his control over his prey, which was permitted by the island's geography. The natural landscape of the island, including the ragged cliffs, had made it easier to make Zaroff into the VLC and to hunt not only Rainsford but other people. It’s not only just the cliffs that demonstrate how the layout of the island shapes Zaroff into a VLC, but also what the island would look like at night. Lastly, this quote refers to the scene where Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he is going to be hunted. “ ‘Tonight, we will hunt–you and I’” (Page 15, P.154). When Zaroff is about to hunt Rainsford, he uses the word “tonight” which implies that it takes place after the sun goes

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