The Dangerous Game Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis Collection 1

Keeping readers on the edges of their seats with intriguing characters and enjoyable story lines makes the readers want to read more. The three authors O’Flaherty, Connel, and Alverz distributed many different literary elements. Each of them enhanced conflict, gave understandable characters, and a relatable setting. “Liberty”, “The Dangerous Game”, and “The Sniper” had many similarities and differences throughout each story.

Rainsford, The Sniper, and the narrator from “Liberty” are all important characters in each story. Rainsford in “The Dangerous Game” is a sailor who fell off the boat and was very determined to find land. “The Sniper” was set in a civil war where the main character, Sniper had to have a

good mindset and be determined to win for his people. Sniper made sacrifices to fight in this war. In “Liberty” the narrator did not want to give up her dog. The narrator’s parents must make sacrifices for their family to be safe and live a better life in America. Sniper and Rainsford used smart strategies throughout each of the stories. In “The Dangerous Game” Rainsford got an idea about what to do to trick General Zaroff by setting a trap. Connel describes Rainsford’s quick strategies. “The pit grew deeper; when it was above his shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he pointed in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up.” This was a trap for General Zaroff. Rainsford’s quick thinking paid off in the long run. The difference between “Liberty” and “The Sniper” is that the narrator and her family was faced with a problem with the government and the Sniper was faced against an enemy. In “Liberty” Alvarez explained to the readers that, “Mami had found some wires in the study…Mami explained that it was no longer safe to talk in the house about certain things.” This family was being spied on by the government. It was hard to live back then when all they wanted was freedom. The Sniper was just trying to stay alive by fighting for his life. The Sniper’s enemy was easier to conquer since he didn’t have to worry about keeping his family safe or alive, it was more like every man for themselves. Each one of these stories demonstrate similarities and differences with the characters.
While reading stories, it is important to understand the setting and its historical background.

“The Sniper” was set in Duplin, Ireland during the civil war. It’s important for readers to understand that during the civil war, it was a difficult time for everyone. “Liberty” took place in the Dominican Republic when Dominicans had very limited civil rights. The narrator’s aunt in “Liberty” told her, “You’re going to find liberty when you get to the United States.” It was hard to find freedom where they lived because it was a difficult time during that period. “The Dangerous Game” took place on an island during the 1900’s when big game hunting was popular. Having the story take place on an island advanced the conflict since Rainsford did not have any other humans or resources to help him. Rainsford was outside so that meant sometimes he would have the daylight to make it a little than trying to survive in the pitch-black nights. The setting had a huge impact on the main character throughout the story. In “Liberty” the narrator was able to fall back and rely on her family, whereas the Sniper and Rainsford depended on themselves and their surroundings to survive. Each of these stories are relatable because of how the setting affects the plots and caused conflict for the

characters.
As readers, it’s very important to understand the conflict.

Conflicts enhance the plot and keeps the readers on their toes. In “The Dangerous Game” Rainsford has internal conflicts with himself about the decisions he should make. Connel demonstrates the conflict flawlessly by allowing the readers to easily figure out what the problem is in his story. “Liberty” is a little more difficult to clearly understand what the problem is. Readers need to have more background knowledge about the certain time in the Dominican Republic. The family had to be careful not to get caught by the dictator since they wanted to leave their country to go to a land with freedom, America. The Sniper had to depart his feelings for the war. He did not want to kill people, but it was his duty. O’Flaherty described the way that the Sniper felt after he had to kill the enemy. “The Sniper looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. The lust of the battle died with him. He became bitten by remorse…His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.” The Sniper was faced with an internal conflict. He did his job. He should feel satisfied, but he is not the type of person to just kill and walk away like it was nothing because he has empathy. Each one of these characters are faced with conflicts that affect the plot and the way the readers

feel.
An author’s main goal is to grab reader’s attention and allow the readers to want to keep reading. Each of these authors paint a clear picture of the conflict, demonstrate an essential setting, and reasonable characters. The three stories “The Sniper”, “The Dangerous Game”, and “Liberty” were described in similar but yet different ways throughout the texts.