“The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I congratulate you," he said. "You have won the game."
Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice. "Get ready, General Zaroff."
The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford." . . .
He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.”
Also known as “The Hounds of Zaroff”, “The Most Dangerous Game” is the ultimate showdown between instinct and reason. In this thrilling exploration into the minds of two equally deadly adversaries, Rainsford, our American-born protagonist, fights to save his life in the midst of
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Many examples of literature often contain the transformation of a major character, and “The Most Dangerous Game” seems to follow the same pattern. At the beginning of the piece, Rainsford is introduced to us as cocky big-game hunter with eyes set only on adventure and entertainment. Throughout the story, we observe his transformation from a calm and composed strategian, to a man who has truly feared for his life. Because of his newfound position as prey, it may be safe to assume that he leaves the island, or at least the deathmatch, with a greater sense of empathy and respect for the beasts he hunts. However, it can also be said that his Cossack predator experiences no such transformation, as he remains good-humored even in the face of the death of his behemoth assistant and one of precious dogs, suggesting little to no change in his cold and vicious …show more content…
For example, it was mentioned beforehand that one of the key differences between the two men is their differing levels of respect for human life. However, this statement can be easily contradicted, as the ending of the story leaves sufficient evidence to suggest otherwise.
To list an example, there is the argument that by killing Zaroff and subsequently subjecting him the fate of a dog’s meal, Rainsford contradicts one of his own personal truths, the value of human life. By killing Zaroff, he is sinking to the level of who he despises. Instead of ending the game in a simple victory by obliging by the general’s rules, he deliberately tries to kill his opponent. Although many would state that this may be an act of justice, as some sort of impromptu execution, it ultimately simplifies to an unnecessary act of hypocrisy not typical to the original image of the protagonist. By killing a murderer in the act of justice or revenge, you are becoming no better than that individual. To expand upon this point, one could also pay close attention to Rainsford’s disposition after murdering Zaroff. The closing line of the story clearly states that Rainsford slept comfortably, even after supposedly killing his opponent. This surprisingly cool and relaxed reaction may be attributed to the sheer physical exhaustion Rainsford experienced after his trials; however, it can also be said that Rainsford could
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Sanger Rainsford is shown as intelligent, determined, and competitive. Rainsford is shown to be intelligent in the story when he beats General Zaroff back to his house with only two options for beating him to his house. Nevertheless, he thought of a faster route to General Zaroff’s house so he could surprise him and catch him off guard, which is alarmingly smart. “ ‘Rainsford!’ screamed the general. ‘How in God’s name did you get here?’ ‘Swam,’ said Rainsford. ‘I found it quicker than walking through the jungle’ (Connell). This quote definitely shows that Rainsford is intelligent. Consequently, his knowledge of accurate timing and overall understanding of his surroundings help him outsmart
The most dangerous game began as a sport for one man. His name is Sanger Rainsford. In Richard Connell’s story “The Most Dangerous Game,” Sanger Rainsford, an avid hunter, is lost at sea, stranded on “Ship-Trap” Island-every sailor’s worst nightmare. Rainsford goes through a series of events that prove to be life-altering. Even though Sanger Rainsford went through many trials and tribulations, he never lost his intelligence, composure, or his bravery.
“The Most Dangerous Game” is about a man named Rainsford. When Rainsford falls off a yacht and has to swim to the nearest island, he meets a general named, General Zaroff, who became disinterested with hunting animals, so he switched to hunting humans as a game. He tricks ships into thinking that there is a channel they can sail through, but then
There was a game. The Westing Game. To find an heir. To win it all. Sixteen players. Eight teams. One winner. Who became the heir of Sam Westing. Sam Westing died, or supposedly did, and his sixteen heirs were trying to figure out who killed him, or if he was killed at all, which we found out, later in the novel was true. All of the teams had different clues, and they tried to figure out what those clues meant. In the mystery novel, The Westing Game, written by Ellen Raskin, the elements that were mysterious were: the main conflict, setting, characterization, and the technique the author gave clues to the reader.
After falling off his ship and forced to swim to a mysterious island, Rainsford is faced with a challenge. General Zaroff traps him in a “game” that requires Rainsford to use his skills to survive. He is hunted for three days; where he was chased, tracked down, and shot at. General Zaroff led the hunt to try to kill Rainsford. General was equipped with more firepower and help from his henchman and dogs. But even with his much greater opponent, he was able to survive. Rainsford used his many skills to defeat and kill his enemy. He used quick wit to make traps that would slow Zaroff and kill his dogs and henchman. Then he used his intelligence to escape Zaroff by swimming away, but sneaking back into his own mansion.
If one were to put another character in Rainsford’s position such as Whitney, it is likely that the story would not have ended the way it did. A main reason as to why Rainsford is the dynamic character he is, and can survive such a harsh game, is because he is very self-assured. While passing Ship-Trap Island, all the sailors, aside from Rainsford, are a little anxious because of rumors heard about the island. Rainsford believes that, “one superstitious sailor can taint the whole ships company with his fear,” (page 56). During a firm discussion with Whitney about hunting, Rainsford boldly argues how jaguars are just here to be hunted. Ironically, by the end of the story he thinks just the opposite. The first time he encounters General Zaroff, Rainsford earns the General’s trust instantly because he shows his independence and confidence to him. As he hears about the game, Rainsford does not express obvious fear toward General Zaroff. Being self-assured helps Rainsford to be the strong hunter he is.
In Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”, he uses several literary devices to keep the reader interested. During Rainsfords journey to and through the island of General Zaroff he partakes in an adventurous journey filled with mystery, suspense, and dilemma. These devices are used to keep the reader interested throughout the story.
The story The Most Dangerous Game says, “his pipe;striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it...he realized he reached too far.” When he dropped his pipe he tried to grab for it but reached to far and ended up falling into the sea. The next conflict Rainsford faced was either to play the game with Zaroff or go with Ivan. While reading this story Zaroff says “you'll find this game worth playing.” Rainsford didn’t think he would have to play the game but Zaroff said he either has to play or go with Ivan and be killed. The last conflict Rainsford faced was hiding from Zaroff. The story said, “the job was finished and he threw himself down behind a log 100 feet away.” Rainsford has to be smart when he is hiding, so he built a trap for Zaroff to be stuck under. Finally, during the story Rainsford overcame many
Being hunted on an island is an experience like no other, whether it is a film or a short story. “The Most Dangerous Game” started off as a short-story, but was later turned into a film. Like many other films, the director has done some adjustments that differ from the short-story. The plot, setting, and characters were revised from the original form in the short-story. However, the difference in the characters was the most influential part that changed throughout the film.
“A man who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, was standing there. ‘Rainsford!’ Screamed the General. ‘How in gods name did you get in here?’(80).” The General left that day knowing he hadn't caught Rainsford after he jumped out into the sea. The General believed he would not come back but until he found Rainsford in room, did he start to think anything bad would come to him. Up until this point in the story the general is enjoying hunting Rainsford, and Rainsford has the exact opposite feeling about this situation. Rainsford says himself “I am still a beast at bay”(80). The General challenged Rainsford, “‘One of us will furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On Guard, Rainsford…’(80).” The General never thought he would lose at his own game. That was until he was fed to his own
In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game”, there are two main characters, Sanger Rainsford and General Zaroff. The story starts off with Rainsford and Rainsford’s hunting partner, Whitney, on a yacht heading to Rio de Janiero to hunt big game animals. Rainsford ends up becoming trapped on Ship-Trap Island, and that is where he and the reader are introduced to General Zaroff. Unfortunately for Rainsford, General Zaroff is not your normal General. General Zaroff and Rainsford are similar and different in many ways, and even though Rainsford believes that Zaroff is a sick individual, at the end of the story he becomes more like Zaroff than he realizes.
When Rainsford falls off of the boat, he has to try his best to stay afloat until he can find something to latch on to. He swims vigorously until he reaches Ship-Trap Island. "Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness... dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs." It is midday and he is just searching for a place to rest when he runs into Ivan, the astonishingly large guard of the island. Zaroff, the owner of the island, joins in on their conversation about hunting. The conversation is interesting to say the least. Zaroff says, "You'll find this game worth playing…your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?" Zaroff is trying to point out that he finds interest in hunting humans, and he wants to know if Rainsford will rise to the challenge. Rainsford is left with a choice to make; will he fight Zaroff, or will he decline and get killed by Ivan. The choice in this situation is pretty self- evident.
Facing hardships, problems, or obstacles shouldn’t discourage one from completing their task or job. Many of authors usually put their characters through tough complications to show the reader that no matter what happens; anyone could pull through. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connel, the main character Mr. Rainsford gets stranded on an eerie island with a bad reputation. He meets General Zaroff and gets thrown into a huge hunting game, where his life is on the line. In the end, he wins the game and will continue to hunt animals, but not people, as the general once did. He will continue to hunt because one, hunting means everything to him. Two, he will not continue the general’s crazy ways, and resort back to the legal and non-dangerous to other humans sport. Third, he feels powerful when he becomes the hunter and not the hunted. Giving up hunting would be like giving up his life, so just because of a minor block he had to overcome, he will not give up hunting.
Rainsford overcomes many obstacles, and in return he receives that special feeling of satisfaction in his body. To start, he overcomes the thought of him being weak. Furthermore, he conquers learning the value of even an animal’s life. Not to mention, he defeats becoming the hunted, when he is the hunter. In the short story Sanger Rainsford outwits General Zaroff in the battle of “The Most Dangerous
Rainsford lying down near the swamp when he hear a distant sound of howling hounds. The sound got closer and closer, Rainsford began to run, he saw the bush move. Behind the bush was General Zaroff, Rainsford ran to the end of the trail and planted his hunting knife facing down the trail. The hounds smelt Rainsford and began to chase after Rainsford. Rainsford ran as fast as he could and found himself at the shore of the sea, he couldn’t think of anything better to do but to jump of the cliff so he did. The general and his pack of hounds reached the shore of the sea and stopped. The general looked around, shrugged his shoulders and lit a cigarette. Zaroff went back to Ship-Trap Island and ate a good dinner in his great paneled dining hall. But, two things kept him from enjoy his “victory”, one was the thought of replacing Ivan and the other was that his quarry escaped from him. General Zaroff had went to his room to go to bed when he saw a little moonlight so he went the window and looked at the courtyard. He switched on the lights and saw a person behind the curtains, it was Rainsford, Zaroff said “How in Gods name did you get here?” Rainsford said that he swam and that it was quicker to swim then to walk through the jungle. The general congratulated him for winning the game, Rainsford said “I am a beast at bay, get ready General Zaroff.” The general bowed and said that one of them shall furnish a repast for the hounds