“No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin or his background or his religion” -- Nelson Mandela. In Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” the character of General Zaroff believes that he is superior to all “common” people and therefore leads to finding a “new” species that have the ability to reason; which happens to be humans. Further along, another hunter named Rainsford lands on the General’s island and is then hunted by Zaroff but manages to escape his death. This short story illustrates the theme that elitism and racism allow violence to become acceptable. Although there are many current issues in society, the theme that violence is unfolding is the most relevant to the issues of today because …show more content…
violence erupted over religious purposes, a shooting at an Orlando nightclub occurred, and a white nationalist rally ended in deadly measures. The first reason that the theme of “elitism and racism allow violence to become acceptable” is most relevant to today’s issues because of religious diversity that caused people to initiate violence. For instance, The Guardian, spoke upon how the fatalities of the Israeli people increased due to the hatred from the Palestinians. The online article points out, “Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians… rose in 2014, with Israeli fatalities increasing from 4 to 12.” (Thrall). Similarly, in “The Most Dangerous Game” General Zaroff killed innocent people just as the Palestinians took the lives of Israeli civilians. The story emphasizes how little General Zaroff values human life when he says, “I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the values of human life.” (Connell 225). This is significant because it shows how the elitism of people can lead to violence against others. Both in the story and in real life, innocent human lives get lost to people who believe to be superior. Often times, these people have issues either with themselves or with others. Therefore, the elitism within the murderers lead to the release of their wrath on innocent people. Another reason that the theme of “elitism and racism allow violence to become acceptable” is most relevant to modern day society issues because of a racist man who killed many people in an Orlando nightclub.
To follow up, BBC News talked about how the gunman was angered at seeing two men who expressed PDA which led to the loss of many lives. According to the article, “... after seeing two men kissing… A gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing at least 49 people…” (BBC News). This is similar to the conversation that Rainsford and General Zaroff had in “The Most Dangerous Game” because the general did not seem to find anything wrong with murder just as the gunman in the nightclub shooting either. One example from the story is the conversation between the two main characters, Rainsford, “‘Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer.’” and General Zaroff, “‘Dear me… again that unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded.’” (Connell 225). This proves that racism against anyone became acceptable. Both in the story and in real life, the thought of murder is quite ordinary to General Zaroff and the gunman. Their deficiency in scruples then led to the unfortunate end of innocent
lives. The final reason that the theme of “elitism and racism allow for violence to become acceptable” is most relevant to the issues of today because of a brutal nationalist rally that occured in Charlottesville. In fact, The New York Times reports that the nationalists felt empowered by the election of Donald J. Trump as president as he enjoys support from white nationalists. In the article, Stolberg and Rosenthal explain “Waving Confederate flags, chanting Nazi-era slogans… the white nationalists converged on the Lee statue… and began chanting phrases like ‘You will not replace us’ and ‘Jews will not replace us.’” (Stolberg). In the same way, General Zaroff from “The Most Dangerous Game” expresses his elitism and racism by emphasizing that he is above all other minorities. In the story, General Zaroff states, “‘Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong.’” (Connell 225). This supports the argument because Zaroff believes he is elite compared to anyone else but himself. Relating to the real life event in Charlottesville, the white nationalists also believe to be superior over all other racial “minorities” that appear to be “replacing” them. In the end, their mentality allows for them to commence in unnecessary violence.
¬¬¬Though most American people claim to seek peace, the United States remains entwined with both love and hate for violence. Regardless of background or personal beliefs, the vast majority of Americans enjoy at least one activity that promotes violence whether it be professional fighting or simply playing gory video games. Everything is all well and good until this obsession with violence causes increased frequency of real world crimes. In the article, “Is American Nonviolence Possible” Todd May proposes a less standard, more ethical, fix to the problem at hand. The majority of the arguments brought up make an appeal to the pathos of the reader with a very philosophical overall tone.
Cormac McCarthy once said, “I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone can live in harmony is a really dangerous idea.” (Overview) This quote leaves us with the impression that humanity as a whole is innately violent, and we will explore this idea by examining “Blood Meridian.” This paper consists of three main topics, all of which have subtopics. The first topic explores the Western setting of “Blood Meridian” and its effect on human behavior. Its subtopics are the absence of responsibility, the failure of manifest destiny’s ideals, and seeing the west as an escape from the past and time. The second topic delves deeper into the nature of Cormac McCarthy’s quote; it asks whether humans are inherently violent. The subtopics for this section are racism and hate as a drive, greed as a drive, and the metaphorical significance of two events in the book. The last topic is man’s need to be led and the way their leader leads them. The subtopics for the last section are the parallel between Hitler and Judge Holden, and the Judge’s general philosophy including the way he leads the men.
Although pride can lead to beneficial outcomes, pride with the absence of empathy can lead to a devastating result. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell shows that having too much pride and no empathy can get someone in some terrible trouble. The theme is proven by Rainsfords pride and unempathetic-ness, how the general had too much pride, and how the general only saw himself as the hunter, not the hunted.
"The Most Dangerous Game Allusions & Cultural References." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. .
Can a man be driven from humble humanity to gross inhumanity by circumstance or situation? What effect do one's choices and training have on his morals? At some point in our lives we will all be forced to answer questions similar to these, and two characters in Connell's story "The Most Dangerous Game" are not exempt from these life decisions. Sanger Rainsford and General Zaroff are both wealthy, both are hunters, and eventually both men are put into situations where critical choices must be made. The choices the men make are derived from different situations, but both have similar results.
In "The Most Dangerous Game" and "Bargain" murder happens. Certainly, murder is one of the most vile, inhuman crimes a person can commit. Many people commit it willfully and wantonly, but few get away with it without being suspected. General Zaroff got away with murder quite frequently, and Mr. Baumer also did. They were both good at it. Zaroff and Mr. Baumer were the most evil people in "The Most Dangerous Game" and "Bargain" because they were both very sneaky and smart about murdering, they both stacked the deck against their victims, and they were both murderers.
The author primarily appeals to the audience using logos. He brings statistics and data from research studies throughout the essay. He either provides background information on why the studies are misleading or just presents a fact. For instance, “According to a 2001 U.S. Surgeon General 's report, the strongest risk factors for school shootings centered on mental stability and the quality of home life, not media exposure” (Jenkins, “Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked”). He provides data like this through the essay. He is strongly trying to appeal to the audience’s sense of logic and
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Zaroff is a hunter that lives on an island in the middle of nowhere. Zaroff demonstrates that he is rich, smart, and confident.
The setting is an important piece of any story. The setting can help paint a clear picture in order to establish what the characters are feeling as well as setting the tone of story. In the following stories, “The Destructors” and “The Most Dangerous Game,” Graham Greene and Richard Connell demonstrate the tone of the story by using Old Misery’s house and General Zaroff’s Chateau as the main focal point. While the two stories present differences in the tone of the setting, they both make a connection of the beauty that these two places possess. Greene uses Old Misery’s house to formulate the story that prepares the reader of how a post-war building and surroundings can have an effect on people’s behavior and feelings while Connell uses General Zaroff’s Chateau in a way to deceive the reader from what is really happening in the jungle of Ship Trap Island.
The plot in “The Most Dangerous Game” is simple, obvious and unrealistic. There is a “good guy” trying to escape from the “bad guy” who lives on Ship-Trap Island. Rainsford clumsily tumbles off of his yacht into the “blood-warm waters” (59), starting the game. His belief that animals are unable to feel and understand fear makes him the perfect, unsuspecting prey in the irony of the story. The miraculous return of Rainsford to slaughter Zaroff is the most straightforward example to the unrealistic manner of this piece. In “The Child by Tiger” there is greater artistic unity in the series of events. Dick, a handyman to the Sheppertons, is a role model to the boys in the story and they look up to him because he is fun to be around and he teaches them good morals. The resignment of the cook and Dick’s pent-up feelings he keeps inside spark something in him to kill people. During Dick’s rampage, he kills not only white men but black men, too. He is not racist like the white people are—any person standing in his way gets shot. His act of murder is artistic and swift, he kills people with one, clean blow and moves on expressionless.
“The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees [...] Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if need be, taken by the strong (Connell 16).”
Muhammad Ali, a famous boxer, once said, “Hating People because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. I’s just plain wrong” (Goodreads, 2015). For many centuries, ethnic conflict between the humans have existed immortally due the never changing differences of culture and values, spinning the cycle of war. Fortunately, some have ended however some still remain immortal in the eyes of those who have experience struggle to this date. The lack of awareness of problems in a cultural crisis concerning those who fall victim to a system and society that discriminates and alienates. With assistance of Critical Race Theory, this essay will examine how the role of race with has affected has caused consequences within the lives of marginalized groups within society through the lives and their relationship with those in their communities.
This sense of difference provides a motive or rationale for using our power advantage to threaten the ethnoracial Other in ways that we would regard as cruel or unjust if applied to members of our own group. The possible consequences of this nexus of attitude. and action range from unofficial but pervasive social discrimination at one end. of the spectrum to genocide at the other. . .
Witkin, Gordon, and Jeannye Thornton. "Pride and Prejudice." U.S. News & World Report 15 Jul.1996. Rpt. in Ethnic Violence. Ed. Myra H. Immell. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. 74.
Fear is the fundamental basis for racial thought. ‘’Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify or cause the unequal distribution of privileges or rights among different racial groups.’’(www.soundvison.com). This fundamental flaw of fear in human nature has manifested itself in a historical context, in local and global connections with environmental consequences and could have disastrous ramifications for human kind without transformation.