Analysis Paper

Analysis Example The Most Dangerous Game

In Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," a story is told about survival and human nature. In it, basic themes are presented, and basic questions are asked. Our hero must answer some of these questions as he finds himself in a quest for survival using only his skills. At the end, the reader will be left wondering his own answer to these questions. In his story, Richard Connell explores the basic human need to survive and what can happen when power remains unlimited. The story begins as Rainsford and his friend Whitney are sailing for South America to hunt jaguar; on the way, Rainsford falls overboard. He swims for a nearby island and finds a mysterious castle. The castle is home to Zaroff and his bodyguard, island. Zaroff initially welcomes Rainsford, disclosing that he is also a big game hunter. However, Rainsford soon discovers that Zaroff uses his island to hunt a different kind of prey: humans. Rainsford is then caught in a deadly game in which he is the hunted, and Zaroff is the hunter. Rainsford is the protagonist of the story. A self-made big game hunter, Rainsford is adept at many survival skills including defense and tracking. At the beginning of the story, he is presented as a strong and confident man who does not believe in the superstitions of the sailors and thinks their fears are silly. He also feels no sympathy for the animals that he hunts and believes in survival of the fittest; he later identifies with the animals he used to hunt as he is hunted himself. His success at hunting also implies that he is a very determined individual; Rainsford exhibits this trait throughout the story when he refuses to give up and let Zaroff kill him. Although he feels no sympathy for the animal he hunts, Rainsford believes in the sanctity of human life, something he demonstrates when he refuses to hunt humans or talk about the killing he had to do during the war. Although his attitude at the beginning of the story may deter a reader, Rainsford's determination, firmness of character and unfair situation gives the reader a likable protagonist who the reader wants to win the game. Two main foils are presented in the story: Zaroff and his bodyguard, Ivan. The third character, Whitney, adds little to the story and mainly serves to introduce Rainsford to the reader. Ivan, Zaroff's bodyguard, is described as an incredibly large man with a long, black beard. He is a Cossack soldier with a special talent for torturing individuals. Ivan serves as Zaroff's helper and bodyguard. Ivan presents a secondary threat to Rainsford, and it is Ivan who Rainsford kills first, representing Rainsford’s willingness to kill a human to survive. However, it is Zaroff that brings the most to the story and presents Rainsford with the hardest challenge of his life. Zaroff is a wealthy, Cossack noble who fled to the island after the Russian Revolution and made his fortune in American investments. He has spent his life hunting big game animals and mounting them inside of his mansion. To create a more thrilling sport, Zaroff hunts humans who are shipwrecked on the island. At first, Zaroff seems to be charming and courteous who seems genuinely glad to have Rainsford’s company. In reality, Zaroff is an incredibly ruthless and sadistic man who believes human beings to be equal to all the other animals of the world. He feels no compassion; what little aid he does give his victims serves to make the hunt more challenging to add to his own pleasure. He justifies his treatment of others by deeming them unworthy for life according to his standards. Zaroff rules with complete, unlimited power over his island and is accountable to no one. In Zaroff, Richard Connell presents a character that represents pure evil and gives the reader and Rainsford something to fight against.
Written in 1924, “The Most Dangerous Game” is set in on a tropical island during the summer somewhere in the ocean. The island is mostly jungle and rocky shore line except for a castle in its very center that rests on a cliff. Zaroff, Ivan, and his prisoners live in this castle, and it is on this island where Zaroff hunts humans. The secluded setting illustrates that there is no one who can possibly help Rainsford except for Rainsford himself and gives the reader the same feelings of helplessness and seclusion that the protagonist feels. The title of the story is significantly important because it sets the tone for the overall story. It has a double meaning which reflects two significantly different points of view; and both meanings are vital to the story. In a sense, "The Most Dangerous Game" presents the fact that, according to Zaroff, humans are the most dangerous game animal to hunt. From Zaroff's view, the title affirms his belief that man is nothing more than a mere animal that can and should be hunted as most all animals are. The title also presents the story from the view of Rainsford, the hunted. The title illustrates the fact that he is caught in a cruel cat and mouse game with Zaroff in which the winner lives. Even before the story begins, Connell begins to show the divide between the two points of view and makes the reader wonder what the story is about.
The main conflict of the story is mainly a moral one that takes place between Zaroff and Rainsford. Rainsford must make a decision to hunt human beings with Zaroff or be hunted himself. Rainsford decides that he will be the hunted. It is at this point that the conflict shifts from a moral to a physical one. Against Zaroff and Ivan, Rainsford seems to have no chance for survival. However, using his resourcefulness and determination, Rainsford resolves the conflict by killing Ivan and later Zaroff.
The story ends when Zaroff, believing Rainsford is dead, goes back to his castle. At the end of the night, he finds Rainsford waiting for him in his bedroom. He challenges Rainsford to a duel, stating that only one of them will survive. The story concludes as Rainsford sleeps in Zaroff’s bed. The assumption can be made that Rainsford won the duel and killed Zaroff. However, a vital question is presented with the ending: did Rainsford become Zaroff or simply leave the island? The author leaves this question for the reader alone to answer.
The major themes of the story are about survival and power. One theme is simply this: to survive, a man will do what he must. This is demonstrated when Rainsford results to killing humans (something he is staunchly against at the beginning) to survive. This also reveals Connell’s theme that every human being is capable of harming another in the right circumstances. Richard Connell also presents a theme of unchecked power: if a man is presented with unlimited power without interference, he will more than likely abuse it as Zaroff did. Since this story was written just following World War 1, it can be perceived that Connell was saying something about the great military powers that resulted from it.
“The Most Dangerous Game” is a story about survival, humanity, and right and wrong. It presents questions that challenge not only the character but the reader as well. This story explores the most basic human emotions and leaves questions that only the reader can answer. Using a simple setting and conflict, Richard Connell elicits complicated emotions from his readers, making them wonder what they would do to survive “The Most Dangerous Game.”