Conflicts In The Most Dangerous Game, By Richard Connell

Title Some people will go to great lengths to get home safely. They will sacrifice muchPeople will do everything so that they can to survive, but how much are they willing to sacrifice to live?. When people are put into extreme situations, they are forced to do everything necessary to survive. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Rainsford is stranded in the middle of the Caribbean on Ship-Trap Island. On the island, Rainsford is forced to play General Zaroff’s game.

When Rainsford was getting ready to fight General Zaroff, the antagonist in the story, “Rainsford still did not smile. ‘I am still a beast at bay.’ he said, in a low, hoarse voice. ‘Get ready General Zaroff’ (Connell 112). Rainsford shows how he is willing to sacrifice himself to kill the “bad guy”.

“Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell uses both internal conflict (character vs. self) and external conflicts, including character vs. character and character vs. nature, the author uses all of these conflicts consequently it makes the reader tense. This story uses ordinary plot structure: exposition comes 1st, then rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Richard Connell wrote the story this way so that the readers meet the character first, then get slowly excited until it goes to the climax. This story’s exposition happens when Rainsford gets introduced when he and Whitney talk in the ship. Rising action takes place when Rainsford falls from the boat.

Jasper Swallen Mrs. Kearney Lit. Genre and Comp. 5 November 2014 TITLE Writer Elizabeth Gilbert said it best: “The problem, simply put, is that we cannot choose everything simultaneously. So we live in danger of becoming paralyzed by indecision, terrified that every choice might be the wrong choice” (Committed).

In the duration of reading the novel, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, my collection of dialectical journals reflect on what I learned and understood through important events, small details and characters. First considering the choices I made when reading and completing assignments, I chose passages that are easy to connect to because being an individual of a young spirit and mind similar to the childish survivors, I felt close to the characters’ emotions and actions of ignorance, insecurity, pride and fear. The dialectical journals also influenced my reading of later chapters by expecting an increase of failure than success. Ralph’s continuation of failing to unite the survivors together to create survival resulted in a hopeless

“The world is made up of two classes- the hunters and the hunted” (Connel 212) . This shows a relationship between hunters and the hunted. In the beginning Rainsford and Zaroff are shown to be of the same value. This is, until the story unravels into Rainsford being put in the hunted position. One focuses on types of people and, the other is focused on

Rainsford is initially shown to not show any empathy to the wild animals he hunts. Zaroff is no different, with him declaring, “I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels,” (9). Zaroff hunts humans who have the unfortunate luck to arrive on Ship-Trap Island. Zaroff gives no second thought about hunting humans because he finds them to be the perfect sport to hunt, and finds pleasure in hunting them. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the protagonist, Sanger Rainsford, and the antagonist, General Zaroff, are similar characters.

and Zaroff said “life is for the strong,to be lived by the strong,and if needed taken by the strong.” At the end of the story Rainsford escaped and went to Zaroff 's room. Zaroff said “I congratulate you” you have won the game.” Those were the main conflicts throughout the story and everyone goes through at least one major problem in life even if that means almost

He had to fight himself to stay on track. He was so scared in the jungle while the General was trying to hunt him. On page 186, it says “He could not say where he was. That was suicide.” This shows the reader that Rainsford may be thinking of what could go wrong, and is not thinking on the positive side of things.

Also, General Zaroff is an extreme hunter and doesn’t find pleasure in hunting regular animals. Zaroff says the most dangerous game is humans because they have the ability to reason. Rainsford is going to be hunted and is given a certain amount of time to survive. Moreover, while Rainsford is being hunted Zaroff

However, it does not change for the better. In the middle of the story when he finds out Zaroff hunts fellow human beings, to Zaroff's surprise, Rainsford’s thought and reaction is utter shock and disbelief. “‘But you can’t mean-’ gasped Rainsford. ‘And why not?’”(10). Zaroff knowing Rainsford was a great hunter he hoped that Rainsford would accompany him on a hunt; however, Rainsford accuses him of being a cold-blooded killer.

He eventually swims to the shore of Shiptrap Island where he meets General Zaroff, a man who is also a hunter. It is then Rainsford learns of Zaroff’s game in which he hunts humans. After refusing to participate and kill alongside the General, Rainsford is forced to be one who is hunted. As Rainsford runs for his life and attempts to elude Zaroff in the wood, he feels the fear that the animals he hunts also experience. Rainsford character ties back to the theme through his changes of thought.

Not only was rainsford in a conflict with General Zaroff he is in conflict with himself as he is finding his way to Ship Trap Island. “‘I must keep my nerve, I must keep my nerve,’ he said through tight teeth” (12). Rainsford also had a conflict with himself on the island when he was deciding what to do to get away from Zaroff. Rainsford was able to overcome the internal conflict when the dogs were chasing him and he needed to make the decision to jump into the water, fight the dogs, or climb a tree and hide. Man versus himself is very important to Connell’s story.

The Most Dangerous Game Conflicts All stories have to have a conflict, the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell has three important conflicts. Man against man, man against nature, man against himself are the three main conflicts that take place. For man against man Rainsford and General Zaroff are fighting each other in the hunting ‘game’. For man against nature Rainsford is fighting the sea once he hears the gunshots and is trying to get out of the water.

But we should also never underestimate ourselves and never hold ourselves back. Rainsford represents the part of us, focused and does not give up on his goal because it is to difficult. Although General Zaroff represents the dark or extreme side of us, not showing pity towards others, becoming lazy, and inferring Rainsford has died therefore not caring about his