Empathized In The Most Dangerous Game

Rainsford is a witty and caring character. The passion Rainsford has, devotes his entire life to hunting, but Zaroff obsession is much more extreme, Zaroff was

His first thought is to get as far away as he can, ‘His first idea was to put as distance between himself and General Zaroff.’ But as he calms down and starts thinking rationally, he realizes he needs to try to survive and outsmart Zaroff and play along with his game. As the days go by he starts losing his morals and tries to kill Zaroff, first by dropping a log on him, ‘The dead tree, delicately adjusted to rest on the cut living one crashed down and struck the general.’ Rainsford has started losing his morals and getting more in touch with his beast.

This idea of hunting sets the tone for the rest of the story and emphasizes the main conflict between Rainsford and Zaroff as well as creating fear through Rainsford realizing what is to come. Additionally, Zaroff hunts animals,

General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder. ”(Connell Pg 227)Rainsford is speaking up to Zaroff and Zaroff did not like this so decided that if Rainsford isn't going to be on his side and hunt humans with him, then he might as well hunt Rainsford. Even Rainsford is the huntie now, and yet he said that the animals that you hunt actually don't feel fear. He had the option to be in the hunt and beat Zaroff in his own game or he could get torture by Ivan another Cossack that was with Zaroff.

In Rainsford’s conflict with the general he uses his hunting skills to survive Zaroff’s twisted “game”. At the beginning of the story Rainsford has a respect for Zaroff but loses that respect when he finds out what it is that he hunts . Still General Zaroff continues to invite Rainsford to hunt with him, but when he says no and that he doesn 't condone murder Zaroff turns him into his quarry. Before Rainsford got to the

Zaroff introduces Rainsford to the most exhilarating sport of hunting humans by saying, “It supplies me with the most exciting [hunt] in the world… Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored. . .” (Connell 7). Zaroff’s actions are selfish because he only cares for his thrill and never cares how that impacts his victims. To Zaroff, Rainsford is the ultimate prey.

(27) Rainsford is conflicted that Zaroff has just told him that he hunts humans. Rainsford is flabbergasted that Zaroff murders innocent humans in cold blood just for his enjoyment. Zaroff admits that he loves to hunt humans because they are the only animal that can reason unlike all the other animals in the world that only have their instincts.

“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

Towards the end of the story Rainsford starts feeling hopeless, feeling like he can’t beat Zaroff at his game. “It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours.” (Conell 14) Rainsford feels that he can’t go on, and that everything is going on for a long time; hopeless. He’s experiencing the hopelessness that prey feel. Another example of man versus self is Rainsford fearing about the jungle and the things he didn’t know about it.

In the short story The Most Dangerous Game, the author Richard Connell shows that Rainsford needs control of his emotions, patience , and expert hunting and decision making skills in order to defeat Zaroff. Rainsford needs to gain control of his emotions to outthink Zaroff, who symbolizes Rainsfords "steep hill". When he finds that he is going to be hunted his natural instinct is to run and panic, but then he stops to look around and get a grip on the task at hand. Then at a critical moment when Zaroff finds him in a tree, Rainsford panics again because he realizes Zaroff is on his trail and is toying with him. Once again, he gains control of his emotions and formulates a plan.

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

As he explains to Whitney aboard the yacht, “They’ve [animals] no understanding” and further comments, “Who cares how a jaguar feels?” (1). Rainsford is an uncaring hunter who kills for sport, much like the general he will later meet. In Rainsford’s opinion, “The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees . . .” and he is proud to classify himself as a hunter (1).

Rainford exposes his selfishness and lack of empathy by saying, “‘Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees. Luckily you and I are hunters’”(2). His actions throughout the story show his cruelty too. Rainsfords profession is killing animals, and while he does

It is now hard for him to trust anyone after being forced to be hunted. “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 planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up” (Connell 34) because of this flashback Rainsford starts to get scared about himself hurting another human being. He won’t hunt again because he remembers his times of desperation and how he felt while trying to kill a living person. Another factor of Rainsford’s nervousness is when he told that the man being hunted the day before lost his head.

Throughout the story the reader sees how Zaroff “plays” with Rainsford as he hunts him and not once does Zaroff think he will lose to Rainsford. This is a clear example of the theme to never underestimate your opponent skills or the underdog may overtake you. Connell illustrates this theme through foreshadowing, irony, and, man vs. man. To help us visualize, foreshadowing shows how Rainsford, being the underdog, will overtake Zaroff who underestimates Rainsford. Although Rainsford is not seen as being the weaker link, Rainsford showed he did not pity those below him: “‘Who cares how a jaguar feels all they understand is fear.’