Reason Versus Instinct in “The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

Suspense is defined as the author withholding information or when the unexpected happens, leaving you guessing and wanting more. In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, he has inserted much suspense in this short (long) story, for the reason that it makes the reader want to know more and having to mindset of excitement or surprise. Another reason he added many suspense is so that it wouldn’t be so blunt, it wouldn’t just tell us what happened it would give us details and how he got or how he did that and more.

Mood is an important element in all stories, because it decides how the reader feels for the rest of the story. There are different ways for an author to create mood, some of which impact first impressions like characterization and foreshadowing, but some take place in the moment like conflict. In the story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell uses the literary techniques foreshadowing, characterization, and conflict to create suspense.

General Zarroff demonstrates his deep love for hunting when he says, “My whole life has been one prolonged hunt”(6). Richard Connell gives the reader a vivid description of the antagonist’s pursuit in his short story “The Most Dangerous Game”. While Zarroff is seeking his objective, the reader engages in Rainsford’s fear. This connection builds a feeling of terror at the heart of the story. Connell applies these concepts by wrapping his story in an aura of uncertainty. In order to create this suspense, Connell utilizes imagery and diction in “The Most Dangerous Game”.

Richard Connell’s short story, The Most Dangerous Game, tells the story of a famous hunter named Rainsford, who falls off of a yacht and swims to an island called Ship-Trap Island. While on Ship Trap Island, Rainsford encounters a man named General Zaroff, who began hunting humans on the island after becoming bored of hunting animals. One night, Zaroff announces to Rainsford that he will be the next victim in his hunting game. Zaroff informs Rainsford that if he manages to survive for three days without being killed, then he can leave the island. Throughout the plot of this short story, there is a consistent theme of the world being composed of two classes of people: the hunters and the hunted. General Zaroff and Rainsford both find themselves to be divided into this class system, at various times during the hunting game. In this short story, Connell uses foreshadowing to portray the idea that there are two classes of people in the world: the hunters and the hunted, in relation to Rainsford and Zaroff.

In both stories, “The Destructors” by Graham Greene, and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the authors relate to every day, real life situations that we think we can't deal with. We have to remind ourselves that this walk in life will not always be easy, but going through situations, some good and not so good, with a positive attitude allows us to finish as true champions. In the two short stories, the setting of the story plays a vital role by acting as the foundation. In fact, the setting of a story gives us as readers the chance to read at our pace while trying to get the true meaning of the story.  In my essay, I will present the writer’s intentions of both stories by comparing and contrasting the setting of both stories.

In this short story, The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Cannell uses syntax, diction and imagery to heighten the suspense of the story and convey a sense of fear and danger. Rainsford, the main character of the story, feels danger and fear throughout the whole story. The setting of this story is mainly on the Ship Trapped Island that General Zaroff lives on and hunts "game".Rainsford has never been in the situation of being hunted because he has always been the hunter so in the beginning, he doesn't understand what fear the prey own until he is forced to fend for his own life against General Zaroff. Richard Connell wrote this story perhaps because he knows what it feels like to be the predator and the prey. Have you ever been in danger and/or

rather a mystery—'" (1). Richard Connell's story, "The Most Dangerous Game," is constructed with suspense of the continuing mystery on "Ship-Trap Island" (1). Connell develops a thrilling conflict between Zaroff and Rainsford, on the

Connell writes and crunches symbolism into the short story to give deeper input on character’s traits. He shows Whitney’s and Rainsford’s views on hunting, and how Zaroff and Ivan hunt on their ‘secret’ island designated for hunting humans. Connell quickly disguises Zaroff as a passive-aggressive villain, delivering more insight by how he speaks. He does the opposite with Rainsford, allowing the exposition to introduce him and speak his views on hunting later in the story. “The Most Dangerous Game” shows how opposites can compare and contrast to create breath-taking conflict throughout the short

Literary Devices and Impact in “The Most Dangerous Game” In his short story “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell expands and builds upon the hunter versus the hunted, through subtle and effective use of literary devices. Metaphors, similes, and underlying irony create a world much like our own, with very few yet complex characters. Rainsford, our protagonist starts out with ideals expressed with statements such as “‘You’re a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?’”(40).

Distressed and anguished, the man dragged his body throughout the jungle to keep himself hidden from his hunters in order to stay alive. As the night rolled in, death nipped at his heels. Rainsford’s dire situation peaks the reader’s curiosity. Many authors use the story’s setting, characters, and plot to affect the mood and tone of their story. Richard Connell uses the setting, the plot, and characters to create suspense in his short story “The Most Dangerous Game.”

The Most Dangerous Game The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell is a tale full of suspense and mystery. Connell expresses this story flawlessly through the language, descriptive words, and imagery. He also expresses the tone through various uses of figurative language. As soon as the story starts, the setting is introduced.

In “The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell convey the easily corruptible nature of mankind. Connell uses setting, conflict, and character to convey that when confronted with fear mankind acts differently, but without the ability to experience fear mankind abandons its morals.

In “The Most Dangerous Game” there is a massive man hunting conspiracy, in which our main character, Rainsford, is dragged forth into its midst. He is then thrown to the whims of fate, in the jungle. This is a project for English, comparing and contrasting the story between the movie and the book. The integrity of the story is affected by the many differences and similarities in the areas of initiating events, characterization, and plot between the story and movie “The Most Dangerous Game.”

Various conflicts such as Zaroff’s smile and the hunt between Rainsford and Zaroff helps to build suspense into the story. The author initially makes the reader begin to panic when he states, ”tonight,’ said the general,’we will hunt--you