Comparing Survivor Type And The Most Dangerous Game

1772 Words4 Pages

Brendan Ellis Mrs. Foster English 112 Period 1 May 20, 2016 “The only help I could look to in the matter of replenishing my sapped vitality was my own?:” An Examination of Determination in King’s “Survivor Type” and Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” The short story “Survivor Type” by Stephen King and published in 1985 is told through the diary written by Richard Pine a former surgeon of Italian decent, who changed his last name from Pinzetti. Pine finds himself stuck on an island, having survived the sinking of the Callas on his trip back from Vietnam to America. Along with him is two kilos of pure heroin, worth around three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which is his ticket back to becoming a surgeon. Writing in his diary for around …show more content…

Rainsford knowing his only survival was swimming to shore puts forth a tremendous amount of effort in achieving it. Both pine and Rainsford use their determination to accomplish daunting task which others likely would have gave up on. Once aboard the island Rainsford found a giant of a house owned by General Zaroff. Spending the night at Zaroffs, Rainsford enjoying a delicious meal along with pajamas of the softest silk for night. In the morning Rainsford learns Zaroff favorite kind of game, humans. Once Rainsford refuses to hunt alongside Zaroff, the General offers an alternative game: ’You’ll find this game worth playing,’ the general said enthusiastically. ‘Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?’ ‘And if I win--‘began Rainsford huskily. ‘I’ll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeat if I do not find you by midnight of the third day,’ Said General Zaroff. (Connell …show more content…

Given no other choice Pine made a tough decision. Low in mobility Pine could not find food easy causing him to go against the few morals the man has. Pine writes about the events of eating his own foot in his diary “Haven’t I told you I’d had nothing to eat for four days? And that the only help I could look to in the matter of replenishing my sapped vitality was my own?” (King 9). Rainsford and Pine determination is evident as they go against their own morals to benefit themselves and others. Rainsford kills Zaroff going against his moral of not killing men to insure no other man would have to play in the hunt. Pine on the other hand eats his own foot going against his morals on eating humans to survive while low on

Open Document