The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

1147 Words3 Pages

An author’s main goal is to entice readers with their stories. In order to do so, they use various literary elements. The literary elements create mood, plot, and much excitement. Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game” tells the story of Rainsford, who becomes trapped on an island and must fight. Suzanne Collins's trilogy The Hunger Games is the story of how Katniss must defeat the odds pitted against her. Connell and Collins use the elements of foreshadowing, allusion, and irony to create a sense of fear in their writings. An allusion is a reference to a statement, a person, a place or an event. In "The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell makes use of allusions frequently. In the very beginning of the story, Whitney says, "I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's" (Connell 19). Purdey’s is a famous manufacturer of shotguns and rifles, and Connell includes it in the story so readers will come to understand that Whitney and Rainsford are fervent hunters. Furthermore, General Zaroff labels Ivan as a "Cossack”; Cossacks were known for their remarkable battle-skills. Thus, Zaroff shows Ivan as a fierce hunter whom Rainsford should fear. Also, as Rainsford hurries through the forest trying to comprise a plan to baffle General Zaroff, Zaroff sits in his home humming a tune from Madame Butterfly-a famous opera by Puccini. Then, right before he is about to go to bed, he reads "from the works of Marcus Aurelius”, a Roman emperor. Connell makes these references to help readers to benefit from some foreknowledge concerning his story and the characters/situations in it. Suzanne Collin’s has a way with words when it comes to using allusions. The Hunger Games is basically one over-arching allusion to Ancient Rome. The G...

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"The Most Dangerous Game Allusions & Cultural References." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. .
"The Most Dangerous Game." Elements of Literature Third Course. N.p.: Holt, 2009. 16-36. Print.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Hunger Games Allusions and Cultural References." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. .
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Hunger Games Summary." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. .
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Most Dangerous Game Competition Quotes Page 1." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. .

Attention Keepers in The Most Dangerous Game
405 Words | 1 Pages
In Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”, he uses several literary devices to keep the reader interested. During Rainsfords journey to and through the island of General Zaroff he partakes in an adventurous journey filled with mystery, suspense, and dilemma. These devices are used to keep the reader interested throughout the story.
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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
631 Words | 2 Pages
Hunting big game animals for sport was a popular pastime with the wealthy classes following World War I. The morality of killing for sport was not questioned in reality, but in this short story the author does question it by taking it a step further and having the protagonist, Sangor Rainsford, hunted by the antagonist, General Zaroff.In a short story full of irony, one of the greatest ironies of Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is that General Zaroff repeatedly tells Rainsford that he maintains a sense of civilization on his island.
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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connel
766 Words | 2 Pages
As the sweltering, hot sun signified the start of a scorching afternoon, a young boy lay in the fields harvesting vegetables for another family. He had been enslaved to perform chores around the house for the family, and was only given very few privileges. While his stomach throbbed with pangs of hunger, he continued cooking meals for them. After the family indulged in the cozy heat from the fireplace, he was the one to clean the ashes. Despite his whole body feeling sore from all the rigorous work he completed, the young boy had been left alone to suffer. As months passed by, he desired independence. He wanted to cook his own food, make his own fire, harvest his own plants and earn money. The lad soon discovered that he needed faith and courage to break away from his restricted environment. When put in a suppressive situation, every person has the aspiration to escape the injustice. This is what Harrison Bergeron and Sanger Rainsford do to liberate themselves from the external forces that govern their lives. Harrison, the main character of “Harrison Bergeron” written by Kurt Vonnegut, is a strong, fourteen year old boy whose talents have been concealed by the government. Growing up in an environment where equality has restricted people’s thinking, Harrison endeavors to change society’s views. Rainsford, the main character of “The Most Dangerous Game” written by Richard Connell, is a skilled hunter who believes that animals were made to be hunted; he has no sympathy for them. Stranded on island with a killer chasing him, he learns to make rational choices. While both Harrison and Ranisford are courageous characters, Rainsford’s prudence enables him to overpower his enemy, whereas Harrison’s impulsive nature results in him being ...
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The Hunger Games Philosophy Analysis
1201 Words | 3 Pages
When Gary Ross’ 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ famous novel ‘The Hunger Games’ exploded on screens, it was received as an action-packed, thrilling story of survival, determination and over-coming corruption. Audience’s watched in equal parts awe and horror as Katniss was thrust into Panem’s battle arena and fought for justice, family and friendship. However, if we as an audience think more critically about the film; if we think beyond the wild costumes, gripping action and skilful performances, we can see that the story explores complex philosophical ideas that strongly relate to the experiences of humanity in the real world.
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Imagery In The Hunger Games, By Suzanne Collins
965 Words | 2 Pages
Suzanne Collins has, through her writings, used great imagery to expose the meaningful side of ‘The Hunger Games’, the side that is not all about what takes place in the arena. The Capitol’s rule over the districts, the reality-show part of the Hunger Games and the Mockingjay pin are all fragments of deeper meanings that create the basis of all that the story is. Suzanne Collins has depicted the country of Panem as a place overruled by a large city, known as the Capitol. The Hunger Games is apparently a means to keep peace and a fair punishment for the rebellion of the districts, where district 13 was obliterated in the mess. However, Collins has spun this interpretation around and unveiled a different perspective – that The Hunger Games is
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Themes in the Hunger Games by Suzanna Collins
642 Words | 2 Pages
The next theme is about the competition. The Hunger Games are very different from what we think of games to the Capitol and the whole of Panem. T...
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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
1252 Words | 3 Pages
One of the greatest qualities of humanity is the ability to respond to the circumstances and surroundings one might find themselves in at any given time. Authors convey this quality into literature constantly with their novels and articles. “The Most Dangerous Game” is a realistic fiction short story written by Richard Connell. “The Most Dangerous Game” is a stunning short story on the human condition, the dangers of blood-thirsty hunters, and defining the true meaning of a civilized person. Connell’s wrote his novel during the time period wealthy individuals enjoyed hunting animals. TV shows, magazine articles, and even movies are based off Connell’s story. Another example of a novel that responds to the environment is James Hurst’s realistic fiction short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a tragic, realistic fiction that describes the hazards of pride, the terrors of being disparate from others, and the qualities of true brotherly love. “The Scarlet Ibis” was written in the 1960’s when handicapped people were treated differently than normal people. An additional volume worth analyzing is Guy de Maupassant’s realistic fiction, “The Necklace”. “The Necklace” is a narrative about a covetous woman who dreams for impervious goals, and realizes that being prosperous is not always as elitist is as it is made out to be. In reality during periods of great danger or fear, humans occasionally experience a rush of adrenaline that allows them to accomplish otherwise impossible tasks such as mothers lifting cars off of their children. Therefore, the human condition has the ability to overpower common sense and control emotions when the situation at hand requires action.
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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Cornell
1249 Words | 3 Pages
“The Most Dangerous Game”, by Richard Cornell was a story which Mr.Cornell used 8 aspects of fiction to show his point of view that one who has intellect can overcome one who has intelligence or instinct. The character’s used in the story gave the author a way to make his point of view come clear to his audience. The story uses sequence of events. The plot is how the story goes about. The setting is the surroundings of the story, or where it takes place. The suspense is the temporary holding of the information to keep the reading interested, and to keep the reader guessing and wanting to know what will happen so they will continue reading your story. Foreshadowing is the readers way of telling the ‘future’, in other words the writer is giving clues out to the reader so that the reader can produce a hypothesis of what will happen, usually the reader is right, it’s like suspense, when the reader wants to find out if he is right or wrong, it keeps the reader interested. Fantasy is when the reader suspends his disbelief in the story in order to enjoy the work of fiction, in other words the reader just stops disbelieving that some of the things in the story are impossible, and cannot happen. Images are symbols used by the author to reflect the point of view. These 8 aspects of fiction were used by Richard Cornell, in the, “Most Dangerous Game”, to reveal his point of view that one who has intellect can overcome one who has intelligence or instinct.
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Social Control and The Hunger Games
1095 Words | 3 Pages
The Hunger Games, a film based off of a novel written by Susan Collins, was released in March of 2012. The film, and the book it was based on, chronicles the struggles of a girl named Katniss Everdeen, a girl who lives in a poverty stricken province or “District”, until untimely circumstances forces her to play in the Hunger Games, a gladiatorial like contest where children between the ages of 12 and 18 are forced to fight to the death. A contest that was set up by an oppressive and authoritarian government, and has thus far been sustained via the forced obedience of the rebellious Districts, the brainwashing and conditioning of Districts 1 and 2, and the conditioning of the residents of its Capitol. The movie has a variety of messages, most especially in regards toward social control and social conditioning. With these ideas in mind, a case could very well be made that The Hunger Games, throughout its two hour long run time, shows a very realistic look at a socially conditioned society and what humanity can become with the right amount of conditioning and control by an authoritarian force.
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Reality Television In The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins
2464 Words | 5 Pages
Entertainment can come and be enjoyed in many different forms. Television shows and movies are some of the different forms of entertainment can be in. The lives of famous actors from shows or movies are constantly scrutinized on and off screen. Within the world of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins a version of reality entertainment is the televised murder of innocent children. Those who are chosen to be within the Hunger Games become a scrutinized celebrity. Katniss and other tributes that are forced to fight and kill show how human identity can become lost as they become objectified for the people of Panem. The Hunger Games helps represent the harm that reality television can have by using the glorification of death with the objectification
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Sanger Rainsford: The Realist
522 Words | 2 Pages
The most dangerous game began as a sport for one man. His name is Sanger Rainsford. In Richard Connell’s story “The Most Dangerous Game,” Sanger Rainsford, an avid hunter, is lost at sea, stranded on “Ship-Trap” Island-every sailor’s worst nightmare. Rainsford goes through a series of events that prove to be life-altering. Even though Sanger Rainsford went through many trials and tribulations, he never lost his intelligence, composure, or his bravery.
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The Hunger Games: A Myth in Disguise
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Murty, Govindini. "Decoding the Influences in "The Hunger Games"" The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
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Analysis Of High Jinks: Shoot Out By Guy Martin
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The Author of “High Jinks: Shoot Out”, Guy Martin, provides pieces of evidence that reinforce the thinking that role-playing games can act as healthy releases for players, “Keen as the graduating seniors may be to leave, the game tells them that the world outside is not [safe ground]”. Our author shows how the game, Killer, a tradition at many high schools, acts as an administrated environment in which kids experiment. This game also gives kids a foreign physical and mental workout. Another important lesson Killer can offer, unlike other games, is an opportunity to teach kids money and time management.
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The Sociology of the Hunger Games
1020 Words | 3 Pages
In a not-too-distant, some 74 years, into the future the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games; these children are referred to as tributes (Collins, 2008). The Games are meant to be viewed as entertainment, but every citizen knows their purpose, as brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts. The televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eradicate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. The main character throughout the series is a 16-year-old girl from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen.
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Role Models in Young Adult Literature
1465 Words | 3 Pages
Collins, Suzanne, and Phil Falco. "Chapter 1." The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. 6. Print.
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The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Attention Keepers in The Most Dangerous Game