To Be A Survivor
According to Dictionary.com, a survivor is “a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.” Through reading “The Most Dangerous Game”, one can evaluate that Rainsford is a believable character with traits comparable to hunters in modern society. His experiences allow him to later empathize with his quarry, while unveiling his courage and wits. His incentive to overcome monumental challenge represents the determination of a survivor. Rainsford reflects the idea that man must be “cunning, courageous, and able to reason” in order to survive. (Connell 69) In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, Rainsford is a believable character because he has no ability to comprehend what his prey feels. As Rainsford states, “Who cares how a jaguar feels?” His partner, Whitney, replies with “Perhaps the jaguar does.” (Connell 60) Rainsford could not care less about the creatures that he kills. He is in
…show more content…
He uses his prior knowledge to attempt to outwit his opponent. He tries a plethora of tactics in order to survive. Finally, he comes to a solution. “Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leapt far out into the see…” (Connell 80). It is Rainsford’s superior judgment that allows him to swim back to Zaroff’s house and hide in the bedroom curtains. Eventually, Rainsford succeeds in his fight for survival. “I see,” he said. “Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford….” (Connell 80). At last, Rainsford wins. “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided,” (Connell 80). Had Rainsford not thought deeply about his actions, he could be dead. It is Rainsford’s true courage and wits that allow him to withstand the worst and live in the
Robert Rainsford also goes through a dynamic change over the course of the story. Near the beginning of the story, Rainsford expresses that he doesn’t care how an animal feels because it’s just an animal. “‘Don’t talk rot, Whitney,’ said Rainsford, ‘you’re a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who
Rainsford is known for his extravagant hunting skills, even General Zaroff speaks of Rainsford as is if he has inspired him to become a hunter. Rainsford talks about hunting with passion, while he is speaking to Whitney he tells her it’s “the best sport in the world” (19). Rainsford has no guilt when he kills animals, he even tells Whitney that it’s nonsense when she mention the jaguars have feeling. But Rainsford shows immediate disgust when Zaroff brings up his hunting of humans, “hunting, great heavens, what you speak of is murder” (26). This only the first of many times that he reacts with great displeasure.
After falling off his ship and forced to swim to a mysterious island, Rainsford is faced with a challenge. General Zaroff traps him in a “game” that requires Rainsford to use his skills to survive. He is hunted for three days; where he was chased, tracked down, and shot at. General Zaroff led the hunt to try to kill Rainsford. General was equipped with more firepower and help from his henchman and dogs. But even with his much greater opponent, he was able to survive. Rainsford used his many skills to defeat and kill his enemy. He used quick wit to make traps that would slow Zaroff and kill his dogs and henchman. Then he used his intelligence to escape Zaroff by swimming away, but sneaking back into his own mansion.
If one were to put another character in Rainsford’s position such as Whitney, it is likely that the story would not have ended the way it did. A main reason as to why Rainsford is the dynamic character he is, and can survive such a harsh game, is because he is very self-assured. While passing Ship-Trap Island, all the sailors, aside from Rainsford, are a little anxious because of rumors heard about the island. Rainsford believes that, “one superstitious sailor can taint the whole ships company with his fear,” (page 56). During a firm discussion with Whitney about hunting, Rainsford boldly argues how jaguars are just here to be hunted. Ironically, by the end of the story he thinks just the opposite. The first time he encounters General Zaroff, Rainsford earns the General’s trust instantly because he shows his independence and confidence to him. As he hears about the game, Rainsford does not express obvious fear toward General Zaroff. Being self-assured helps Rainsford to be the strong hunter he is.
A skilled hunter sprints desperately through the woods, realizing the futility of hiding from his greatest foe: his own kind. Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is the story of a hunter that becomes the hunted. The story explores the sense of extreme terror the protagonist feels being pursued by a psychopath living on a mysterious island. This protagonist, Rainsford, has many traits that aid him in his battle with the general. By demonstrating his cunning, sly, and remorseful traits, Rainsford shows the story’s theme of “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes”.
In the beginning of the story, Rainsford has a conversation with his friend, Whitney, about hunting animals. Rainford does not care about the animals that he hunts. He believes hunting is only a sport to kill innocent creatures. “‘Who cares how a jaguar feels?’” (1) Showing the reader exactly what he thinks of hunting. Rainsford does not understand that the animals he hunts are like the people that Zaroff hunts. They are innocent, and he is murdering them when he hunts them. Rainsford thinks that Zaroff is insane for murdering people, but Rainsford is also a murderer. When Zaroff hunts Rainsford, the protagonist realizes the terror and pain the jaguars must have felt when he hunted them. Now the roles are reversed, and Rainsford is the one being hunted. “The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. The general was saving him for another day’s sport! Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.” (17) Rainsford has changed his feelings about hunting animals now, and he has become a better person. He now takes into account how his prey feels. His interactions with people will also be different, because instead of being extremely overconfident, he realizes that he is not perfectly adept at hunting, and everyone has feelings that matter. In conclusion, Rainsford is now more humble and less overconfident than he was when he began his
In Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game Rainsford’s motivations changed from wanting to be a great hunter to trying to stay alive. As Whitney and Rainsford are headed to Rio to hunt they are talking about the great sport itself, hunting. Rainsford agrees with Whitney and says that hunting is, “The best sport in the world” (Connell 1). This shows he enjoys hunting by saying that it’s is the best and most enjoyable sport in the world. If you are passionate about something it can motivate you to try new things and in his case, hunting new animals. After Rainsford falls off the yacht and wanders to the island he then finds a home and knocks on the door. Ivan answers and General Zaroff soon approached Rainsford and saluted him. After allowing
He was resourceful when creating a trap for his hunter out of the nature around him. Rainsford could think on his feet when he made the quick decision to jump off the cliff and into the ocean. Finally, he used his good eye to tell what happened in the forest when he first arrived on Ship Trap Island. When Rainsford went into survival mode he was able to use these traits and many more to stay alive. This shows that when put into a life or death situation the body will use it survival skills to keep itself
First, Rainsford had too much pride for his own good. “‘The best sport in the world,’ agreed Rainsford. ‘For the hunter,’ amended Whitney. ‘Not the jaguar.’ ‘Don't talk rot, Whitney,’ said Rainsford. ‘You’re a big game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how the jaguar feels?’(60).” Rainsford never tried to put himself in someone else's shoes, even when someone like Whitney tried to tell him and make him see empathy. Later on in the story, the General gives Rainsford and chance to hide, then sets out to hunt him. Only after being hunted does Rainsford understand what Whitney was talking about when he said, “‘Not the jaguar’(60).”
Rainsford was forced to choose between life and death by Zaroff. Zaroff tells Rainsford that he hunts people as a type of wild game and takes them hunting first then gives them a few survival things and have to survive for three days in order to win.
Whitney introduces the secondary theme, being that hunters usually have no empathy for their prey. This is one of the first uses of irony in the story. Metaphors and Similes are often used in this story, so the reader has a better image of the setting, this is something, and I find Connell did incredibly well, for instance when he refers to the darkness of the night as moist black velvet, the sea was as flat as a plate-glass and it was like trying to see through a blanket. Rainsford begins his epic struggle for survival after falling overboard when he recklessly stood on the guard rail, this is our first example of how Rainsford manages to conquer his panic and think analytically and there by ensuring his survival.
When Rainsford falls off of the boat, he has to try his best to stay afloat until he can find something to latch on to. He swims vigorously until he reaches Ship-Trap Island. "Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness... dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs." It is midday and he is just searching for a place to rest when he runs into Ivan, the astonishingly large guard of the island. Zaroff, the owner of the island, joins in on their conversation about hunting. The conversation is interesting to say the least. Zaroff says, "You'll find this game worth playing…your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?" Zaroff is trying to point out that he finds interest in hunting humans, and he wants to know if Rainsford will rise to the challenge. Rainsford is left with a choice to make; will he fight Zaroff, or will he decline and get killed by Ivan. The choice in this situation is pretty self- evident.
Rainsford overcomes many obstacles, and in return he receives that special feeling of satisfaction in his body. To start, he overcomes the thought of him being weak. Furthermore, he conquers learning the value of even an animal’s life. Not to mention, he defeats becoming the hunted, when he is the hunter. In the short story Sanger Rainsford outwits General Zaroff in the battle of “The Most Dangerous
In the game, General Zaroff arms everyone on that crew with a knife and a pack of food and each and gives them a three-hour head start. When three hours has passed, General Zaroff hunts them down with a pistol of the smallest bullet size and range, and if someone who is being hunted stays alive for three days, they win. If a person who is supposed to be hunted refuses to play, they are whipped. If they are close to winning, General Zaroff brings out his pack of vicious and ruthless dogs, and because of the general’s unfair method of this cruel game, he has not lost one game after playing this for countless years. When General Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he will hunt again the next day and he wants Rainsford to hunt alongside him, Rainsford cannot bring himself to participate. Since Rainsford is not hunting, he ends up being hunted, and he wins. This short story applies to the first interpretation of “Character is what you are in the
Next, he can be proven brave by his actions. The way Rainsford acts says a lot about how he is brave, because if it were...