The Most Dangerous Game

“‘Great sport, hunting.’ ‘The best sport in the world,’ agreed Rainsford. ‘For the hunter,’ amended Whitney. ‘Not for the jaguar.’ ‘Don’t talk rot, Whitney,’ said Rainsford. ‘You’re a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?’ ‘Perhaps the jaguar does,’ observed Whitney. ‘Bah! They’ve no understanding.’ ‘Even so, I rather think they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death.’ ‘Nonsense,’ laughed Rainsford. ‘This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters.’”

The exchange between Rainsford and Whitney highlights the story’s primary irony: Rainsford feels no sympathy for the animals he hunts, yet he later becomes the hunted prey. Rainsford eventually understands the fear of pain and death firsthand from the animal’s perspective. Although Rainsford has enjoyed status as a hunter, that position is not permanent.

“Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal that is in an extremity of anguish and terror.”

Connell uses vivid imagery to describe the horrible sound Rainsford hears as he tries to swim to shore. He also foreshadows the terror Rainsford will feel when Zaroff pursues him. This imagery and foreshadowing contribute to the foreboding mood, warning the reader of the shock to come upon learning that Zaroff hunts men.

“‘Where there are pistol shots, there are men. Where there are men, there is food,’ he thought. But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.”

This quote displays Rainsford’s logical reasoning and adds to the sense of dread Connell creates. Furthermore, it showcases Connell’s use of imagery in depicting the harsh jungle landscape and makes the connection that a good man is unlikely to be found in such a place.

“In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness, he said, ‘It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home.’”

Connell challenges the notion that appearances of civility indicate good moral values. Despite Zaroff’s first impression as a civilized man, his behavior is anything but civilized.

“‘Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow,’ remarked the general, ‘but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple fellow, but, I’m afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage.’”

General Zaroff’s comments about his henchman, Ivan, indicate his low esteem for men he views as weak. His words also suggest a double meaning. For example, when he uses the word “race,” it is unclear whether he refers to Ivan’s Cossack background or simply to him as a member of the human race.

“The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in many ways remarkable. There was a medieval magnificence about it; it suggested a baronial hall of feudal times with its oaken panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where twoscore men could sit down to eat.”

Connell’s description of Zaroff’s dining room shows the opulence in which Zaroff lives and the position of power he occupies. Connell’s choice to describe the room as “medieval” and “feudal” calls to mind points in history in which peasants were treated as inferior by the upper class. Zaroff’s décor reflects his view of himself and others: that he, as a man of privilege and power, has the right to treat others however he pleases.

“Half apologetically General Zaroff said, ‘We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know.’”

General Zaroff mentions the importance of being civilized in so remote a place on a few occasions throughout the story. His grand house, rich food, and lavish décor suggest that he values comfort and the refinements that society sees as genteel. His smooth exterior makes his hunting practices all the more unsettling; once Zaroff’s true nature shows itself, Connell uses the word “civilized” ironically, asking the reader to question what it means to be a civilized person.

“‘I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,’ explained the general. ‘So I said, ‘What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?’ And the answer was, of course, ‘It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.’ ‘But no animal can reason,’ objected Rainsford. ‘My dear fellow,’ said the general, ‘there is one that can.’”

Zaroff views humans as animals and feels no remorse for hunting them as he would a beast. His cruel and selfish nature is revealed here as he unabashedly admits to hunting humans for his entertainment. His words also bring up Connell’s theme of instinct versus reason. Ironically, the quality that sets humans apart from animals—the ability to reason—is the quality that causes Zaroff to treat them like animals.

“I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life.”

Zaroff reveals that he equates modern thinking and civilization with a lack of value for human life. His words suggest that people are valued less as the world makes advancements. Connell’s use of irony here compels the reader to pause and consider: Could this be true? As the world makes advancements in science and technology, are basic morals being pushed aside?

“Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure.”

Zaroff’s survival of the fittest mentality reflects the opinion expressed by Rainsford at the story’s beginning when he proclaimed the division of the world into two classes: “hunters and huntees” (1). In this way, Connell shows an element of similarity between the two men; they are united in the foundation of their worldview. Connell also reveals Zaroff’s mentality to show the flaws with his way of thinking; his selfish and one-sided mindset leads to his pursuit of cruelty for entertainment.

“That’s the trouble with these sailors; they have dull brains to begin with, and they do not know how to get about in the woods. They do excessively stupid and obvious things. It’s most annoying. Will you have another glass of Chablis, Mrs. Rainsford?”

Zaroff’s casual remarks about the men he uses as prey highlight his complete lack of remorse for killing men. Connell juxtaposes Zaroff’s chilling evil with his hospitality in offering Rainsford wine. In doing so, he shows Zaroff to be a sociopathic villain who can casually complain about the men he murders and, in the same breath, offer expensive wine to a guest.

“Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the morning mists. The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day’s sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.”

Although Zaroff locates Rainsford on the first day of the hunt, he does not kill him. Instead, he returns home, choosing to prolong the hunt. Connell uses irony to highlight Zaroff’s evil nature: Zaroff chooses to give mercy to Rainsford but only for his selfish purpose. Furthermore, Connell emphasizes the terror Rainsford feels in this moment as the prey. Rainsford now knows firsthand the fear Whitney spoke of that unites all living things.

“‘Nerve, nerve, nerve!’ he panted, as he dashed along.”

Connell uses repetition to heighten tension in the rising action and to draw the reader’s attention to particular points. Here, Rainsford’s repetitive self-talk reveals the growing sense of panic he feels as Zaroff draws nearer. However, it also shows Rainsford’s mental fortitude in keeping a clear head and using logical and creative ideas to outsmart his opponent.