Richard Connell, a revered novelist and playwright, is the author of the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” which has proved to be a literal masterpiece. Its first edition was published in 1924 by Collier’s Weekly but since then the book has on various occasions been anthologized to symbolize a characteristic narrative full of suspense and action. The book which has adopted various verbal art forms is in a sense, the life story of Richard Connell. The author assumes an adventurous plot in which two notorious hunters have been pitted against one another in what can at best be regarded as ‘a life-and-death competition’. The author’s use of irony helps to give a fascinating twist to what may be regarded from the outset as a rather common phenomenon: hunting as a sport. Whereas it may be naturally acceptable that someone may engage in any hunting spree as a sporting event to hunt and kill animals, the same practice could also turn out to be a disturbing and strange activity, based on the author’s unique analytical point of view on hunting from the book. While there are those of us to whom gaming is inhumane and natural, Richard Connell has sought to emphasize on human hunting as opposed to laying emphasis on the predicament of animals in the gaming as a sport. However, there are still many enjoyable elements for a would-be reader of the book, such as the characters in the book.
Overall, Richard Connell’s book has very few characters. Even then, Connell only decides to elaborate on just two of these at a more significant level. Rainsford is the book’s protagonist. Apart from his prolific hunting skills, Rainsfold is no different from any other ordinary man. The expectation therefore is that his logical skills and moral values would be at the same level of operation as those of a normal human being, whose level of civilization dictates that he desists from engaging in behavioral activities characteristic of animals. In contrast, General Zaroff, the other character in the book, is a fascinating human being but has a twisted mind. During his pastime, he takes pleasure in human hunting, an activity that appears to interest him a great deal. The fact that General Zaroff opts to indulge in this unusual activity only when bored warrants an analysis of his character. The compelling differences between the two characters add spice to the book’s plot, making it an interesting piece of literature. By creating complex and fictional characters, authors of literary work could actually be depicting actual individuals within a society. For example, although Connell portrays General Zaroff as an evil freak, nonetheless, he could as well symbolize real world hunters who chase animals with concentration and utmost diligence until they make their kill. The character of General Zaroff reflects the viciousness and restlessness of hunters who take part in this activity for entertainment purposes. He symbolizes a majority of the hunters whom we see every day in our world. These are the sophisticated and rich individuals whose lives are characterized by self-indulgence and luxury.
Reading through “The Most Dangerous Game”, I could not help but appreciate the author’s cleverness in weaving together the story to present a dramatic literary work. The book challenges those of us who are not used to lateral thinking to embrace this practice as “The Most Dangerous Game” effectively does.