Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

¶ … Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell and "The Destructors" by Graham Greene

Both stories demonstrate the strength of power and the diverse people who use power to their own good.

"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell and "The Destructors" by Graham Greene each contain a character eager to control others to get what he wants.

Zaroff creates a world in which he is the ruler.

Trevor seeks to rule within his own group of peers.

Both characters are destructive and extremely successful at what they do.

Zaroff spends his life hunting up the food chain until he meets his match.

Trevor destroys what makes him angry or what he does not understand

Both authors present characters whose motivations can be determined from the text to a certain extent.

Rainsford has no choice but to be an excellent opponent but we cannot guess his fate.

b. Trevor is wildly successful at his task yet we cannot know his fate.

Power is an amazing force because it can push people to do many things. Some of these things are heroic and noble while others are not. Power can drive people to help feed starving children or it can drive people to devise devious schemes in order to get what they want. Two stories that delve into how power shapes the character of man are "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell and "The Destructors" by Graham Greene. Power and control undoubtedly motivate Zaroff and Trevor. Both characters use power to further their own pleasure in life even if it means deadly or destructive behavior. Both characters are shaped by events and each author has allowed us to predict some character motivation from the text. However, each story does keep us guessing about the protagonist's fate. These stories demonstrate the strength of power and the diverse people who use power to their own good.

Each story contains a character eager to control others to get what he wants. In Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," Rainsford and General Zaroff are the main characters. They are intelligent men who love the sport of hunting. Rainsford and Zaroff have similar characteristics in that they both enjoy the game of hunting with little regard for the hunted. We see this about Rainsford early in the story when he expresses no concern for the jaguar when hunting. He is implicit when he states that the animals have no understanding of what is happening to the while being hunted. Similarly, Zaroff has little regard for the hunted. In fact, he experiences difficulty finding sport worthy of his hunt. Man is the only animal that possesses enough cunning to keep him entertained and challenged. On the island, Zaroff establishes his idea of a perfect world. His intricate system and aristocratic lifestyle illustrate how he is perhaps one of the most dangerous types of people: wealthy and mentally unstable. His manners are quite civilized but his humanity falls incredibly short. In "The Destructors," the main character is Trevor, who chooses to deal with his inner conflicts through destroying the things that cause those conflicts. He despises the greed and wealth the house represents and establishes a painfully detailed plan to bring the house down. He does not want anything in the home -- he simply wants to home out of his sight. These characters are manipulating events and others to their advantage and pleasure.

Connell's Zaroff and Greene's Trevor share a similar characteristic in that they are destructive and extremely successful at what they do. Trevor is in the line of destruction, although his tastes do not involve human life. He still possesses an inane desire to destroy, to control and take down the object of his desire. While Zaroff is ultimately unsuccessful, he does manage success for quite some time. Both stories revolve around characters with power. Trevor strives to gain control in his own little world just as Zaroff does. Trevor wants to control those around him and he is quite successful at it. Greene writes that he "was giving his orders with decision: it was as though this plan had been with him all his life, pondered through the seasons, now in his fifteenth year crystallized with the pain of puberty" (Greene). It was his vision to destroy the house and it was his ingenuity that pulled off the act. Trevor was clear about his identity and his intensions. When discussing Old Misery's bank notes, he declares that the boys is not thieves and "Nobody's going to steal anything from this house. I kept these for you and me -- a celebration" (Greene). He also knows he does not hate Old Misery, telling Blackie, "There'd be no fun if I hated him" (Greene). Zaroff possesses the same kind of confidence in his endeavors. He is certain he will win, telling Rainsford, "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger" (Connell). Zaroff not only enjoys the hunt, he wants to continue expanding his horizons. He simply moves his way up the food chain in his game. These characters are driven by power and they demonstrate they will settle for nothing less.