The most dangerous game

¶ … Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

Rainsford as the Hunter and Hunted: Reversal of roles and conflict in "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

In Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," the theme of reversal of roles was apparent and illustrated through its main character, the skilled hunter Rainsford. In it, readers witnessed Rainsford's plight as the hunter who became the 'hunted' after a supposedly minor accident at the sea led to the dangerous game of hunting in the deep jungle of Ship-Trap Island. The game of hunting became the central focus of Connell's story, wherein the protagonist's reversal roles (initially as hunter and later as hunted) was further highlighted through its setting (the sea and the jungle) and occurrence of conflict between Rainsford and Zaroff.

Hunting being a dangerous game in the story, it was evident that conflict is inevitably established between the opposing parties. There have been two general kinds of conflict that emerged in the story: firstly, human against animals, and secondly, human against human.

Conflict between human and animals was depicted through Rainsford's role as the hunter. Connell showed in the first part of the story that Rainsford demonstrated the same behavior as Zaroff's when discussing the game of hunting. As a hunter, Rainsford did not feel sympathy nor regard for the animals he hunted. This was reflected in his statement to Whitney when they were discussing hunting: "You're a big game-hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?....Be realist. The world is made up of two classes -- the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters."

This statement foreshadowed Rainsford's eventual role as the hunted in Zaroff's "hunting game." And his reversal of roles (i.e., from hunter to hunted) gave way to the emergence of the second kind of conflict in the story -- that of human against human. The game shifted from Rainsford vs. The jaguar (and other animals hunted) to Rainsford (as the hunted) and Zaroff (as the hunter). In this conflict, Rainsford was able to experience "how a jaguar feels," how it feels to be the one hunted. Though Connell did not explicitly show Rainsford's reflection of his erroneous judgment and view of hunting, the hunting game he and Zaroff played deep in the jungle of Ship-Trap Island made Rainsford realize that there was morality embedded in the dangerous game of hunting. Zaroff was the perfect example of humanity insensitivity and utter disregard for other living beings: his insatiable need to hunt and kill animals led to further craving for death, and this time, to kill more intelligent, rational beings -- humans. From these conflicts, Rainsford's role reversals became full-circle.