AntonHorvath

JohnRamirez
OConnor
HonorsEnglish9
4September2015
TheMostDangerousGameResponses

1. InTheMostDangerousGamebyRichardConnell,SangerRainsford,theprotagonist
oftheshortstory,fellofhisboatafterhisfailedattempttoseethesourceofastrange,
gunshotnoiseinthedarkness.Rainsfordswamashoreanisland,wherehemetRussian
CossackwhogoesbythetitleofGeneralZaroff.ZaroffrecognizesRainsfordfromhis
bookonhuntingsnowleopards,andtellsRainsfordofhislatest,greatestpreythathe
huntsontheislandhumans.Rainsfordisunpleasantlysurprisedtohearthis,andasksto
leavetheislandatonce.ZaroffforcesRainsfordtobehuntedbyhimself,and,afterthree
dayswithlittleluckforZaroff,Rainsford(stillalive)defeatsZaroffafterhidinginhis
bedroomcurtainsandfightinghim.

2. Attheendoftheshortstory,GeneralZaroff,theCossack,walksuptohisbedroomwith
adisappointinghuntonhismind.HefindsRainsfordinhisroom,wherethetwofaceoff
inadual.Thegeneralmadeoneofhisdeepestbows.Isee,hesaid.Splendid!Oneof
usistofurnisharepastforthehounds.Theotherwillsleepinthisveryexcellentbed.On
guard,Rainsford.(Connell17).Thisquoteshowsreadersthatthetwowillbefighting
andonewillbefedtothehounds.Attheendofstory,Rainsfordistoldtobesleepingina
verycomfortablebed.Hehadneversleptinabetterbed,Rainsforddecided,(Connell
17).RainsfordwasabletobestGeneralZaroffattheveryend,evidenceofRainsford
beingaliveshownthroughpassagesinthestory.

3. TheclimacticmomentofthestorywaswhenRainsfordandZarofffoughtinthe
bedroom.Themainconflict/centralconflictofthestorywasManvs.Man.Rainsfordthe
protagonistfinallyfaceshisantagonistintheheightorclimaxofthestory,where
Zaroffsdeathwastheresolutionoftheconflict.Thefightwastheclimaxandthe
resolutionwasZaroffshinteddeath.Botharecrammedtogether,butinshortstories,
thesescenariosarenaturalbecauseofthelength.

4. ProtagonistInTheMostDangerousGame,Rainsfordwastheprotagonist.Hewasthe
characterthatthereadersprobablyalwaysconsiderthegoodguy.Heisthemain
character.

AntagonistInTheMostDangerousGame,GeneralZaroffwastheantagonist.Hewas
thecharacterthatthereadersmostlikelyconsiderthebadguy.Hewasthepersonwhowasin
conflictwiththemaincharacter.

FoilInTheMostDangerousGame,thereisafoil:Whitney.Heisincontrastwith
Rainsfordinthathebelievesthattheanimalsbeinghuntedhavefeelings,andthatheisvery
careful.ThecontrastbetweenWhitneyandRainsfordincreasestheimportanceofboth
characters.

PointofViewInTheMostDangerousGame,thenarratorwasnotacharacterofthe
story,buthetoldthestoryfromthepointofviewofRainsford.Thepointofviewisthirdperson
limited.Attheveryendofthestory,thenarratorswitchestothepointofviewofGeneralZaroff,
butitisstillthirdpersonlimited.

SituationalIronyInTheMostDangerousGame,situationalironyisusedalot.Itis
ironicthatthehunterisbeinghunted.Itisalsoironicthat,priortofallingoverboard,Rainsford
statesthat,inhismind,theanimalsthathehuntsdonthavefeelings,butwhentheGeneralhunts
humans,theoppositeistrue.Humanshavefeelings.

ExternalConflictInTheMostDangerousGame.Rainsfordfacesconflictsoutsideof
hismindsuchashisconflictwithZaroff.ThisconflictwasManvs.Man.Anothermoresubtle
externalconflictthatsurfacesisManvs.Nature,whereRainsfordfacesthewatershefallsin
afterslippingoftherailingontheboat.Theseconflictsbothareoutsideproblemsimpactingthe
protagonist.

ResolutionInTheMostDangerousGame,theobviousresolutionoccursattheendof
theshortstorywhenRainsfordscentralconflictZaroffiskilled.Thecentralconflictofthestory
wasManVs.Man,andZaroffsdeathsolvedtheproblem.Theconflicthasbeenresolved.

SettingInTheMostDangerousGame,themainsettingoftheshortstorywasthe
rainforest.Rainford,preytoZaroff,mustcreatetrapsandescapetheCossacksattemptsat
killinghim.Hemustescapethehunterusingtherainforest.Other,smallersettingsinclude
Zaroffsmansionandtheboat.

SuspenseInTheMostDangerousGame,RichardConnellcreatesmanysuspenseful
eventsthatkeepthereaderontheedgeofhis/herseat.Thethrillofamanhuntingtheprotagonist
intherainforestandthemysteriouscharacteristicsandactionsgiventoZaroffarejustsomeof
theexamplesConnellcreatestoaddsuspense.Anticipationandanxietyforwhathappensnextis
createdfromthetwoexamples.


IndirectCharacterizationInTheMostDangerousGame,Connellgivescharacteristics
tothecharactersusingactions.Rainsfordspeakswithanairofconfidenceduringhis
introductionwithZaroff,andisshownofbeingintelligentwhenheaskstoleavetheisland.
Connellusesshowingratherthantellinginsomeplacesduringtheshortstory,givingcharacters
suchasZaroffcharacteristics.Zaroffisshownratherthantoldofbeingmysterious,hisdemeanor
andspeechalonebroadcastingthis.