Vices and Virtues :: essays research papers

Rene Descartes once said, The greatest headlands are competent of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues. This idea peal true in Richard Connells The Most Dangerous Game. starting line published in 1924, this short story follows Sanger Rainsford, a huntsman from forward-looking York City, on a ship from America to Rio de Janeiro. In the middle of the Caribbean Sea, Rainsford move overboard and hastily swims to a nearby island. He comes upon another hunters mansion on the island, and soon discovers that this hunter is more heavy than he had ever imagined. Rainsford finds his life in great danger, and must amaze the hunter, General Zaroff, to survive. Using techniques he had learned hunting, Rainsford evades Zaroff, and his persecutor is fed to the dogs. Rainsford returns to the mansion, free of Zaroff. This essay will argue that Rainsford does not remain on delight Trap Island, and that the events that occurred there persuade him to give up the hunt. Throug hout the story, it is do painfully obvious that Rainsford has no respect for the animals he hunts. In the crack of The Most Dangerous Game, Sanger Rainsford is standing on the deck of a ship, philosophize with a fellow hunter named Whitney. Whitney says, I rather think jaguars image one thingfear. The fear of pain and the fear of death (1). Rainsford replies, The adult male is made up of two classesthe hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters (1). In this way, Sanger Rainsford proves he does not understand the fear of being hunted. This belief leads him to believe that hunting is a fine sport, and that he need not consider the feelings of the high he hunts. Later on in the story, however, Rainsfords feelings contradict this idea. turn Sanger Rainsford is being chased by General Zaroff, he begins to feel the little terror of being hunted. Connell writes The general was playing with him The general was saving him for another sidereal days sport The Cossack was t he cat he was the mo utilization. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full message of terror. (14)Now that he sees that his life is in certain danger, he begins to use traps to outwit General Zaroff. Beginning to feel like game himself, Rainsford believes his mind is his only way out. He must realize, then, that the animals he hunts do not have this defense, making hunting as a sport oft more inhumane than he ever thought possible.