The Most Dangerous Game Review

Author

• Richard Connell (1893-1949) wrote the short story, The Most Dangerous Game; it's his only story that is widely read today and won the O. Henry Memorial Prize (1924).
• Was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1893; he had one older sister and two younger ones his parents were Mary Miller and Richard Edward Connell, Sr.
• Married Louise Herrick Fox the same year he sold his first short story (1919).
• Traveled the world and settled in Beverly Hills, California, where he died of a heart attack at age 56, in 1949.
• During his childhood, his father worked as an editor for a local newspaper (Poughkeepsie News-Press); he wrote stories and covered baseball games for the newspaper from age 10, and by age 18, he was the city editor.
• Attended Georgetown University for a year but left to work as a secretary to his father when he got elected to the Congress.
• After his father's death, he went to Harvard University, where he worked in some publications like The Harvard Lampoon and the Crimson.
• After graduating he worked for a newspaper and then for an advertising agency.
• Enlisted in the military during World War I and served as editor of the camp newspaper.
• After the war, he returned to writing advertising copy, but after the sale of his first short story (1919) he left to pursue freelance writing.
• Some of his stories appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and screenplays (films).
• His stories (300+) were influenced by his love of baseball and by his experiences writing for the advertising industry.
• He was sued for libel (defamation) by a New York City editor while working on The Crimson; the editor that sued him hired him after he graduated.
• Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Story for "Meet John Doe."

Vocabulary

1. tangible - (adj.) capable of being touched or felt; having actual form and substance
2. quarry - (noun) the object of hunt; prey
3. disarming - (adj.) removing or overcoming suspicion; inspiring confidence
4. cultivated - (adj.) refined or cultured in manner
5. amenity - (noun) something that adds to one's comfort or convenience
6. condone - (verb) to forgive or overlook
7. droll - (adj.) amusingly odd or comical
8. scruple - (noun) a feeling of uneasiness that keeps a person from doing something
9. solicitously - (adv.) in a manner expressing care or concern
10. imperative - (adj.) absolutely necessary
11. zealous - (adj.) intensely enthusiastic
12. uncanny - (adj.) so remarkable as to seem supernatural

Short Summary

• Rainsford is headed to the Amazon with Whitney to hunt.
• Attempting to discover where some gunshot sounds came from; he falls when trying to reach for his pipe, that got knocked over.
• He arrives at Ship-Trap island and finds a huge house; he is greeted by Ivan with a gun, but Zaroff soon comes down and gives him clothes and invites him to eat.
• Zaroff says how hunting was his passion, but it had gotten too easy, so he had started hunting humans because they could reason.
• He invites Rainsford to hunt with him but he declines, saying it is murder.
• Zaroff says he'll hunt Rainsford, and that if he doesn't want to, Ivan would deal with him.
• Rainsford had to elude Zaroff for 3 nights to win; he was released with a head start and some clothes, food, and a knife.
• In the first night, he made an intricate path that is no match for Rainsford.
• He then makes a Malay (from Malacca) man-catcher, which consisted of a tree falling from another; this hit Zaroff's shoulder.
• The next night, he uses a Burmese tiger pit and kills one of Zaroff's best dogs.
• The last night he uses a trap from Uganda that kills Ivan with his knife; he also leaps to the ocean and swims back to Zaroff's room, to then kill him.

Extended Summary

• The story begins with Rainsford and Whitney talking while on a boat in the Caribbean; she says there's a big island off to the right the old charts call "Ship-Trap Island" and that sailors have a huge fear of the place because of superstition.
• Rainsford says he can't see it, but Whitney says no one would be able to see 4 miles or so through a moonless Caribbean night, even though he had good eyes.
• Through their conversation, we find out they're headed to the Amazon in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to hunt jaguars, and set to arrive in a few days.
• They talk about how hunting is a great sport for the hunter, but not for the animal.  Whitney argues animals feel fear of pain and death, but Rainsford says the world is made of two classes (hunters and huntees).
• They keep talking about how everyone, even Captain Nielsen, was a bit jumpy; Whitney goes to sleep but Rainsford says he'll smoke another pipe on the deck.
• Rainsford heard three gunshots to the right; he leaps to the rail and a rope knocks his pipe.  He lunges for it and falls off the boat, into the Caribbean Sea.
• He tried to cry for help but swam less than 50 feet before stopping and going towards where he heard the gunshots.
• After swimming what appeared to be endless, Rainsford heard an animal scream and a pistol shot; he arrived at land about 10 minutes later.
• Rainsford fell deeply asleep and woke up the next day, late in the afternoon.  He was hungry and thought "where there are pistol shots, there are men; where there are men, there is food."
• Rainsford found signs pointing to the killing of a large animal: the weeds were crushed down and stained red (blood) and he had found a 22 empty cartridge.  He admires how the hunter tackled a large animal with such a light gun.
• He found a path of hunting boots and followed it; he saw many lights from afar and thought it was a village, but when he got closer he saw it was just one enormous lofty structure with pointed towers.
• Rainsford lifts the knocker twice; the biggest man he'd ever seen (Ivan) opens the door with a gun pointing to his heart, Zaroff soon comes down and greets him, saying he's read his book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet.  He offers Rainsford his dry clothes (an evening suit from a recognized London tailor) and dinner.
• The bedroom and dining room were large and magnificent; they had high ceilings and animal heads mounted on the walls.
• They ate borsch (rich red soup with whipped cream that Russians eat), and a well cooked filet mignon with a cocktail that was very good; everything seemed amazing but Rainsford was trouble because the general always seemed to be studying him.
• General Zaroff speaks about his passion for hunting; how he had read all books on hunting published in English, French, and Russian, and how he had hunted down a Cape buffalo and fractured his skull when it hurled him against a tree.  Rainsford says he considers the Cape buffalo the most dangerous game (hunt), but Zaroff disagrees and says he hunts the biggest game on his island (humans) because they can reason.
• Zaroff had come to this because hunting had bored him; it was too easy.
• Rainsford says what he does is murder and declines his invitation to go hunting.
• Zaroff argues he treats his visitors well and shows his training school in the cellar; he had about 12 men from the Sanlúcar boat.
• The game was that Zaroff provided a 3-hour headstart, a supply of food, a good hunting knife, and he follows only with the smallest pistol.  If the quarry eluded him for 3 days, he wins, if he didn't he died; Zaroff had never lost. Playing was optional, if someone didn't want to play Ivan dealt with them.
• A tartar almost won once, so he had to use the dogs (about a dozen),
• That night, Zaroff was facing a big, strong black that looked resourceful.
• Rainsford couldn't sleep, despite Zaroff giving him the softest silk pajamas and him being very tired.
• The next day, Zaroff says he's beginning to get bored of hunting again.
• Rainsford wants to leave, but Zaroff says they'll hunt that night; Rainsford rejects but Zaroff advises him not to, since what Ivan would do to him was worse.
• Their brains, woodcraft, strength and stamina were going to fight against each other in the hunt; Zaroff tells Rainsford if he lives by midnight of the third day, he'll admit his defeat and take him to the mainland, but that in return, he must not say anything.  Rainsford says he won't agree to that, but Zaroff says they can talk about that in 3 days over a bottle of Veuve Cliquot.
• Ivan gives Rainsford hunting clothes, food, a knife, and Zaroff suggests he wears moccasins because they leave a poorer trail; he also advises to avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island (Death Swamp) because there was quicksand there, and when someone went there he lost his finest hound, Lazarus.
• Rainsford goes out with khaki hunting clothes, food, a leather sheath with a long-bladed hunting knife whilst Zaroff takes his usual after-lunch nap.
• Zaroff goes out at dusk because he found hunting was more exciting at night.
• Rainsford just wanted to put distance between him and Zaroff; he panicked and went straight for about two hours, but when  he came to his senses he stopped and thought.  He decided to make a path with intricate loops; he stepped on the trail many times (to make it noticeable) and carefully climbed up a big tree to rest: "He had played the fox, now he had to play the cat of the fable."
• Rainsford didn't sleep, by morning Zaroff found him and smiled, but did not kill him.  He was saving him for another day's sport.  It was impressive how Zaroff could follow such a complex path at night; he was the cat, and Rainsford was the mouse.
• Rainsford set off and stopped where a huge tree had fallen and laid on a smaller one; he got his knife and made a trap (Malay man-catcher).  When he finished Zaroff soon came and his foot touched the branch that triggered it; he leaped back but the tree still fell on the general's shoulder, yet he did not fall, he just stood there rubbing it.
• Zaroff speaks (assuming Rainsford is within the sound of his voice) and congratulates Rainsford, but says he has hunted in Malacca too (the trap Rainsford made was from there); he also says he's off to get his wound dressed.
• When Zaroff leaves Rainsford comes down and walks; he ends up at Death Swamp.
• He begins to dig (he had dug himself in France once); he made a Burmese tiger pit, which was a deep pit with sharp saplings covered by a carpet of weeds and branches.  He crouched behind a tree and waited for Zaroff; he heard him coming.
• Rainsford heard the crack of the branches and a scream; he thought he killed Zaroff, but he had actually killed one of his best dogs.  He leaps up and Zaroffs sees him; he thanks him for such an entertaining evening and says he's going to rest and bring back his whole pack.
• Rainsford slept and was awaken at daybreak by the sound of a pack of hounds; he got scared and realized he could either stay where ha was and wait (suicide) or flee.
• Rainsford headed for the swamp and climbed a tree on a ridge and saw from above Zaroff and Ivan, who was holding the dogs.
• Rainsford opted for a trick he learned in Uganda, which was a trap using a sapling as a spring and his hunting knife.  The knife hit Ivan.
• The dogs were near Rainsford, and he was on a cliff above shore; he leaped into the sea.
• Zaroff went back and had a great dinner, but he was bothered by how he would replace Ivan and how his quarry escaped, but he hadn't played the game.  He read and went to his bedroom at 10, as he locked himself in Rainsford was waiting for him (he swam) and killed him.
• The author lets us know he killed Zaroff by telling us "Rainsford had never slept in a better bed" after Zaroff says one would die, and the other would sleep in the bed.

Characters

1. Sanger Rainsford - Was a clever and recognized hunter from New York City; he had also written books, one of them about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, which Zaroff had written.  He fell off a boat that was headed for the Amazon but ended up on Ship-Trap Island, yet he survives.  
2. Whitney - Was Zaroff's hunting partner; accompanied him to the Amazon.
3. Captain Nielsen - Was described by Whitney as a "tough-minded old Swede who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light."  Had blue eyes and was the captain of the boat that was taking Rainsford and Whitney to the Amazon; even he was afraid of Ship-Trap Island.
4. Ivan - Was Zaroff's deaf, Cossack assistant; "a gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist."  Is killed by a native trap of Uganda Rainsford made.
5. General Zaroff - Was a past middle age Cossack, who had been in the army, had white hair and bright eyes, thick eyebrows and a pointed military mustache that were all black; also had high cheekbones, a hard-cut nose, and a dark face.  He was tall, slender, yet handsome man. Hunting was his passion; he had read all books on hunting published in English, French, and Russian, Always took a nap after lunch and thought hunting at night was more exciting.  He was an officer of the Tsar had left Russia after the debacle,
6. Zaroff's father - Was a very rich man (noble) with a quarter of a million acres in the Crimea; he was an ardent sportsman and said Zaroff's hand was made for the trigger.  He bought his son his first gun when he was 5, to shoot sparrows.
7. The dogs - Were about a dozen hounds; Zaroff let them out at 7 every night.
8. Lazarus - Was Zaroff's finest hound who he loved; he died in Death Swamp when he followed someone into the quicksand.