“Most
Dangerous
Game”
By Richard Connell
About the Author
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Connell was born on October 17, 1893 in Poughkeepsie, NY
He was the son of editor and reporter for the local paper.
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He attended Georgetown and Harvard.
He also served in World War I
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His father’s connections at the paper later proved useful for
Connell, as by the age of 18 he secured a job as an editor.
During his service he wrote and edited the camp newspaper.
Connell married Louise Herrick Fox in 1919.
His work was published in both the Saturday Evening Post
and Collier’s Weekly.
Connell died in Beverly Hills, CA at the age of 56.
http://www.gradesaver.com/author/richard-connell/
Plot Outline
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1. Rainsford talks about hunting with Whitney.
2. Rainsford falls overboard.
3. Rainsford swims to a nearby island.
4. Rainsford meets Zaroff.
5. During dinner, Zaroff describes his hunting
practices.
6. Zaroff invites Rainsford to hunt.
7. On the third day of the hunt, Rainsford escapes
Zaroff’s pursuit.
8. Rainsford hides in Zaroff’s bedroom.
9. Zaroff and Rainsford fight.
10. Rainsford sleeps in Zaroff’s bed.
Setting… Where?
 Ship
Trap Island…
 Would the story be the same, if it took
place in the city?
Major Characters
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Sanger Rainsford is a world-renowned big-game hunter
and the story’s protagonist.
Intelligent, experienced, and level-headed, Rainsford uses
his wits and physical prowess to outwit General Zaroff.
His understanding of civilization and the relationship
between hunter and prey is radically transformed during his
harrowing days on the island.
The three-day chase reverses his life of privilege and ease,
forcing him to sacrifice comfort and luxury to survive.
http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-most-dangerousgame/characters.html
Major Characters… continued
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General Zaroff is a Russian Cossack and expatriate
who lives on Ship-Trap Island and enjoys hunting
men.
General Zaroff’s high cheekbones, sharply defined
nose, and pointed military mustache accentuate his
mysteriousness and savagery.
With a cultivated voice and deliberate, slightly
accented way of speaking, his regal bearing and
rarefied aristocratic air belie his dementia and
sadism.
He hunts human beings to experience the most
satisfying.
http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-most-dangerousgame/characters.html
Minor Characters
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Whitney - Whitney is Rainsford’s friend and traveling companion.
On the yacht, Whitney suggests to Rainsford that hunted animals
feel fear.
Whitney feels anxious as they sail near the mysterious Ship-Trap
Island. He argues that evil emanates in waves like light and sound.
Ivan - Ivan is a Cossack and Zaroff’s mute assistant.
A man of formidable physical stature, Ivan has a waist-length black
beard and wears a black uniform.
All of Zaroff’s captives prefer to flee from Zaroff as prey rather than
suffer torture and certain death at Ivan’s hands.
http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-most-dangerousgame/characters.html
Literary Elements… How?
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Characterization
 Direct characterization is a description of the character’s attributes as
seen by the author. In this story, physical descriptions are provided by the
author.
 Indirect characterization involves the reader being allowed to watch the
character as he/she interacts throughout the story. In this story, the reader
is allowed to observe the actions and conversations within the story.
Irony
 A discrepancy between appearances and reality.
 In the story, irony is shown when Rainsford states, “You’re a big-game
hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?” (p. 17)
Setting
 The time and location in which a story takes place.
 In the story, the location of the “hunt” is essential.
Suspense
 A feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in the
story.
 In this story, the reader may be asking, “Will Rainsford survive?”
Theme… Why?
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Theme can be defined as the insight human
life that is revealed in literary work.
Reason versus Instinct
Pitting Rainsford and General Zaroff against
each other in the hunt allows Connell to blur
the line between hunter and prey, human
and animal, to suggest that instinct and
reason are not as mutually exclusive as
people have traditionally thought.
http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-mostdangerous-game/themes.html
Let’s see a Hollywood
presentation
 Rainsford
falls off a yacht and into a
terrifying world of savagery like he never
fathomed possible.
 NOTE: You can insert a short video (no
more than 5-6 minutes)of the short story…