Hunter In Richard Connell's 'The Most Dangerous Game'

Hunter? Huntee?...Or Both? In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Sanger Rainsford and General Zaroff are similar in many ways. From the beginning to the end, it becomes more clear how they are similar when Zaroff challenges Rainsford to a game where both men play roles as hunters and huntees. Each man uses his own skill set to survive the other's way of hunting, although in the end Rainsford ends up winning and Zaroff is killed. One main reason the protagonist, Rainsford and the antagonist Zaroff are alike is because both men have a drive to hunt. For example, Rainsford knows how to hide, set traps and outwit his enemy. General Zaroff states, “Not many men know how to make a Malay
The two men don’t feel bad for hunting and taking their prey’s life. As shown when Rainsford remarks, “Who cares how a Jaguar feels, (1)”. Also, how General Zaroff who has already taken many animals lives, then proclaims, “I had to invent a new animal to hunt,” (8). Both examples show how both Rainsford and Zaroff show no empathy for murdering the animals as well as the humans. Therefore, Zaroff and Rainsford alike in the way they hunt. Another way Zaroff and Rainsford are alike is their belief that the world is divided into two classes. Zaroff’s theory being the world is divided by strong/weak. Zaroff states his opinion, “Life is for the strong...The weak were put here to give the strong pleasure,” (9). As for Rainsford’s perspective, he believes, “The world is made up of two classes, the hunted/huntee.” Both men believe that in the world, you're either one or the other. Furthermore, both men show identical qualities after Rainsford kills Zaroff when he sleeps in his bed, “He had never slept in a better bed.” (16). This shows that Rainsford now believes he has the power that Zaroff once had and accepts that he is now like Zaroff. In addition, they both are alike because when