Rainsford Character Analysis

In the making of the story “The Most Dangerous Game” it is evident that the author, Richard Connell, spent a great deal of time formulating the characters and how they would affect the story. The way the characters act also builds on the theme of the story. In the beginning of the story, we get introduced to the main character, Rainsford. In the story, Rainsford would be considered a protagonist because he is the person that we are focused on and he would be considered the good guy. As the story moves on we notice that Rainsford seems to be the sensible human being that posses morality for others. It is evident when he would not hunt humans for sport even though it meant he would get hunted as if he were in a game. You can clearly see Rainsford is the more sensible person when Zaroff, another skilled hunter, and Rainsford discuss the issue of hunting humans, "I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke." "Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting." "Hunting? Great Guns, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder." When Rainsford
Zaroff is a Cossack that is obsessed with hunting. He has hunted all around the world and killed all the big game. He had gotten bored with the all the other animals and decided to make a new one, which were humans. This creates the problem in the story as Rainsford believes killing humans is cold blooded murder and Zaroff sees no problem in it. He even tries to justify it when he said, “The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels--a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them." Rainsford and Zaroff were both extremely good hunters, but in the end Rainsford proves to be the better hunter and Zaroff gets