Meagon Goode
English 1302.06
Ms. Mary Ellen Young
09/23/2012
Sanger Rainsford: Hunter to Hunted
In Richard Connells short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, Sanger Rainsford is thrown from a yacht and finds himself on an island. The story focuses on a celebrated hunter, Sanger, who meets General Zaroff, who hunts a different type of game. Sanger learns how animals feel as prey by using his excellent eyesight, courage, and ability to calculate, when he becomes the hunted. Sanger Rainsford, a man with excellent eyesight knows how to use this to his advantage. Sanger remembers when his friend Whitney made the comment “You’ve good eyes-and I’ve seen you pick off a moose moving in to the brown fall brush at four hundred yards”(9). Since Sanger has this excellent eyesight, he knows he will have to use it in order to survive this game. Since he is aware of this, he is able to position himself in precise locations in order to view General Zaroffs’ location. Thus monitoring General Zaroffs’ progress and anticipating his next move. Sanger mutters to himself “I’ll give him a trail to follow”, after he realized that straight flight was indeed futile (22). By using his excellent eyesight, he helps himself to achieve the advantage in the game. Despite the fact that Sanger is in a dire situation, he holds tight to his courage at all times. Sanger, remembering to take stock of the situation says, “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve”(22). In doing this, he demonstrates his courage by calming himself and decreasing his anxiety. He puts the majority of his energy into remaining as calm as possible and determining what his next move should be. He understands the importance of remaining calm. When terror begins to creep back upon him, he says “I will not lose my nerve. I will not” (23). His experiences have made him aware that to survive he must depend greatly upon the courage he has gained throughout his many years of