Short Story Essay

Literature contains an interesting plot that should include a situation between two things, which is called conflict. Conflict is a very important element in literature. In Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” the main character goes through many conflicts to survive. In Richard Wright’s “The Rights to the Streets of Memphis” a boy named Richard is kicked out of his house to buy the groceries, but a gang tries to beat him up on the way. The boy has to build up his courage and face the gang. In both Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” and Richard Wright’s “The Rights to the Streets of Memphis”, there are important internal and external conflicts throughout the story that are being created as the characters try to survive. Being washed up on a mysterious island and getting hunted down by crazy man are some examples of conflict in “The Most Dangerous Game”. “Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine” (Connell 74). This quote from the story shows the external conflict between Rainsford and General Zaroff. The General is challenging him to a battle to the death. “The cat was coming again to play with the mouse” (Connell 77). This shows how the General is like the predator hunting down its prey. Rainsford is trying his best to survive. “Only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark” (Connell 76). This quote is an example of the conflict that Rainsford is going through with the jungle. This is an example of man vs. nature. Rainsford is thinking that the jungle is very hard to navigate through, which is an obstacle. The main conflict in this story is Rainsford trying to survive.
Getting beat up can teach you a couple of lessons. In “The Rights to the Streets of Memphis” the main character goes through a few conflicts. The poor little boy named Richard gets kicked out of his house to buy the groceries, but a gang gets in his way. The boy’s mother states “Go on and