The purpose of my essay is to “critically analyze” this short story, “paying particular attention to what literary devices the author employs to enhance the story”. In addition, I will talk about “what this short story has elevated it into the canon of classic literature”. (Instruction Essay #1 Short Stories). I chose to write about The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell, which was first published in 1924. This is an adventurous short story that has a very interesting plot. According to critic David Kippen, “The story is an extremely successful example of the adventure genre, and the stereotypes Connell uses to create the dynamic balance from which its action springs evoke allegories which remain relevant today”(Kippen). Connell had used different literary devices like: symbols, suspense, dilemma, mystery, foreshadow, contrivance, and conflicts which makes this story very interesting and helps the reader understand the characters. Also, this story can be related to a real life.
The protagonist in The Most Dangerous Game is Sanger Rainsford – the famous hunter that traveling with his friend Whitney on a yacht to hunt jaguars in the Amazon. In the beginning of the story Rainsford tells Whitney that hunting for him is “a big-game” and that he doesn’t care how animals feel. In addition, he said, “The world is made up of two classes – the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters” (Connell). Later on in this story, Connell showed how hasty Rainsford’s idea was. After talking to Whitney he went up the deck to smoke “another pipe” and by the author’s contrivance, Rainsford fell overboard into “the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea” (Connell). Here the author used special language to create the horrifying scenery that shows how dangerous the island and even the water, which looked bloody. At this moment we understood that Rainsford was in big trouble, but he keeps
Cited: Thomas R.Arp, Greg Johson. Literature Structure, Sound, and Sence. Tenth Edition. Boston: Lyn Uhl, 2009, 2006. Rena Korb, for Short Stories for Students, Gale Research, 1997 http://ctrivino.wordpress.com/29-2/ David Kippen, for Short Stories for Students, Gale Research, 1997. http://ctrivino.wordpress.com/29-2/