The Most Dangerous Game- Overkill, or Rainsford’s Just Desserts?

The Most Dangerous Game- Overkill, or Rainsford’s Just Desserts?

Richard Connell’s story, The Most Dangerous Game, is deliciously full of thought-provoking irony. With intelligent and slightly twisted characters at odds with one another in thought and deed, the story is entertaining and provides us with questions for self-examination about what consciousness of thought truly means. The ironic aspects of the story can be divided into four parts. First, we will consider the irony in Rainsford’s initial feelings about hunting and prey while he was safely on the yacht among friends and in a comfortable position. Second, we will discuss the ironic circumstances Rainsford found himself in after arriving on the island and the start of his dealings with Zaroff. Third, we will analyze the irony in Rainsford being hunted by Zaroff. Lastly, we will reflect upon the irony in the resolution to the story.

At the beginning of Connell’s tale, Sanger Rainsford, a famous big-game hunter, is having a discussion on a yacht with his friend Whitney. The story opens with a brief conversation about the mysterious island their ship is about to pass, and its nickname “Ship-Trap Island”. In the course of the conversation, it is brought out that some places seem to broadcast vibrations of evil. Perhaps we should be prepared that most of the action in the story will take place on this very island, with its sense of mystery, evil vibrations, and bad reputation. After we get the background information on the location, a serious discussion entails between Rainsford and Whitney. In the discussion, we learn that Rainsford is not concerned with how his game might feel as it is being hunted. In fact, he claims it is nonsense that an animal would understand either the fear of pain or the fear of death. He steadfastly states that the world is made up of hunters and huntees, and that he is very lucky indeed to be one of the hunters. If only he knew how soon this state of affairs would change!

After Rainsford’s fall overboard and his meeting with Zaroff, Rainsford finds himself in yet another serious discussion about hunting ethics. Zaroff attempts to appeal to Rainsford as a fellow hunter, who would understand how it felt to become bored with game who cannot reason and attempt to outwit their opponent. Zaroff seems offended at Rainsford’s protestations that hunting men is murder. We do not know if Rainsford sees the irony between his thoughts on how a jaguar feels to be hunted versus how a man feels to be hunted. It is as if Zaroff has taken the initial conversation Rainsford had with Whitney to the next level, but in a twisted sort of way. Rainsford declines to see Zaroff’s new (and assumedly human) collection of heads exhibited in the library, after being impressed with the collection of other animal heads in the dining room. It is almost as if the author is mocking him,