University:
Georgia Southern University
Course:
ENGL 1101 | Composition I
Academic year:

2022
Views:

159

Pages:

1
Author:

Marilyn James

In "The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell creates suspense by having multiple moments in the story where we realize the stakes of messing up and how risky the main character’s plan is. One of my favorite examples of suspense in this short story is "He lived a year in a minute." This shows just how badly Rainsford wants to live and the risks he is willing to take to achieve what he wants. Given that he fails at trapping the general with that method, he shows determination by still winning in the end. Another quote that shows just how much suspense this short story contains is when Rainsford sees "A lofty structure... licked greedy lips in the shadows''. This shows that Rainsford is now in a place of evil, and we do not know what will happen next, which adds suspense to the story. It also shows that even though the hunt has not begun yet, things are looking dicey for Rainsford. The theme of "The Most Dangerous Game" is that all animals should be treated equally and not ignored. A really good example of this is when Rainsford says, "Who cares how a jaguar feels?" This demonstrates how Rainsford is only concerned with being a good hunter and not with how the hunted feels. This all changes when he becomes the prey and has to survive, where he views things from a prey’s point of view. Rainsford also lets one of the dogs die, which shows that he still hasn’t learned his lesson.