, Research Paper
Conflicts in ?The Most Dangerous Game?
?The Most Dangerous Game? is a bizarre hunting story. In this story, General Zaroff hunts Rainsford. Richard Connell?s ?The Most Dangerous Game? included many types of conflict, such as the following: Rainsford versus nature, Rainsford versus himself, and Rainsford versus General Zaroff.
The first type of external conflict, Rainsford versus nature, was portrayed many times in the story. While Rainsford was on the ship with his friend Whitney, he had an encounter with the bad weather and the ?moist black velvet night.? When Rainsford fell in the ocean, he had a tough battle with the water. Rainsford barely had enough energy to swim to the Ship-Trap Island. Another external conflict transpired when Rainsford was in the jungle trying to outlast General Zaroff for three day, Rainsford had to deal with the scorching heat. Being in the jungle, Rainsford also had to deal with numerous kinds of insects and animals. The battle between Rainsford and nature was difficult; nevertheless, Rainsford did not surrender.
In addition to Rainsford?s struggle with nature, he also had struggles within himself. When in the ocean, he went through another type of internal conflict; Rainsford had to stop panicking or he would have drowned. He became coolheaded and realized his clothes were not helping his strokes so he ?wrestled out of his clothes.? Rainsford also kept a cool head when Ivan was pointing a pistol at him, Rainsford knew he had to keep his composure or Ivan would fire away. Another type of internal conflict that
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Rainsford went through was when General Zaroff?s told him about hunting men; Rainsford contemplated within himself of whether he should or should not attack General Zaroff. An equally important internal conflict occurred during the three days that Rainsford was in the jungle; Connell used conflict when Rainsford kept telling himself “I will not lose my nerve. I will not” (Connell 20). While Rainsford was on the tree and General Zaroff was below, Rainsford had to struggle within himself not to make a single noise or move a muscle. Instead of getting some much-needed rest, Rainsford had to fight himself to keep going. Since Rainsford was a prolific hunter, he used his intelligence to keep the focus of the task at hand.
The most important external conflict was between Rainsford and the inhumane General Zaroff. Rainsford was given hunting clothes, food, and a knife to survive to the midnight of the third day. Rainsford could have also clashed with Ivan, but Rainsford was frightened of Ivan. Rainsford?s conflict with General Zaroff lasted three days. Rainsford outsmarted General Zaroff to a degree, when he came up with a fake trail for General Zaroff to follow. Also, Rainsford tried to defeat General Zaroff by making a Burmese tiger pit, but General Zaroff did not fall for the trap. By killing Ivan with the knife, Rainsford?s battle with General Zaroff was almost on an even playing field. At the end of the third day in General Zaroff?s room, the two men had their final brawl. Rainsford said, “I am still a beast at bay,? ?Get ready, General Zaroff” (Connell 23). The victor of this external conflict was Rainsford.
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Finally, in ?The Most Dangerous Game? written by Richard Connell, Rainsford conquered nature, himself, and General Zaroff to survive. From swimming with all his energy to keeping himself calm to killing General Zaroff, Rainsford went through it all. The different types of conflict in ?The Most Dangerous Game? were essential literary tactics to create the mystery of this magnificent short story.
Work Cited
Connell, Richard. ?The Most Dangerous Game.? Perrine?s Literature. Ed. Thomas R.
Arp. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. 8-23.