Rainsford When it comes down to your morals, how far would you go to survive? Morals are something you live by and can be good or bad, but everybody has them. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the main character Sanger Rainsford is a dynamic character who is forced to change his own beliefs through relationship, conflict, and survival. For example, Whitney says, “I’d rather think they fear one thing- Fear, the fear of pain, and the fear of death. At this time in the story Whitney is explaining to Rainsford how animals feel when they are being hunted. Rainsford doubts him and insists animals do not have feelings. He is being very naive about fear and does not think hunting is wrong. His view on fear and hunting will be questioned through out the story. Whitney and Rainsford’s different views of fears has an impact on their relationship. Rainsford and Zaroff are in conflict. Zaroff tells Rainsford about how nature usually parts on his side by bringing people to his ship trap island to play his game.
Zafoff says, “Sometimes the angry god of the high sea sends them to me. ” Zaroff thinks its okay to hunt humans because of this. Rainsford does not agree at all because he claims humans have feelings and animals do not. Zaroff just finds it more of a challenge to hunt humans because they have reasoning when animals do not. In order too survive Rainsford needs to step up his game because Zaroff is catching on to his tricks. This shows when Zaroff says, “Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs. Again you score Mr.
Rainsford, I’ll see what you can do against my whole pack. ” Rainsford is very experienced in hunting animals, but not humans, he needs to change his mind set if he wants to survive. In the end he finds something Zaroff cannot beat and wins the game. Through relationships, conflict, and survival Rainsford wins the game. He will return to civilization and may change his ways and stop hunting. After his experiences on ship trap island there will be a tough decision wether he will continue hunting or stop all together.
