On page 25, paragraph 2 the text reads, “Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and I grew more slender as the yacht raced on.” This quote shows suspense because Rainsford on his own near the island that the sailors fear called Ship-Trap Island. Also, before falling into the ocean, Rainsford heard the sound of a gun and a cry of an animal, which also adds to the suspense for when he fell into the water.
The island Ship-Trap Island is called that because Zaroff intentionally makes ships breakdown so that he can hunt the sailors aboard the ship. “The general chuckled. “They indicate a channel,” he said, “where there’s none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut”. The quote describes the trap, which is why it has picked up the name Ship-Trap Island by the sailors who has been fooled by the islands trap.
The setting of the home and jungle are like that so that whenever sailors land onto the shore of the island, they look for shelter, and they see the large castle like home of Zaroff. As stated in the text, “Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line” Zaroff positioned his home so that when someone shipwrecked they’d see the home. Also, the niceness of the home, compared to jungle, is a reason for sailors to stay in the home.
The food of the house was so delicious and the decor was so beautiful and the only way they’d survive was if they lived in the nice furnished house of a stranger, instead of living in the jungle. The jungle was a lot more dangerous filled with animals and bugs and they didn’t know where they’d get food or if they could even find shelter.
The word game applies to the title because Zaroff sees hunting as game. It offers him entertainment value and it’s fun for him. Games are also challenging and it challenges the mind and hunting does those things. The hunter has to follow the trail of the animal being hunted and it’s dangerous because the hunter can die trying to hunt the animal down. However it can be used for a different meaning, an animal being hunted. This applies to the title because the entire story is about hunting, and the most dangerous specimen to hunt is humans. Animals act off instinct humans act of thought which is why they’re the most dangerous game.
Rainsford used a lot of tricks while trying to get away from Zaroff one of which was to create a difficult trail. This was what was stated in the text, “He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again,” this was the first of his tricks. The second one he used was; “…hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up.” He created a pit of spikes in an attempt to kill Zaroff.
The third trick was; “He caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling.” This shows that Rainsford is a handyman and that he’s well versed in hunting making him extremely smart and calm when in a problem.
In the end of the story when Rainsford kills Zaroff, on page 39 in the last paragraph it reads; . “The general made one of his deepest bows. “I see,” he said. “Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford.” He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.” Although Rainsford hated murder, the murder of a murderer was justified in the case of Zaroff. This is because of all the horrific deeds that Zaroff did to the sailors that passed through his island. Also, killing Zaroff is a form of self-defense because Zaroff was threatening to murder Rainsford and the only way to escape from Zaroff was either to kill him or to live through the three days.
The message of human behaviour described in The Most Dangerous Game was that people are not as they seem. At first Zaroff seems like a nice person who offers Rainsford a place of rest and food. Even Rainsford said, “He was finding the general a most thoughtful and affable host, a true cosmopolite.” He began to trust the general, since he was eating the delicious food that was prepared and drinking the wine that the general was offering. However, as the story continues Rainsford realizes he was baited and trapped by the general who hunts humans for sport. This is a classic example of never judge a book by its cover. Zaroff is nice on the outside but as you continue with him you learn that he’s actually insane.
