Even though an individual might not be the best character, compared to gut wrenching, heart-cushing, murder he might look like God himself. This truth is really shown in the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” written by Richard Connell. For example Rainsford is a hunter consumed with self-pride and egotism that makes him boast at his friend Whitney that animals know nothing and have no feelings,”Who cares how a jaguar feels”. On the other hand, Zaroff takes the utmost pride in his hunting of humans,”Life is for the strong, to be taken by the strong.”. Zaroff dug himself into the idea that he is superior in every single way and to anyone that does not have reason. Since he is superior he believes the he has the duty to cleanse the world of the people without reason for the people with reason and the more intelligent. In this way Zaroff foils out Rainsford and shows how Rainsford is somewhat good in his moral code of what is right and wrong, in his over zealous pride, and in his epiphanie that changes the stories outcome.
The first major conflict between Rainsford and Zaroff inhabit their views of what is justifiable or unsound. Rainsford knows that Zaroff has different views when he tells him that he hunts the “most dangerous game” which is humans: “Here in my preserve on this island, he said in the same slow tone, I hunt more dangerous game.” and continuing, Rainsford baffled by Zaroff’s inability to care about the feelings of the people he hunts as sport, ”I’m a hunter, not a murderer”. This displays that Rainsford is now starting to think about the animals he hunts and the feelings they have when their being driven in fear by his long barreled weapon. On the other hand, Zaroff blocks out all the ideas that Rainsford tries to complem him with like maybe hunting people is not as fun for the person meeting their fate and then Zaroff offers to show Rainsford his library, “I want to show you my new collection of heads.” but Rainsford refuses Zaroff’s sick request, “you will excuse me tonight.”. Anyone can convince their self what they do is right, like Hitler justified in his own mind killing the jews. Zaroff convinces himself that life is for the strong and it is up to the strongest people to carry out the duty of cleansing the world of the insuperior. Even though Rainsford doesn’t care about the feelings of his hunted, he looks like a saint compared to Zaroff’s lack of sympathy for the people he hunts, only giving them the choice of either the hunt or letting Ivan have his fun, “If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan.”.
Both Rainsford and Zaroff have a problem with confidence and unwillingness to take suggestions of others. For example, Rainsford is resentful of Whitneys concerns of what an animal might feel like because he believes Whitney is inferior to him,”Don’t talk rot, Whitney.”. Rainsford continues to mock Whitney about his “rot” talking of a mystery, cursed islands, “Off there to the right somewhere is a large island. said Whitney. It’s rather a mystery”, while Rainsford carelessly smokes on the deck. Likewise, Zaroff thinks Rainsford is just being foolish about resenting his way of hunting,”I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded” and “even in America, with such a naive, and, if I may say so…” Zaroff stresses to Rainsford that he is just not looking at his beliefs correctly and is looking with a naive point of view. Zaroff makes Rainsford look like a worthy hero in the story again because he ignores the ideas that Rainsford is trying to emphasize like hunting defenseless people may not be a crack way to handle his need for sport. Rainsford is now realizing that how he treats whitney is wrong by ridiculing his ideas and teasing his “rot” talk because now Zaroff is ridiculing him and shunning his naive thoughts.
Also, the epiphanies of Rainsford and Zaroff were almost the same except, Zaroff’s was just a little to late. For example, Rainsfor shows very clear signs that he just doesn’t care about what others think like his friend Whitney, ”Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently puffed on his favorite brier.”. Rainsford is soon forced into a situation where he learns the error of his ways,”Rainsford knew now what a animal at bay feels.”. Rainsford had his epiphany when Zaroff and his hounds were closing in upon him, but luckily Rainsford made it out so he could use what he learned to hopefully better himself as a hunter, and a person. On the other hand, Zaroff was not so lucky in learning his flaw because Rainsford came back for revenge, “I am still a beast at bay.”, “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.”. Zaroff learned that even though he might be superior, a “beast at bay” will not stop until someone emerges on top.
Even though Rainsford might not be the best moral character because of his over zealous pride up until he has a life changing epiphany that shows him the errors of his ways, he looks exceptional compared to Zaroff. Finally now, Connell lets Zaroff destroy himself to let Rainsford foil out and develop his true true meaning and self. For example, Zaroff was killed by Rainsford who then learned a major lesson about the mistakes Zaroff made such as how he disregarded the feelings of the animals in which he hunts because he takes to much pride in what he does and that makes him block any other ideas out, just like Rainsford did. Zaroff also made Rainsford look like a heavenly angel when he introduced that he hunted humans. He did this because he had no moral compass of what is right and wrong. In conclusion, Zaroff’s motto which he lived by and that shows how different he thinks from most humans and Rainsford is, “Life is for the strong, to be taken by the strong.”.