Question

Explain how beginning the story with the dialogue between Rainsford and Whitney contributes to both the authors characterization of Rainsford and the story's mood. Cite evidence from the story in your response.

Answer 1

Answer and explanation:

Rainsford and Whitney are characters in Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game". They are both hunters who are traveling in a yatch. During their dialog, they begin to discuss the way the game (the prey) feels when it is being hunted. Whitney has empathy for the game, thinking animals can at least understand fear. Rainsford, on the other hand, has no empathy whatsoever. He sees the world as divided into those who hunt and those who are hunted. He seems himself as lucky for being the one who hunts. See the dialog below:

"The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford.

"For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar."

"Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"

"Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.

"Bah! They've no understanding."

"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."

"Nonsense," laughed Rainsford. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?"

If the above part of the dialog helps us understand Rainsford arrogance, the second part helps characterize the story's mood. Their yatch is now passing by an island that is famous for being evil. The mood of the story becomes suspenseful and mysterious:

"I can't tell in the dark. I hope so."

"Why? " asked Rainsford.

"The place has a reputation--a bad one."

"Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford.

"Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today?"

"They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even Captain Nielsen--"

"Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him was 'This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me, very gravely, 'Don't you feel anything?'--as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn't laugh when I tell you this--I did feel something like a sudden chill.

"There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the island then. What I felt was a--a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread."

"Pure imagination," said Rainsford.

"One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear."

It turns out that Rainsford will fall from the yatch and end up on the island, where he will be hunted by General Zaroff as if he were an animal.