Dangerous Game by Richard Connell Essay

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Both stories revolve around characters with power. Trevor strives to gain control in his own little world just as Zaroff does. Trevor wants to control those around him and he is quite successful at it. Greene writes that he "was giving his orders with decision: it was as though this plan had been with him all his life, pondered through the seasons, now in his fifteenth year crystallized with the pain of puberty" (Greene). It was his vision to destroy the house and it was his ingenuity that pulled off the act. Trevor was clear about his identity and his intensions. When discussing Old Misery's bank notes, he declares that the boys is not thieves and "Nobody's going to steal anything from this house. I kept these for you and me -- a celebration" (Greene). He also knows he does not hate Old Misery, telling Blackie, "There'd be no fun if I hated him" (Greene). Zaroff possesses the same kind of confidence in his endeavors. He is certain he will win, telling Rainsford, "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger" (Connell). Zaroff not only enjoys the hunt, he wants to continue expanding his horizons. He simply moves his way up the food chain in his game. These characters are driven by power and they demonstrate they will settle for nothing less.

Both authors present characters whose motivations can be determined from the text to a certain extent. We can know Rainsford will prove to be an excellent sport. Connell incorporates irony into the story by turning Rainsford into the hunted when he finds himself on Ship-Trap Island, a place he gave little thought to before his unfortunate fall from the yacht. Rainsford must find a way to survive and he must come to terms with the fact that he knows first hand how the hunted feels.

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For the first time in his life, he is being pursued -- for sport. Rainsford's experience undoubtedly marks his life; however, we cannot know with certainty that his attitude toward the hunted changes by the end of the story. Similarly, Connell turns the tables on Zaroff by allowing Rainsford to beat him at the game. Connell's story ends with us pondering the notion if Rainsford has indiscriminately morphed into Zaroff. We wonder how he will feel about human when he wakes in Zaroff's bed but Connell gives no indication regarding this issue. In "The Destructors," Trevor does not experience much change in character. Hatred for greed and wealth motivated him as much at the end of the story as they do in the beginning. He is a child and cannot think of another way to remove the troubled spots from his life, so he simply destroys them.

Power is not respecter of persons and it strikes in the souls of some of the most unsuspecting. From little boys to aristocrats, some people have a taste for power and learn how to control things in their environments that allow them to exert power over others. "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Destructors" illustrate the capacity of power as well as the capacity of man's weakness for power and control. Zaroff and Trevor are completely aware of what needs to occur for them to take and remain in control. They masterfully manipulate events that bring success. What we have always heard about power is that it corrupts and we can see this in Zaroff. With Trevor, we see the beginnings of what could be a smooth criminal.

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