Author of “The Most Dangerous Game”

Richard Connell

• Attended Georgetown University for a year while working for his father (a congressman)
• Graduated from Harvard in 1915
• Served in World War I
• Started freelance writing in 1919
• In 1919 Married Louise Herrick Fox, a writer and editor
• They moved to Beverly Hills, CA in 1925
• He worked for film studios United Artists, Paramount Studios, Universal, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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Richard Connell

• “The Most Dangerous Game,” published in 1925 is Connell’s most

well-known story

• This story was inspired by the big-game in Africa
• Connell also published plays, novels, and screenplays
• Died at home of a heart attack on Nov. 22, 1949

Richard Connell’s Other Works

• The Most Dangerous Game (1932) (contributing writer)
• The Milky Way (1936) (writer)
• F-Man (1936) (writer)
• Love on Toast (1937) (writer)
• Okusama ni shirasu bekarazu (1937) (writer)
• The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) (contributing writer) (uncredited)
• Doctor Rhythm (1938) (writer)
• Hired Wife (1940) (writer)

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Richard Connell’s Other Works

• Nice Girl? (1941) (writer)
• Rio Rita (1942) (screenplay)
• Presenting Lily Mars (1943) (screenplay)
• Two Girls and a Sailor (1944) (writer)
• Thrill of a Romance (1945) (writer)
• Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945) (writer)
• Luxury Liner (1948) (writer)

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Richard Connell’s Other Works

• The Mad Lover (1928)
• Murder at Sea (1929)
• Playboy (1936)
• What Ho! (1937)

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Richard Connell’s Awards

• He won the O. Henry Memorial prize twice with his stories:
• “The Most Dangerous Game”
• “A Friend of Napoleon”
• He won an Academy Award for his movie:
• “Meet John Doe”

Thesis:

Theme:

In his short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell uses irony and symbolism to highlight the theme that society and morality are shaped by the corruption of violence, survival, and revenge.

1. Violence: Connell uses Zaroff’s character to explore the justification of violence and the dehumanization of innocent people.
1. He believes that humans are just an extension from animals and therefore should be hunted.

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• Survival: Through Rainsford, Connell highlights that humans will do whatever they have to do to survive, whether it challenges their morals and ethics.

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• Revenge: Even after Rainsford had won the hunt, he decided that he was still going to kill Zaroff.

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Irony:

• Hunter Becomes Hunted: Connell uses this irony to emphasize the unpredictability of one’s fate and the fact that people who believe they’re superior can be humbled by things beyond their control.

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• Zaroff’s Admiration in Rainsford’s Book: Despite having read Rainsford’s book, Zaroff fails to see the difference between his morals and Rainsford’s.
• Whereas Zaroff sees hunting humans as a sport, Rainsford values human life; he doesn’t believe in Zaroff’s justification for it and refuses to participate in it.

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• Zaroff’s Belief in “Survival of the Fittest”: Zaroff holds the mindset of “survival of the fittest,” seeing himself as the epitome of cunning and strength.

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Symbolism:

• Island Represents New & Old Centuries: The island performs as an actual battlefield, where the two opposing worldviews collide; this highlights the struggle between the past and present.

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• Characters Represent New & Old Ideologies: General Zaroff symbolized the old worldview, which is evident with his outdated notions of dominance and aristocracy. In contrast, Rainsford presents the new century’s ideology of individualism and self-made success.

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• The Hunt Serves as A Clash Between Old & New Lifestyles:

Zaroff’s lifestyle of hunting humans depicts the old world’s reliance on conquest and dominance.

• Oppositely, Rainsford’s need for survival and the eventual victory of defeating Zaroff symbolize the triumph of the century’s principles of strength and adaptability.

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Works Cited

Historical Context: 'The Most Dangerous Game'." EXPLORING Short Stories, Gale, 2003. Gale In Context: College, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2112500152/CSIC?u=txshracd2562&sid=bookmark-CSIC&xid=47ebf316. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024d=9cc43c9c. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

Kippen, David. "Overview of 'The Most Dangerous Game'." EXPLORING Short Stories, Gale, 2003. Gale In Context: College, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2112200171/CSIC?u=txshracd2562&sid=bookmark-CSIC&xid=01be153a. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

"Themes and Construction: 'The Most Dangerous Game'." EXPLORING Short Stories, Gale, 2003. Gale In Context: College, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2112500052/CSIC?u=txshracd2562&sid=bookmark-CSIC&x

Thompson, Terry W. "A Tale of Two Centuries: Richard Connell's 'The Most Dangerous Game'." The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 3, spring 2018, pp. 318+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A535235849/GLS?u=txshracd2562&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=425f726c. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

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