Adaptation of The Most Dangerous Game (Book Analysis)

In any situation, do you go off of what you know, or do you adapt to your surroundings? Do you play the game, or do you cheat? Do you think fast and on your feet, or do you fail? The quick switch from predator to prey turns the tables and gives you a chance to view things from a different perspective. Life throws new obstacles for you to avaide, and it’s our job to overcome those obstacles by taking different approaches, as well as looking deeper to uncover what we need to do. Table-turning situations are frequently used in literature to show how the character thinks and adapts under pressure. Similarly, in “The Most Dangerous Game”, Richard Connell conveys the idea that to ultimately survive in life, you have to adapt to your surroundings. 

Connell expresses the theme of adaption most clearly through the setting of the story. The character Rainsford portrayed an exceptional example of adapting to his surroundings when he “dug a pit and planted saplings sharpened into fine pointed stakes in the bottom of the pit” (5) because he took the resources around him and turned them into something dangerous in order to defend himself. He used unfamiliar terrain to his advantage by using prior knowledge of traps and landscaping to prolong the hunt. Another demonstration of adaptation was when Rainsford “leapt out far into the sea” (5) to easily swim back to the start instead of scrambling through the jungle while avoiding Zaroff. Additionally, adapting to where you are and what you have is an extremely important aspect of hunting and survival, as you can see Rainsford pays close attention to this, as does Zaroff. They both adapt remarkably well to the situation at hand. First, Zaroff is hunting somebody new and yet he finds him in less than a day in his exact location. Secondly, Rainsford has never been hunted before and hasn’t even met this man prior, but he also adapts to build traps and diverts Zaroff in order to escape. 

Furthermore, Connells expression of adaptation is also shown in dialogue. The instant that Rainsford said “And if I win” (4), he agreed to play Zaroff’s twisted game. During the conversation between them, Rainsford adapted to the situation after each word Zaroff spoke. He became aware of the way Zaroff thinks and acts and he changed his demeanor from confused and unknowing to prepared and calm. He outsmarted Zaroff several times and kept him on his toes. When Zaroff was “Three feet from the pit” (5) he had surprised Rainsford. Before, he had heard a “sharp scream of pain” (5) that he believed was Zaroff caught in the trap, but was only a dog as a diversion. Zaroff adapted by recognizing the trap prior to getting too close and sent a dog forward to throw Rainsford off. He used his resources to create a useful diversion that confused his prey.