Rainsford Character Analysis in The Most Dangerous Game (Book Analysis)

Authors use characterization in order to fully develop their characters and reveal inner motivations and plot complexities. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, we meet Rainsford, a famous hunter who goes from being the predator to becoming the prey. Connell’s characterization of both Rainsford and the antagonist, General Zaroff, shows a depth of character that both endears the reader and propels the plot forward. 

Initially, one of the flaws, but apparent traits, in Rainsford’s personality is that he deals with things in a dangerously nonchalant manner. After General Zaroff admits that he hunts humans, all Rainsford says is, “Hunting? Good God, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder” (Connell 27). Although Rainsford knows that killing people is wrong, he barely has a reaction to the fact that General Zaroff is a murderer. Rainsford doesn’t feel the need to treat Zaroff like a madman, and he was way too calm about General Zaroff’s actions and his character in general.

Next, there is General Zaroff. Most of his traits are negative, and one of them includes the fact that he has no moral standards. General Zaroff admits to legitimate murder, and shows himself in an even worse light when he says that he enjoys it because, “They can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous” (27). General Zaroff doesn’t have any remorse about killing these people, even with how big a deal it actually is. He would rather have fun by killing people than deciding to choose something else to do.

Finally, we go back to Rainsford’s character to show that he expects compliance from everyone. After all General Zaroff has admitted to doing, and how mentally unstable he has shown he is, all Rainsford thinks he can do is order Zaroff to let him, “...leave this island at once” (30). General Zaroff’s victims have been brutally chased and murdered, while Rainsford thinks he can just ask his way out of the situation. He needs to accept that he doesn’t have the power to do everything simply and swiftly. 

These two characters have very complex personalities that can’t be simplified to one influence or another, but it can be known that these traits reside in their actions. Rainsford has a personality that makes him think that he has more authority than he really does, and General Zaroff simply has no emotions and does what will benefit him. Overall, characterization helps the reader understand how characters deal with the situations they are put in, and it helps show how these characters change throughout the plot, and what kind of person they really are.