The Most Dangerous Game: a literary review

In Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” the tables have turned for the famed hunter, Sanger Rainsford, as he tries to outwit his opponent after he washes up on a mysterious island with an evil reputation. I am going to be analyzing “The Most Dangerous Game” by exploring its theme, setting, characters, points of view, irony, and symbolism.

            The most dangerous game is full of oppositions like the hunter versus the hunted, civilization versus brutality, and so forth, but one opposition that is very prevalent in the story that is even the source of the General’s pleasure of his hunting is reason versus instinct. The ability to reason separates humans from animals, who only use their instincts. General Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he grew bored of hunting animals, they were too easy, he needed to hunt something that could think and reason not just work on its instincts.

            The Most Dangerous Game takes place on a mysterious jungle island in the Caribbean that Whitney and Rainsford were sailing past to go on a hunting expedition in South America. The date isn’t very easy to tell but I would believe it to be in the early 1900’s. The mood of the story is a haunting tone as Rainsford tries to outwit the general but soon realizes he’s only playing with him.

            The rising action is Rainsford falling off the boat and swimming to the Shore of Shipwreck Island. A major conflict would be when Zaroff and Rainsford argue about the sport of hunting men which leads to Rainsford being Zaroff’s next quarry. Minor conflicts that thicken the plot is moments when Rainsford made a Burmese tiger trap for Zaroff but catches Zaroff’s hound instead or when he created a trap that drove a knife into the giant henchman, Ivan. The climax is when Rainsford eludes Zaroff and confronts him in his bedchamber. There isn’t much of falling action because the conflict is to be imagined by the reader with the resolution of Rainsford sleeping quite comfortably.

            The point of view in the story is a limited 3^rd person. Connell doesn’t have the reader through the eyes of Rainsford but readers still know his thoughts and emotions. It is definitely not a 1^st person even though the reader knows the thoughts of Rainsford because the use of I, me and we, are not used like a 1^st person point of view.

            The character I’m going to analyze specifically is Rainsford. Rainsford is a younger man around 25, probably coming from a family of money being able to afford hunting expeditions and a yacht. I would describe him as a round character, even though he is the clear protagonist, Rainsford does things that a flat character would do. He doesn’t just slip away and escape the general but goes back to the mansion to kill the general, and what can be inferred from the dialogue between the Rainsford and Zaroff was that after Rainsford killed the general and fed him to the dogs. All the while sleeping soundly in the general’s bed. Rainsford also seems to be a developing character even for a short story. In the beginning, when Rainsford and Whitney are talking on the yacht, Rainsford expresses he feels nothing for his quarry for they are just animals but soon feels the same fear of being hunted and the fear of dying. Connell described Rainsford using indirect characterization. Through Rainsford’s speech when he’s talking with Zaroff the reader can tell that Rainsford is moral, that hunting other creatures is different than hunting fellow men. Rainsford is able to construct traps to kill Zaroff, only using the jungle around him and a knife, this shows that Rainsford is a smart man and is able to work with his hands. Zaroff tells him that "I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life. Surely your experiences in the war--" Zaroff treats Rainsford with respect as a fellow great hunter, but thinks he is naive and young to not see the sport in hunting men. Rainsford isn’t really described for what he looks like, but he does seem to be accustomed to the high standards of living such as when he notices the clothes Ivan sets out for him that the general had lent him, is from a store that makes suits for royalty. In Rainsford’s inner thoughts such as, “Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation.” One can tell that even in a stressful situation Rainsford can keep calm, most likely from service in a war.

            There isn’t a very clear example of irony in The Most Dangerous Game, but when Zaroff says, "Tonight, we will hunt--you and I." Rainsford takes this as they will be together on the hunt but the general actually means that he will be the one hunting Rainsford. It’s ironic in a way that a world famous hunter is now the prey being hunted.

            I think a symbol that best represents the story would be the island. Named Shipwreck Island after so many vessels going down near it, part thanks to Zaroff who set up lights to trick ships into crashing into sharp rocks. The island represents confinement because once ashore there is no way off except escaping the clutched of the evil and sadistic, General Zaroff. The island is the General’s personal hunting grounds, he knows every inch of the island. There is nowhere you can hide from him.

            In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it is suspenseful and engaging for a short story. I would like to know how the General had gotten supplies and electricity on his island but those details would have taken away from the story. this isn't a story of a former cossack surviving on a jungle island, but of a man trying to survive and outwit a man that has lost his value for humanity. this is a perfect story for young adults mainly because that was the age when I first read this story

I'm broke but i spent money for this post

So recently I have gone to a restaurant named Lucky Garden. It is located on N. Huron street in Ypsilanti Michigan, in a little strip mall called the eastern plaza. They are an authentic Chinese cuisine restaurant, also called cheap Chinese because of such affordable prices for good food. The eastern plaza is just off the Eastern Michigan University campus within easy walking distance. The easy walking distance is good for me because I don't have a car so it really limits my options of going out. If you really don't feel like walking you can have your food delivered

The plaza has adequate parking for it being such a small group of businesses, but I wasn't too worried about parking. From the outside the Lucky Garden doesn't look like much. It looks like a small restaurant tucked away that nobody notices, sounds tragic I know. walking into the restaurant my first thought was 'does anyone go here?' there is one large dining area with a large mirror covering one wall and beautiful Chinese paintings  the kitchen is placed right behind the front counter. At first I didn't see the restroom because it was in a corner of the restaurant near the front almost out of view. There wasn't much for a waiting area probably because they aren't expecting a large amount of clients. There was no music playing only the sizzle of food in a wok, which was kind of peaceful in a way. There wasn't many tables and booths but of what there was, was spaced out so it didn't feel too crowded, with no one else there.

When looking at what a critic looks for in restaurants it asks to make note of clientele. To my best generalization, I can say the clientele is very low on the socioeconomic scale. People that would come to the Lucky Garden would most likely be people that are looking for some Chinese food that isn't very high in price because of having such a tight budget for things like eating out. The lucky garden could be served to anyone that likes the taste of traditional Chinese-American dishes. Many children would probably not care for many of the meals because every dish has vegetable incorporated into the meal, so kids that throw tantrums at the sight of edible vegetation be warned of this establishment.

Because the Lucky Garden is very small it is hard to give the restaurant's story, so I have found their website at luckygardenypsilanti.com, to just cover what they are about because I was not ready to barrage a the cashier/waiter questions about the restaurant. So, I have added a picture of their website's about us page, instead. 

The menu is a large trifold paper menu covered in meal options. It is supposed to be taken home so that you can easily have it when ordering delivery. The front cover has the name contact information business hours and location on the front. On all the other parts of the menu is full of many options including a section for lunch specials. Some dishes that aren’t as well know have very brief descriptions under and if you don’t know what are in the other dishes the staff is willing to give some insight into what the meal is. Meal prices can range from five dollars to around twelve dollars, but the dishes that are over ten are generally very large portions meant for more than one person. Overall I think the prices are great, especially for those on a tight budget.

 

I had ordered the lunch special of General Tso’s chicken, fried rice, and a side of wonton soup. The General Tso’s chicken was sweet and slightly spicy, I wish it had a bit more spice, the chicken was juicy and tender. The chicken was served with two bits of broccoli perfect for sopping up the last of the sauce. I was served a good portion of chicken which was only part of a meal. I had a choice between fried and white rice and I choose the fried rice. I was served a good amount of rice, cooked up with some chives and onion, giving it a delicious flavor. Last I had the wanton soup, I had never gotten soup from a Chinese restaurant so I didn’t know what to expect. The soup was a small bowl with three wantons in it but it was really good. The broth was delicious, almost reminds me of the broth of chicken noodle soup, which gives me a good feeling inside. The wantons were a little too large for eating with one bite but, it seemed very impractical to use my knife to cut it into a more manageable size. The food was all brought out to my table at once in a very quick amount of time. That is to say that I was pretty much the only one they were serving.

The service was pretty good, I didn’t have very high expectations going in so I was not disappointed. The Lucky Garden is a small restaurant where you go in order at the front counter sit down and wait until they bring you your food. There was no need for them to visit my table there is no need for reservations. They are very quick with their serving which is much appreciated. They have decent hours starting around eleven o’clock during the week ending late in the evening. As far as clientele dress code I believe they have the standard no shirt, no shoes, no service.

In the end of my review, I think overall the Lucky Garden is a good restaurant that I will likely go to again when I want Chinese food. They have good quick service, very reasonable prices and delectable meals. I have pictures of my first time to the Lucky Garden to show what the inside and outside is like, I apologize for the low quality.

3 people

Gregg Brichan. My first person is someone that has impacted my life almost every day. My father has been there for me for all of my life. He has been a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a consultant, and my father. He grew up the youngest of four in the small town of Owosso Michigan. I remember him telling me stories of his childhood. Stories of things he did that shaped who he is today and stories of people he knew. People say that you get things from your parents, certain attributes you possess came from one particular parent or the other. Whether this idea of nature versus nurture is up to professionals. Anyhow, Of course, people first see that I definitely received my height from my six foot eight inches, father than my five foot four mother. On the other hand, I do know that I probably got my sense of humor from my dad. Around our family, we enjoy passing the time with the retelling of hilarious stories. It's something we do to laugh at the world. 

Before, I said that he is my mentor, consultant, and teacher. That is true in most senses. My Dad was a flight instructor for many years before being forced to retire, due to height restrictions. He then became a stay at home dad to take care of three young boys while my mom was teaching math to thirteen-year-olds. My father may not be extremely worldly, not understanding some references to movies and books that I've read but, he is a very smart person. He can put his knowledge of what he has learned and applies it to the world, to me that is real intelligence. As a child, he taught my brothers and me, to think to be good people. Even now when I have moved out to college I still am able to call or message him, if I have questions or want to share something.

Jason Beldyga. Mr. Beldyga, my second person, is also a mentor in my life and many others. He is a teacher and a coach, at the high school I graduated from in Corunna, Michigan. Mr. Beldyga had been my track coach for all four years of high school. I remember many practices and track meets in so many different conditions. It is slightly amusing how the team would mope and moan when we were doing sprints out in 30-degree weather, but when it came to a meet and it was 40 degree it didn't feel so bad. The Corunna team wasn't huddled up in the cold like the other teams. Coach Beldyga gave us all a mindset for track & field. A mindset that said that we can run in anything we were ready for it. What I mean is that Coach Beldyga has helped not only me but other men and women on the track team to be ready for anything and be ready to fight through it.

Not only is Mr. Beldyga a coach to many but he is also a teacher. He is an excellent teacher that connects with students and makes a lasting impression. He has certainly had left an impression on me and many other students. Mr. Beldyga made it a joy in his classroom, by connecting with us but still keeping a professional demeanor as a teacher. And yet he was friendly and kind and treated students as adults. His attitude made me feel that I had to strive to work hard not just for a good grade but also to be a good person. He has been a great influence on my life as well as many others as a coach and a teacher.

Robin Williams. As my third and last person, I didn't know Robin personally, nor have I ever met him in person. And yet he has been an influence on my life none less. I remember him mostly from his movies. When I was younger I would watch his personality in Hook, Aladdin Jumanji, Flubber, and Mrs. Doubtfire. As I grew up I watched him in Good Will Hunting, Good Morning Vietnam, Birdcage, and Patch Adams. I remember laughing at his funny characters and his quirky attitude. But when I found out about his depression after he committed suicide, I was taken aback. Like everyone, I had believed that such a distinguished actor and comedian, who seemed very happy and happy making those around him happy was very depressed deep down inside. 

Mr. Williams was quoted saying, "I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it feels like to be absolutely worthless and they don't want anyone else to feel like that." Even though Robin had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, he is still a hero to me. I may not have the level of depression he had or the different problems but, from him I learned to try and make those around me happy. Sure I couldn't tell you every single detail about Robin Williams, I wouldn't be able to site every quote of his but, I am a fan. He has been a part of my life since I was a child. Obviously I am not the only person who he has influenced with his work and career. And many people around the world were deeply saddened by the sudden news of his death. 

All about Buckets

We are going to die someday... maybe. At least, for some of we accept that, and we try to live life to the fullest before we kick the bucket. I have a few things I want to do before I can't do anything anymore. Some things I want are going to seem simple, others are going to be a little harder that I'm going to have to work for. Essentially these are goals in life, my bucket list.

1. Be with someone I want to be with. Ah yes, let's start out of the gate with a really emotional one. But never the less, I want to be happy in my life and I want to share it with someone special. Even though Kate lives on the other side of the world we couldn't be closer. She makes me happy and I want to return that feeling every day. So my first goal in life is to be with her.








2. Medieval Combat. I shall have fun with this one. I've always had a fascination with medieval fighting. With things like swords, shields, spears, lances, ballista, catapults, and so on. I am only guessing here but I'm sure there are some health security risks involved with a combat style meant to kill but life is full of risks, right? I have seen people fight in full armor and steel swords. I assume their swords were severely blunted to still be able to give a good hit but not slice or puncture the other person. Now, obviously, I am not going to leave this till the end because I don't want to be an 80-year-old man getting a beating in a suit of armor. Hopefully, this isn't how I go out but, it would be kind of a memorable way. But, hey, if I can't fight with steel I could always LARP and use NERF foam swords.







3. I want to learn how to fly. And no I don't mean jump off a cliff and wave my arms around a lot. I want to learn how to fly both helicopters and airplanes. I already know some of the basics for flying both because my father was a flight instructor for many years and even though it doesn't sound good, I have spent countless hours on flight simulators. In my limited experience taking off and keeping the vehicle in the air is easy, it is always the landing that is the hard part. But, I have been always fascinated with flying.




4. Drive a tank. Honestly, I have no preference on what tank I want to drive. Maybe an M4 Sherman or a German Leopard 1, I wouldn't mind any tank. But I do want to be able to drive a 10-ton metal machine in a deserted location, where my friends and I, can freely drive around and shoot various objects. I think that it would be a very enjoyable day to spend it with my friends being destructive in a safe way. Now obviously, we're not going to be able to just buy a tank, buy the Ammunition, and go to some secluded place without having the national guard call in an airstrike on us. We would probably borrow the tank for a day from a collector of some sort. We would have to clear the purchase of the shells through the national government. We would all take a crash course of operating a tank. I would expect that we would have direct supervision from a tank specialist from the Army. Even with all these things, I would still want to drive a tank.

5. Live in the woods. This dream is somewhere halfway between Gary Paulson's Hatchet and Bear Grylls. My idea for this is that I would be given some simple supplies and dropped off in some remote wilderness. After a predetermined amount of time, I would be picked up and brought back to civilization. I would have a GPS on me at all times just in case I also would have a distress beacon if things do not go well and I am in danger. I like the wilderness and enjoy the fantasy of surviving. To be able to build a shelter, catch and cook my food, and just live in general is an appealing adventure to me.


6. To travel to The United Kingdom. There are many places I would want to visit in the UK. I know I want to see London and the famous places around there, such as Buckingham palace, Big Ben, among others. I would want to see some castles, big grand castles. I would like to see the Stonehenge of course. I would also want to see the serene wilderness of the Scottish glens. In England, I am going to go see one of my favorite football teams play. I want to see either Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United.









7. To travel to Italy. While on the subject of traveling, I would love to take an adventure to the Italy.I would travel to cities like Rome, Venice, and Sicily. I would love to take a day to explore the ruins and get a feel for the Italian Culture. I have been fascinated by both Roman and Greek mythology for a long time and to see the shrines and ancient temple, or what's left of them, would be amazing. It would be an adventure like no other. I promise though that I will not do the candid photo of leaning on the leaning tower of Pisa.

8. See a dinosaur. Even though we have a trilogy and a fourth movie that shows that the genetic making of dinosaurs is an extremely bad idea and hundreds of people could die, I still would want to see a living breathing dinosaur. And no calling your grandma a dinosaur is mean and you should respect your elders. But what kind of dinosaur would I want to see, though? personally, the carnivores would be cool and all but, I would actually want to see the ankylosaurus. It has been nicknamed the "tank," which is a good name considers it is one of the most heavily protected creatures to ever live. So if a "Jurassic park" of some sort opens up in my lifetime, I would definitely be going at some time and hope that the dinosaurs stay in their enclosures.

9. Fly a Zepplin. I know I have already stated I wanted to learn how to fly but, this is different. One thing I think would be really amazing is to live in a dirigible. If I could amass enough money as to buy a large dirigible and stock it to be basically self-sustaining meaning, I will grow my own food, collect water and power, I would retire and "sail" around the world. I would make sure as to be able to fix any problem that could possibly happen. To put it in a picturesque way, I want to grow old and live among the clouds.

number's by me

This post is just a start and is supposed to give a view into my life through numbers that mean something special to me.

The first digit is 2. The number 2 is special to me because I am the second child in my family and I have 2 brothers. In high school I ran the half mile for the track team, my best time was right around 2 minutes. Despite being tall, I was never any good at basketball. I had only played in for two years and through those 2 years, I only made 2 points. In mathematics 2 is the only even prime number, which is something I always like as a kid learning math.

The next number is 21. Sure most people hear 21 they think of blackjack or even that one vine. But for me, the number 21 has been my jersey number for High school soccer and basketball and now my quidditch jersey number. I chose the number pretty much at random and I've stuck with it. In essence, I have made it my lucky number. It just so happens that next year in the year 2017 I will be 21. I like the game of pin ping, also known as table tennis, and 21 is usually the end score. Twenty-one pilots is one of my favorite groups. Also, it is the ninth digit in the famed Fibonacci sequence. 




18 is an interesting age for many. I was born on the 18th of November. I first started college at the age 18, which has been an adventure so far. Of course like many I have my full license at the age of 18. In High school, I was the goalkeeper for the varsity team and in one game I had a personal record of 18 saves. We had lost that game but we fought hard. To put 18 saves into perspective American goalkeeper, Tim Howard, made a world record in 2014, of 16 saves in a world cup match, against Belgium.

Another number that I can think of that has something to do with my life is the number pi. If anybody doesn't remember from their high school math classes, pi is an irrational number that is used in calculating the area and circumference of a circle. I do like math quite a bit, and having to do with pi I like a lot of circles. One circle, in particular, is pie! I love pie, there are many kinds of pie and different things you can do with a pie to improve flavor. For example, I love a hot slice of Dutch apple pie with a scoop of cool vanilla bean ice cream. Other circles of pi(e) I like are pizzas. Pi is a wonderful mysterious number and so is the tasty dessert that is named just like it.

Sure I can go on, I guess I can try and find a new number to connect with my life. I know that it was a stretch with pi, but I may do better with this number, we'll see. 



So another number that I can connect to my life could be the number 12. I love food. even though I may not look the part I like to eat. And though growing up, being told breakfast is the most important meal of the day  I love lunch. this meal in particular I like because it's mid-day it is that break in your day from your work. And what time do we base lunch around? Noon! well, 12 o'clock pm. now still on the topic of 12 and food, the word to use when you have a set of twelve is a dozen. I would never pass up the opportunity to indulge myself with a dozen, 12, donuts. And no I am not a supporter of a "baker's dozen" a baker's dozen is just an odd amount.