The Most Dangerous Game

Despite their marked differences, Zaroff and Rainsford ascribe to similar worldviews. Both view humans as belonging to one of two categories: in Zaroff’s view, the weak or the strong, and in Rainsford’s view, “the hunters and the huntees” (1). For Zaroff, this worldview leads him to see sailors as “the scum of the earth” (8) who exist to give him pleasure. Zaroff acknowledges that strong humans, like him, have value, but weak ones do not. Even Ivan, Zaroff’s sole companion on the island, is expendable. He regrets Ivan’s death not because he valued him as a person but because he “would be difficult to replace” (14). After learning Zaroff’s beliefs about people, it comes as no surprise that he does not feel guilty killing them for his entertainment.

Connell uses Zaroff’s character to shock and outrage the reader. He is characterized as a ruthless sociopath with no regard for the innate value of human life. He justifies murder by categorizing the men he kills as animals. Zaroff’s character is clearly wrong, and readers have no problem identifying his behavior as evil.

However, Connell produces a more complex reader response with Rainsford’s character. Although Rainsford also divides the world into two categories, Connell shows that he has a measure of respect for human life.