Narcissistic Sociopathy In Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game

Narcissistic sociopathy is a mental disease where a person lacks empathy for others, while also viewing them self as superior in every way. These traits, separately, are becoming more commonly recognized in our society today, but together are a very rare occurrence. The antagonist of Richard Connell’s story The Most Dangerous Game, is a narcissistic sociopath. Zaroff is a textbook definition of a narcissistic sociopath. Connell divulges the theme of fear, and competition throughout the story with the use of several types of conflict, foreshadowing, and imagery.
The main character protagonist Rainsford encounters many forms of conflict in this story. Firstly, Rainsford endures the conflict type character versus nature. He is conflicted with …show more content…
For Zaroff, a man of textbook narcissistic sociopathy, to respect another and see him on an equal type scale, Rainsford must also be a sociopath too. The respect the two men have for each other, along with their similar views of the world, and society, and hunting, it is acceptable to assume that with the conclusion of Zaroff’s life at the end of the story that Rainsford takes over his practice of hunting humans. Throughout the three day experience, he is constantly re-composing himself and not allowing his emotions to take the wheel and direct his actions. He never really gets freaked out either, while yes his adrenaline is running high during the moments Zaroff is on his trail, he is generally calm and collected throughout the whole experience. All of his actions are calm and calculated. This shows that he is somewhat enjoying the experience. He is addicted to the sensation of adrenaline and fear, just as Zaroff, and this type of hunting is proving lucrative. In the end, though both competitors put up a good fight, it was Rainsford who won supreme and demonstrated that he is the fitter of the …show more content…
Zaroff did not live his whole life as a narcissistic sociopath. He most likely formed this condition while pursuing his addiction to fear and adrenaline. He is of old money, and has lived his entire life in the hunting scene, as did Rainsford. They both seek the thrill of the hunt, and having the means to provide himself with new game, as he has grown tired of predictable animals, Zaroff is able to buy himself an island. He is isolated from the world, and does not conform to any kind of rules, he dictates