Suspense And Tension In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

The short story “The Most Dangerous Game” is one of the most memorable short stories written by Richard Connell. This story depicts the encounter of Sanger Rainsfield and General Zaroff, in which two opposing characters would hunt and try to take each other out. However, what makes this short story a shocking masterpiece is because of the author’s effective usage of literary devices. First, Connell creates a mood of suspense and tension through his very detailed descriptions of the setting and the imagery throughout the story. Furthermore, the author devises a man vs. man conflict in the story in such a way to shock the reader in the end. Lastly, the author uses an eerie characterization to reveal the traits of the character through narration …show more content…
But, Connell executes the use of suspense that would make the reader feel utterly flabbergasted. He sets the tone of the story gradually, slowly building up a sense of an odd and spooky feeling thus creating a suspenseful plot all the way to the ending. In the story, Connell uses an impeccable example of suspense that will surely make the reader feel astonished. In the following quote, the reader would undoubtedly feel a sense of tremor because of how close the two characters are in a certain area: “Rainsford held his breath. The general’s eyes had left the ground and were travelling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where Rainsford lay…” (Connell 174). This causes the reader to wonder how can Rainsford be able to escape away from Zaroff’s perseverance to find him. Also, Connell uses suspense where Rainsford had nowhere to go when getting chased by the hounds: “‘Nerve, nerve, nerve!’ he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds…Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea…” (Connell 196). This creates a feeling of trepidation for the readers because the author leaves the information out and leaves the reader …show more content…
Connell uses huge variety of words which creates a mood throughout the story. For example, the author describes General Zaroff as a wealthy, hospitable, and a man with high status. However as the plot slowly unravels itself, so as Zaroff revealing his true nature; he is now described as a suspicious, barbaric, thrill-seeking individual. In the story, Zaroff expresses himself to Rainsford that he lost his interest with just hunting animals: “The general smiled. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford.’” (Connell 79). This part of this story foreshadows that a big incident will occur. These short few lines somehow can be interpreted as if Zaroff will eventually do something inhumane and that causes the story to be shocking. Furthermore, Zaroff is also described as a terrifying man and is a psychopath. He has a character of a violent, aggressive behavior. He has an obsession of hunting a dangerous “animal” that he invented: “‘Precisely,’ said the general. ‘That is why I use them. It gives me pleasure. They can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous’” (Connell 120). This suggests that Zaroff is an apathetic character and the reader sees him as a brutal and a non-mercy man. Concluding