Skip to main content

The most dangerous game

Summary:

It was a dark night. Whitney and Rains ford were talking about hunting on the yatch. They said that hunting was the best sport in the world.But Whitney corrected that it was best for the hunter, not for the jaguar. Ranford was not interested in how the jaguar felt.He thought that it had no understanding. But Whitney added that it understands the fear of pain and death.
In Ranford’s opinion the world is made up of two classes – the hunters and the hunted – and luckily they were hunters.After a while Whitney went to bed and Rainsford was smoking a pipe sitting on the deck.Then he heard three shots and he stood on the railing to see clearly, but he fell down into the sea.The yacht passed out of sight and he swan to the right from where he had heard the pistol shots.
He was very happy when he came to the shore. He fell asleep and when he woke up it was late afternoon.He supposed that there must be men because only the human beings use pistols. He examined the ground closely and found a used cartridge.A small pistol was used to kill a big game. Following the hunting boots’ mark, he reached a large country house (chateau), which was on a cliff.On three sides of it, there was the sea. It was no mirage. He lifted the knocker and the door was opened by a giant fellow with a revolver in his hand.He was pointing it straight at Ranford's heart. He did not seem to hear what Rainsford said.Then a tall, thin man came and welcomed Rainsford, the famous, writer and hunter. He was General Zaroff.He and Evan were Cossacks; Zaroff was the son of a Russian nobleman. He had been interested in hunting since he was five. He had shot the turkey then.At ten he had killed his first bear. His whole life was a prolonged hunt. After the Russian Revolution he left the country.He had invested heavily in American securities. So he could live a luxurious life. He killed a buffalo in Africa. He had heard that jaguars were very clever.
But he was disappointed because they were no match for a hunter with wits and a rifle. Hunting was too easy for him because he always got his quarry.He could not be proud of it. The animal had only his instinct and his legs. Instinct is no match for reason.In order to avoid bore, he invented a new animal, which had courage, cunning and the ability to reason. For this purpose he bought the island.
It was not a murder to Zaroff because in war a man kills another man. He thought that life is for the strong and they could do anything to the weak for their pleasure.
The new animal was supplied to him by god. Usually the sailors were trapped for the purpose, Zaroff would train them.Then he would send one of them into the jungle with food and the hunting knife. He would follow the quarry with the light pistol.If the quarries avoid him for three days, he won the game. If not, Zaroff would kill him. If the person did not like hunting, he would be wiped by Ivan.
None of them could go out of the house, at the night the dogs would watch them and by day Evan would do the same. Rainsford wanted to go away. But Zaroff promised that if he won the game he could go. And Zaroff suggested that Rainsford and he should hunt the following days.
He said that the game would be most interesting. Rainsford went to bed after a good meal, But he could not sleep. In the morning as he was beginning to doze.He heard a pistol shot. He met Zaroff at luncheon. After they had their meals, Zaroff asked Evan to give Rainsford hunting clothes, food and a knife. Zaroff went to sleep and advised Rainsford to go into the jungle where they would play the game. Rainsford continued walking through the bush for two hours. Now he controlled himself and considered the situation carefully. It was useless to run away from Zaroff.
It was to play trick on him. Then Rainsford made a series of complex round like a fox and climbed a tree without leaving any marks.Then he rested and felt new confined. He though only the devil could him there. The night passed very slowly.Towards morning he heard the cry of some startled birds and saw a man coming to tree. It was Zaroff. He had come there like hunting dog.
Rainsford wanted to jump down on him, but the pistol in Zaroff’s hand stooped him from doing so.
Zaroff examined the ground and tree, but the eyes turned away before he saw Ranford’s legs. He smiled and turned back. Rainsford was afraid because Zaroff had left him for the next day’s hunting. The cassock was the cat playing with the mouse.Then Rainsford knew the full meaning of fear. He jumped down the tree and went into the jungle. He forced his mind to work.
He saw a big dead tree leaning on a small living tree. He took out the knife and made a trap. The bough was the. After a while the general came there.He was deeply lost in finding out the quarry. He touched the trigger, but was fast enough to jump back and to save his life from the Malaya man- catcher.He congratulated Rainsford and went home to dress his wound on the shoulder.
Rainsford started fleeing again. When he was near the death Swamp, he dug a pit. Then he pointed sticks and planted them with the point upwards.He then covered the pit with the carpet of weed and branches. He was hiding there. He was happy when he heard the pain of dying thing in pit.
But the general said that he was sorry for missing his best dog in the Burmese tiger pit. He went home in ordered to bring the hunting dog to look for Rainsford. It was morning. Rainsford was awakened by the bay of the hunting dogs. To stay there was a suicide. He wanted to avoid death as long as he could.The baying of the dogs came nearer. He saw Ivan holding the dogs in leash. He thought of a Ugandan trick.He fastened the hunting knife on to springy and tied it with grapevine. He ran for life .The dogs aside their sensing the fresh sent. Rainsford knew now how a hunted animal feel. As the bark stooped, he felt that Ivan must have been killed with the knife.He could not be happy because the general was still walking. Rainsford ran ahead and jumped down into the sea. The general and the dogs could not find him. Zaroff was enjoying his dinner and drink. But he felt sorry for Ivan and for missing the quarry.He went up to bed and found Rainsford, who had come there by swimming. Rainsford was not ready to accept the fact that he had won the game.He was still a best at bay. He wants the general to get ready. The one who won would sleep in bed and the other would be the food for the hounds.Finally, rainsford slept in the better bed after killing the general

Four levels:

1. Literal comprehension:   
Rainsford told Whitney that the hunted animals did not have understanding. At this Whitney replied that they understand the fear of pain and the fear of death.After this Whitney went to bed in the yatch and Rainsford sat on the deck and heard three shots. He climbed on the railing and fell into the sea.With great difficulty he swam up to the shore and fell asleep. The next evening he reached a large house and general Zaroff welcomed him.The general had been a hunter all his life. He found the animals not good to hunt. So he had invited new animals which had courage, cunning and the ability to reason.He trapped those new animals and trained them. After wards he left one in the jungle with enough food and a hunting knife.If the quarry avoided the general for three days, he would win. If not, the general would kill him.It was not a murder to the general because the civilized world killed many people at war. Rainsford was forced to become the quarry.After he won he could go out of the ice land. Rainsford went in to the jungle and ran on. But he found it useless.So he made a complex trial like a fox and climbed a tree. The general came up to the tree and went without looking at him.Perhaps he wanted to save his quarry for the next day’s hunting. The Rainsford knew the real meaning of fear. Following this, he made a Malayalam-catcher.But the general saved his life from this trap. After this Rains ford prepared a Burmese tiger pit. The general’s best dog was killed.The general came again with the pack of dogs. Ivan, the general’s servant, was killed using a Ugandan trick. Now Rains ford knew how hunted animals felt.To save his life, he divided into the sea. The general went home being sad. After dinner he went to sleep and found Rainsford there, who had come there by swimming.When the general said that he had won the game, Rainsford said that he was still a hunted animals, and killed the general and slept in the excellent bed.

2.  Interpretation:   
The story might be trying to tell us that there is no difference in hunting between the man and the animals. Both of them have fear of the death and the fear of the pain. It can also be interpreted to mean that were knows where the shoe pinches.Only the hunted animals know whether it has fear of death and pain or not. Rains ford, as long as he was a hunter,was not concerned with the hunted animal’s feelings. But later on when he himself became the hunted animals, he knew the full meaning of terror.Also, this story tells us what the animal fells, and therefore discourages hunting.

3. Critical thinking:   
There are many things in the story which we find disagreeable. Is there a ship Trap Island in the world? Do we find the general Zaroff in everyday life?Dose a man hunt another man like an animal?

4. Assimilation:   
This story has brought a great change in me. Beforehand I would enjoy killing birds or animals. I would be happy when I was clever enough to trap them.I was proud of my marksmanship. But when I read the story I realized the one day I would be like general Zaroff my desire for hunting increased.
I also identified myself with the chased Rainsford. All of a sudden I felt pity towards all the animals like the Buddha.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thinking as a hobby

Summary: As a boy Golding found that there were three grades of thinking, but later when his hobby was thinking that could not think at all. His headmaster first brought the subject of thinking before him. There were three statuettes in his study. One was an armless lady in bath towels worried about the slipping of the towel. Next to her, was a crouching leopard ready to jump down at the top drawer of filling cabinet labeled A-AH. Beyond the leopard was a naked muscular man. He sat looking down with his chin on his fist and his elbow on his knee. The statutes were the symbols of the whole of life to the headmaster. To him the lady was the Venus (beauty) of Milo. She was love. She just wanted to be beautiful. The leopard was Nature and was being natural. The man was Rodin’s Thinker, an image of pure thought. Golding was punished for not obeying the teachers. He was taken in the headmaster’s study and was asked to think the thinker. But Golding did not understand him because he was no...

A most Forgiving Ape

Summary: We do not very much about the gorilla but we think that we know him well. Our source of knowledge is horror films and adventure books. We don’t have his really satisfactory photograph.We do not know anything about his life cycle and social structure. We know a little about the animal. An eighteen month old gorilla may try to trace the outline of his own shadow.A male gorilla helps a female to climb up a steep rock-step. His love for the female and the family is quite human.The family members eat together and sleep making their beds. A full-grown male rises to six foot and weighs six hundred pounds.He is strong that he can remove the head of a man with his hands. But the female is much smaller and lighter.They have a strong smell, a mixture of human sweat, manure and charred wood. They can see clearly, but they are probably deficient in both hearing and smelling.They appear to be talking to each other in high- pitched voices. When they are in danger the male makes a fright...

Eight o’clock

Summary: The protagonist (maim character) stood and heard the bell of the church tower. In the morning the bell was heard all over the town and it reminded the people of their task and pushed them out.After every fifteen minutes the clock hit the bell- one, two, three and four. An unpleasant event was about to happen. The hour was quiet near against desire. He stood and counted the quarter strike.It was four. He therefore cursed his luck because he could do nothing to protect himself from the unhappy thing.Then the clock gathered all its strength and struck eight. Four levels: 1.  Literal comprehension: The main character in the brief drama stood and heard the clock tower striking the quarter bells every fifteen minutes.It was heard all over the town in the morning.It pushed the people out people remarking them of their day.As the unavoidable hour was coming near, he stood and counted four and cursed his luck because the unpleasant event was about to take place.When the c...