PLN # 3- The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell- Human vs. Animal

     In Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" we see how the author tries to portray how the human nature can resemble animal nature. We cant always rely on our abilities as a human, that is what the main character, Rainsford, soon found out. In the beginning of the story Rainsford was on a yacht with his friend Whitney about big game hunting. They were talking about hunting, and Rainsford made a comment, following what Whitney said about a jaguar feels before being killed, " You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?" Even though Rainsford has just begun his journey he displays an animistic nature. He seems to be in a state of confidence that only a predator shows when he thinks its an easy prey. Rainsford soon is unable to rely on the fact that he is above animal. Especially after he meets General Zaroff. When Rainsford realizes that as he listens to the General remark " Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure..." The General seems be showing how he thinks it is survival of the fittest, just like an weaker animal is taken out by the stronger of the pack. As far as I can tell General Zaroff is more an animal than a human, he thinking is warped. The General picks a man that has been captured from the shipwrecks and gives him a good meal, a restful sleep and then suggests a "hunt" in which the man is the Game and they are hunted by General Zaroff for three days. Rainsford seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he found himself being the one hunted. But he Wins the Game and gets into the mansion, goes into the Generals sleeping room and says after Zaroff addresses him, " I am still a beast at bay,...Get ready, General Zaroff". Rainsford has abandoned his reasoning and human compassion, to go to the animalistic part of him to kill the General and be able to live, but was he doing the human thing or the animal thing by killing him?