In Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game", the use of literary devices, found blended with other literary devices, gives the story an inner meaning. The blending of literary devices effectively expresses the intentions of Connell to present contrast between the antagonist and protagonist points of view. As a result, the reader can gain insight on the good and evil sides of the story to enhance the purpose of his interpretation. "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell presents literary devices such as foreshadowing, setting, and irony which reveal the underlying meaning of the story.
Connell's use of foreshadowing creates an atmosphere of mystery and a hesitant feeling of not knowing what events will occur. For instance, Zaroff "has ceased [hunting]" because all the animals "had become too easy" to chase; but one animal has a certain characteristic of being "able to reason" which rekindles his passion for the thrill of the hunt (68).
Rainsford Island
The Pav, Rainsford Road, 1978
Rainsford IslandThe vague statement at which Zaroff makes at Rainsford obviously hints toward humans as being the animal of reason because referring to the statement Rainsford makes in the early stages of the story, he asserts that animals do not feel or think. Now that Rainsford conceives the idea that Zaroff hunts humans, it provides Rainsford with a frustrating mental reaction of fear and anger because Zaroff openly declares that he poaches humans for amusement and yet Rainsford feels the anxiety of dying in his sick game. Equally important, while Zaroff hunts strategically, "[his] brain against [Rainsford]" (71), "it sent a shudder of cold horror" in the flowing veins of Rainsford because of the fear that he will "lose [his] nerve" (73). Immediately, when Rainsford enters the repulsive jungle, he knows that the strategy for staying alive becomes not only physically,