Stereotypes In The Most Dangerous Game

Words: 1425
Pages: 6

Protagonists tend to change their views on other characters throughout a story. WHen meeting someone new, they seem different and strange. As they become more known they seem different, more developed, possibly a different personality. So as we learn more about other people we become more attached or more distant. Protagonists change their opinions on other characters throughout a story, whether they are the same species or not. In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game”, by Richard Connell, the protagonist, Rainsford, sees hunting as a game. In this excerpt from the story Rainsford shares his opinion on hunting to Whitney. “‘The best sport in the world,’ agreed Rainsford. ‘For the hunter,’ amended Whitney. ‘Not for the jaguar.’ ‘Don’t …show more content…
Clarke, the protagonist is a scientist who has never quite gotten along with any humans or animals. It begins with him stating his first opinion on everyone else. “Though I have never liked dogs, or indeed any animals, it was impossible to leave this helpless little creature to the mercy of the passing cars. With some qualms, wishing that I had a pair of gloves, I picked her up and dumped her in the baggage compartment.” (46). The narrator isn’t very kind to the dog at first and is much more concerned with the well being of his car instead of the dog. Later in the story he speaks kindly of the dog and even gets a bit worked up about how she was treated before he found her saying, “She was a beautiful animal, about five percent Alsatian. It was that missing five percent, I imagine, that led to her being abandoned. I still feel a surge of anger when I think of it…” (47). The narrator admits that he has always been a bit confused at why the dog connected to him so much, so quickly. “Even now, I cannot understand why she become so attached to me, for I have made very few friends among human beings.” (47). The narrator had never connected very much with others especially animals and this was a strange new experience for him. When the narrator has a near death experience, only saved by the signal of his dear dog, he truly sees how much he loves her. “As I looked at the shattered house containing the bodies of my friends, I knew that I owed my life to her…” (48). The narrator spent his life loving the dog, getting know her more and more. It all changed when he was offered the job of a lifetime on the moon. He had dreamed of this and knew it would do unimaginable things for his career. At that point he had to choose: the dog or the job. His perspective was very different for a moment and he made poor choice, convincing himself that she was just a dog, that their relationship wasn’t important. After living on the moon for about a