Why Did Rainsford Survive In The Most Dangerous Game

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Could you survive being hunted? In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, a man named Rainsford falls off of a boat and swims to Ship-Trap Island. There, he meets a man who enjoys hunting humans for sport. Rainsford survived the hunt on the island. General Zaroff, the person that hunted Rainsford, said that no one has ever survived his hunting game. This presents a question. How did Rainsford survive? I believe that he was able to survive because of his physical endurance, mental endurance, and wit.
There are many examples of Rainsford showing physical endurance. For instance, Rainsford falls off of a boat and must swim to shore. Connell writes, “Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears—the most welcome he
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Rainsford also showed exceptional wit. Connell makes this point over and over again. He writes, “He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea,” and that ‘“I'll give him a trail to follow.’ muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again…” (230). He was able to recognize a mistake that not many people realize, and he was able to correct it. Rainsford also makes a series of traps to stop Zaroff. He makes a Malay mancatcher, a Burmese Tiger Pit, and a vine trap from Uganda. Even Zaroff complements Rainsford’s wit. Zaroff says, "Rainsford, if you are within the sound of my voice, as I suppose you are, let me congratulate you. Not many men know how to make a Malay mancatcher” (Connell 232). However, there is one more reason Rainsford was able to survive.
The most important reason as to how Rainsford defeated Zaroff was his mental endurance. He was able to comprehend the situation at hand and react to it in a logical manner. In many parts of the story, Rainsford has to remind himself to stay composed. He says, “I will not lose my nerve. I will not.” (Connell 232). Rainsford realizes that as soon as he loses his focus and mindset, he will die. There were so many things that were happening to him, and it could've been easy for him to take a break and relax. But he didn’t, and his mental endurance allowed him to stay