Suspense in "the Most Dangerous Game"

Suspense, used to change the story

drastically, prevents “The Most Dangerous Game,”

from seeming too predictable and boring. Author,

Richard Connoll, creates suspense by

conveying unsettling emotions that the audience can

relate to and that give a false sense

of predictability. The title of this story, a major

factor of suspense, tells the audience

exactly what will happen. The interior suspense

gives hidden meaning to the title and

adds many twists to its foreboding plot. The

element of suspense, leaving audiences

guessing about future events, allows the audience

to get emotionally involved in the story

line. In essence, Richard Connoll does not

disappoint readers by deviating from the

thematic conflict, but instead keeps the audience

on their toes by creating a veil of the

suspenseful unknown throughout the story.

Indeed, Connoll successfully creates this veil

of suspense in several key scenes. One such scene

occurs when Zaroff tracks Rainsford, by following

his immensely difficult trail, to Rainsford’s

canopy bed. When Zaroff

arrives he looks up into the canopy of the

trees. He then lights a cigarette and blows a smoke

ring into the air as if “deliberately”

and stalks away “saving him for another day’s

sport” (210, 211). When Connoll does not

specifically say if Zaroff saw Rainsford or not it

leaves the audience to speculate about

Zaroff’s intentions. A second key scene happens

when Rainsford digs a pit in the marsh. When the

pit kills Zaroff’s dog Zaroff seems amused

and says that he will “see what you (meaning

Rainsford) can do against my whole pack. I

am going home for a rest

now”(212). Zaroff’s satisfaction releases both

Rainsford from the hunt (yet again) and the

audience from the momentary suspense while keeping

them entangled in the overall plot. The plot

continues deepening as Rainsford