“The most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

“Kidnapping is commonly defined as the taking of a person against his or her will, or restricting that person to a confined place” (“Kidnapping”). In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Sanger Rainsford, the protagonist, fell off of his yacht and ended up on Ship-Trap island. Soon after he arrives on the island he realized that General Zaroff, the owner of the island, is an inhumane hunter because he hunts animals that Rainsford wouldn’t dare hunt. Rainsford has to try to survive being trapped on the island with uncivilized men. Some may argue that Zaroff is innocent of kidnap. General Zaroff is guilty of kidnap because he does not let Rainsford, he lures people onto his island, and he has people locked in his basement.

General Zaroff lures Rainsford to his island and does not allow him to leave. Zaroff says,“‘They are let out at seven every night. If anyone should try to get into my house --or out it-- something extremely regrettable will occur to him’”( pg 8). If Rainsford tries to escape the island he will be killed by the dogs, which shows that Rainsford is being unwillingly trapped by General Zaroff in his home. If Rainsford tries to escape the island he will be killed by the dogs, which shows that Rainsford is being unwillingly trapped by General Zaroff in his home. According to the American Kennel Club, “Most hounds share the… trait of being used for hunting...gift of stamina as they relentlessly run down quarry”(“Hound Group”).This illegal because there are laws set in place against kidnapping.

General Zaroff lures people on to his island to capture them. Zaroff tells Rainsford that he uses his lights to indicate that it is a safe passage. This shows that Zaroff knew that people would come onto his island because of the indication, and decided to use it as a way to capture them. Some may argue that Zaroff did not force people to come on to his island but he the lights would indicate that it was safe to travel in the water there and when people got hurt they would go to his island. According to “Navigational Aid Rules”, channels indicate safe passage but Zaroff created a false channel that was dangerous. Zaroff used this to get many people to come to his island and then he would trap them.

General Zaroff trapped people in his cellar. Zaroff says that he has a dozen people locked inside his cellar (Connell 7). Zaroff has many people that he lured to his island and unwillingly trapped inside his cellar which is considered kidnapping because they have no way out and were forced into the cellular. There are many things that prove that Zaroff committed the crime.

General Zaroff is guilty of committing the crime of kidnap because he traps people in his cellar, he does not allow Rainsford to leave and lured people to his island. General Zaroff is guilty of kidnapping people and forcing them to stay on his island. Do you believe General Zaroff is innocent?

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