Freshman English--Sample Opening Paragraphs for Theme Analysis Essay on "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

The following examples are products of collaborative writing in my first period English I class.

Group One

     “I have hunted every kind of game in every land.  It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have killed.”  This quote is proudly spoken by the self-confident character General Zaroff from the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell.  However, his self-confident personality is quickly overpowered by his more practical opponent, Rainsford, who shows the general that he can outsmart him in his own hunting competition.  Connell's story shows us that self-confidence can turn on you when you are trying to survive.

 Group Two
    
 Be careful because having arrogance can make you your worst enemy.  “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell is a story about a man named Rainsford who fell from his yacht and swam to Ship-Trap Island where he meets an experienced hunter, General Zaroff.  Connell portrays a great example of how humans can be sinister and dangerous by portraying Zaroff as a hunter of humans.

Group Three

     Never underestimate your opponent is a very important lesson the reader learns in “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell.  General Zaroff, a sinister man, definitely underestimates Rainsford when they play the most dangerous game, one human hunting another.  This story tells you that one cannot always win.  With the story taking unexpected twists, going from a comfortable mood to a suspenseful mood, Rainsford is lucky he wins the survival game.

Group Four

     In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, a hunter named Rainsford, who swims to an island forest because he falls off a yacht, encounters another hunter named Zaroff, a very sinister man who forces Rainsford to be hunted.  A central theme in this story is don’t let cockiness or arrogance make you overconfident of success.
 

Group Five

     Don’t let fear determine your fate.  “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell is full of thrills, twists, and turns.  The theme of this story is to persevere even during the hardest of times.  Although Rainsford, the protagonist of the story, was afraid of what General Zaroff was capable of, he pushes past all his fears and comes out victorious in the end.

Group Six

     Everyone can be defeated at one point in life.  In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, one man is playing a very cruel game where he is a hunter of humans, but ironically, soon becomes the hunted.  Set in the jungle, will the animalistic General Zaroff or the more sane human, Rainsford, come out on top?  The central theme of this story is that even the underdog can prevail.

Group Seven

     For generations people have repeated the quote, “You can always teach an old dog new tricks.”  In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff believes that he knows everything about hunting.  In the end, Rainsford surprises him by proving that Zaroff is not all-knowing.  General Zaroff pays a heavy price for his arrogance, and unfortunately does not have a “new trick” to help him succeed.

Group Eight

     Some people possess the qualities of ignorance and arrogance; they believe they can conquer all who stand in their way.  Rainsford, the protagonist in the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, learns that not everyone’s heart beats the same when he meets the ravenous, high-strung General Zaroff, who, because of his arrogance, does not prevail, and ends up as the prey in his own game .