The Impact of Setting on The Lucifer Effect in The Most Dangerous Game

This paper analyzes the significant impact of social setting on Rainsford’s Lucifer Effect in The Most Dangerous Game – a short story- written by Richard Connell in 1924. In his initial conversation with General Zaroff, Rainsford revolted at the idea of hunting or murdering human beings, which revealed his true nature although he himself was a well-known hunter whose book was even read by General Zaroff. Despite his will, General Zaroff endangered his life by forcing him to play a sadistic game of survival. During the three days he had to either win or lose this game, Rainsford faced a loss of personal identity, a struggle between life and death, helplessness, dehumanization, desperation, deprival of sleep as well as privacy and a constant fear due to General Zaroff’s surveillance. Such feelings which resulted from the social surroundings of the island, fundamentally impacted Rainsford psycologically and led to his metamorphises to evil, or in other words: turning into General Zaroff.