Richard Connells The Most Danegerous Game and Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games are both fictional tales that instill a sense of heart-pounding terror within their audiences. Despite the differences in plot and historical contexts, their similarities in theme and cultural context provide the necessary elements to make them ideal for comparison. Connell's short story was published in Colliers Weekly January 19, 1924 and tells the story of a man who falls overboard and ends up on the island of a crazed Cossack hunting expert. The only way for the man to make it off the the island is to successfully play and win a game of life or death in which he must serve as the "game" in a three day hunt for the undefeated hunting expert. Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games was published in 2008 and tells the story of a girl who is one of twenty-four "tributes" in the 74th annual hunger games. Tributes consist of an adolescent boy and girl from each of the 12 districts of the nation of Panem. Each year as a reminder of the "dark days" all 24 tributes are thrown into an arena  and over a period of several weeks brutally fight to the death until only one is left standing.  By comparing The Hunger Games and The Most Dangerous Game we can see the progression of perversity and human brutality as a result of desensitization; this is important because the ability to recognize it we can learn how to fight against it.
 
Many elements within the two pieces make them ideal for comparison. The foremost is both plots stem from Richard Connell's original human-hunting-humans concept. Since its publication, Richard Connell has won the O. Henry Memorial, and inspired countless other films, tv shows and novels trying to recapture the ideas and heart pounding terror of Connells original story. Considering the attention The Hunger Games has continued to receive, it seems someone Collinsn was finally successful. While both texts explore the morality of killing as a sport, we are given the opportunity to compare the original with its modern day equivalent. The role of General Zaroff is split within The Hunger Games. General Zoroff perceives himself to be a "civilized," wealthy man, bored by the level of "perfection" in his hunting ability(Connell). Similar to the "career" tributes who are "the ones who have been fed and trained  throughout their lives for this moment,"(Collins 94) both arrogantly believe that they are better. The careers and General Zoroff posess the same animalistic instict of ruthless hunting.  In addition, Zoroff's traits are reflected by the citizens of the Capital, who are uncharacteristically bored, rich and entertained by death. While Zaroff and the citizens of the capital conduct themselves as very "civilized" individuals, all prove to be truly barbaric in nature.
 
What really allows insight into the stories are the many differences that exist between them. The most considerable is the level of perversity that exists within different elements of each plot. While both scenerios are identifiably disturbed, The Most Dangerous Game contains an aspect of civility that The Hunger Games does not. Simply put, Zaroff plays an extreme game of hide and seek.  The participants are those who have washed up after shipwrecks. Although Zaroff causes them in a ploy to find "game" to hunt, the guests are treated "with every consideration"(Connell). He makes sure they are provided with an abundance of food and exercise so when it comes time for a hunt "they will be in top physical condition"(Connell). What makes this element seem somewhat fair is that Zaroff makes sure the men he hunts are in physically equivalent condition. This eliminates any unfair advantage he might have over a malnourished or out of shape person. He desires an evenhanded fight. The object is for the "game" is simply to outsmart Zaroff "your brain against mine," he says(Connell). Given a three day time limit Zaroff provides the huntees with "a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. Insuring the men have ever opportunity survive, I give him three hours' start"(Connell).  In Collins novel, the twenty-four children from range from ages twelve to eighteen are chosen.      They are locked in an arena where they must kill each other with an assortment of close range weapons until only one is left standing. Most of the participants are selected at random during the "reaping" while few are "volunteers" or "careers."  Unlike death trap island these kids are only given a few days of training at the end of which they are rated on their ability to win. Immediately the hunger games begins with an unfair advantage for many contestants, they only have a 4% chance of survival to begin with. Luxuries such as food and weapons are provided in the center of the cornucopia. The tactic ensures "a blood bath" (Collins 138) because to get what they need tributes must "go in and fight for it against the other 23 tributes" (Collins 148). or leaving the cornucopia without food and/or weapons. Another unfair advantage is the capitals control of the games. They have the ability to create any obstacles or problems for the tributes they desire. There is no time limit, just a life limit. From the beginning the games offer little hope of life in the end. when there are 24 tributes and only one can survive, "the odds are [never] in your favor."
	
The corruption within the hunger games stands out through the level of perversion that is driven by the meadia and entertainment. In The Most Dangerous Game,exists purely for one man's entertainment. Zaroff enjoys the thrill of the hunt. Unfortunately human beings are the only "game" that provide him with enough thrill to satisfy his inner bloodlust. The hunger games serve as the entertainment for the entire population of the capital, "they bring us here to fight to the death for their entertainment" (Collins 80). Thus the tributes are put in even greater adversity to ensure the game makers can put on a good show. For Katniss this adversity comes in the form of a daunting fire, "audience in the capital" must be "getting bored," because the gamemakers motivation is "not hard to follow"(Collins 173). The games have such a strong effect on entertainment  that the tributes are forced to endure additional entertaining events such as, ceremonies and interviews preceeding the games. In which time tributes are forced to act excited about, what is in reality, a 4% chance of survival. The level of brutality in combination with a constant desire for more, makes a clear argument about the level of desensitization the people of panem possess about the tragic brutality of death.
 
Connel's literary concept came to existence during the boisterous period of the 1920's, characterized by rapid growth and change in American society in the aftermath of WWI. For writers this became a time of literary creativity, as the classic literary form began to evolve capturing many experiences from the war, as well as continuous changes in society. Personal experiences during WWI inspire Connell to recreate instilled in many by the way, for his readers. the sense of violense and fear created by war, for his readers. Zaroff's demonstrates the violent Cossack warfare, that was prevalent during the same time, in the Russian Revolition. Cossacks were known for their brutal violence, therefore Connell's identification of Zaroff and Ivan as Cossacks bolsters the feasibility of the, human hunting human plotline.

On the other hand, the talent and morality displayed by Rainsford's character is symbolic for the newly confident America in the aftermath of WWI. Rainsford is quick to reject Zaroff's illusion that hunting people for sport is acceptable, quickly retaliating that in no way did "experiences in war, make me condone cold-blooded murder"(Connell). Rainsford identifies the truth of the situation with great ease. Hunting humans is murder, period. During this time in history there was no element of mass meadia and WWI was the first many even entertained the idea of war. Therefore the ingredients that form such levels of desensitization were barely beginning to take place.
	
For Collins the war inspiration stems from the War on Iraq, which was in full force during 2008. How the war inspired Collins creation of a modern extremity of  The Most Dangerous Game, reveals the same factors that were influential for Connell, influence of war and colture in mordern society. Thus we come to find the increased level of perversity is reflexive of nothing more than and increased level of disturbance existing within modern society. aspects of the plot are in direct correlation with the level of disturbance that exists within our society. The idea that led to The Hunger Games is no more complex than changing the channel. Literally The Hunger Games came from the lack of distinction between young adults competing in Reality TV and Young Adults fighting in a war. Thus The Hunger Games takes the form of an extreme adaption of the popular entertainment, "reality TV." Although only some display "physical competition," the unsettling nature of reality TV shown in the novel comes from an aspect of entertainment that's present in almost all forms. The "voyeurtristic thrill, watching people being humiliated or brought to tears or suffering physically"(Hudson). Present day American society feeds off of the same perversities in entertainment that the people of the capital are so criticized for.
	
The message sent by "the Most Dangerous Game" and "The Hunger Games" is the same, it tells us to recognize perversity and reject it. Comparison between the two reveals that the concept of the hunger games shows greater perversity because entertainment has desensitized the people of panem. During the 1920's TV coverage and mass media didn't exist, and the lines between right and wrong were identifiably clear. The huge presense media in of in today's society, forces us to examine "the reality of our own desensitization"(Hudson). This reality reveals how accurately the The Hunger Gameswe don't appreciate or recognize the hard work of those at war defending our moralities. Moreover we are blind to the damaging effects these desensitized moralities have on the real victims. Especially within today's youth there are many who would opt to spend a day fighting in the hunger games rather then a day in life as a high school girl. This is the same thrill that the people of the capital have from the reality tv aspect of watching the hunger games. In effect, the people of panem are completely desensitized and thus the reality of the hunger games doesn't have the impact it should, complete rejection.

