Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" and Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games are both fictional stories about games which have only two end results, those being continuing life or ceasing to exist. Connell's short story was published in Collier's Weekly on January 19th, 1924 while Suzanne Collins first book of the three part series was published in 2008. Although the works are set in different very different time frames and historical contexts, the elements of the stories can still be closely compared. The main characters of each story each have an experienced hunting background, yet they become the hunted against their will and the odds of winning are slim. Also, both face demented foes that have no regard for the value of human life. They are at the disadvantage and the proverbial mouse, in the age old game of cat and mouse. By analyzing and comparing the two oppositions our main characters face we can see how our two mice use their past experiences to outsmart their stronger opponents in effort to save their own lives, we can see that even if short-handed and at a lack of resources, having intellectual skills, determination, and a level head can defeat any foe. This is important because the ending to both of the authors stories show that even the most powerful of enemies can be defeated if their disregard for human life is higher than respect they have for their enemies whose will to live is stronger. 
 
Connell's short story was set during its present time on a remote Caribbean island where big game hunter Sanger Rainsford finds himself stranded after falling off a yacht that was headed to Rio De Jeneiro. Rainsford was en route to Rio to hunt the jaguar, the big cat of the region, for sport. Instead, Rainsford has gotten himself into a situation where, he himself will become the hunted. Although Rainsford is a highly experienced hunter, he has stumbled upon someone who has taken the hunt to a whole other level that Rainsford cannot even fathom. General Zaroff has grown tired of traditional wild game hunting and has turned his sights on preying after captured ship wrecked sailors. With Sanger Rainsford being a highly acclaimed sport hunter and a noted author of his adventures, Zaroff is intrigued by the challenge his newest find will present.
 
In contrast, the setting of the novel occurs many years into the future in what is portrayed to be present day North America which is governed by what today's standards, would refer to as communism. From what the book describes, what we know as the continental United States and its population is now called Panem, which is divided into regions or as they refer to them: "Districts". These Districts are now under the control of the Capitol city for a rebellion that occurred seventy five years prior.  The protagonist of this story doesn't accidentally put herself into this high stakes game like Rainsford. Rather she volunteers in place of her younger sister who gets randomly selected by chance in The Hunger Games. In completely different ways both of the characters have gotten themselves into a very tight spot.

Connell's short story and Collins novel both contain elements that allow for us to make close comparisons. Both main characters are inserted against their will into unknown landscapes facing the wrath of egotistical foes whose aim is nothing but death. Katniss has twenty three tribute opponents to keep from taking her life as well as juggle President Snow's intent on the continuation of creating the most brutal games ever along with trying to avoid the highly technological advanced wrath of the gamemakers who can control all phases of the game by anything from manipulating night and day time, to exploding fireballs: "The flames that bear down on me have an unnatural height, a uniformity that marks them as human-made, machine-made, Gamemaker-made"(Collins 173). Sanger Rainsford is on the Generals personal island filled with dense jungle that only he is familiar with. Rainsford faces a bit of a gamemaker himself. "It's a game, you see, pursued the general blandly. I suggest to one of them that we go hunting. I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three hours' start. I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him --the general smiled-- he loses"(Connell). Zaroff, Ivan, and the sailors they imprison are the only inhabitants of the island aside from the General's pack of prized hound dogs.
 
The most important aspect of Sager Rainsford and Katniss Everdeen surviving these real life man hunts is the pairs ability to use prior knowledge to keep them one step ahead of the enemy. Rainsford is aware of Zaroff and his hounds tracking ability so he reverts back to fox hunting and the abrupt turns and dodges one would make. After Rainsford is on the run for hours he creates an intricate trail that he says "only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark"(Connell). As it turns out Zaroff just might be the devil. He finds the location of Sanger but doesn't attempt to seek confrontation and just walks away in the direction he came from. "Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the morning mists. The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day's sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror"(Connell). Rainsford's ultimate goal is to survive past the third day, he delays the Cossack by creating a tiger trap, killing his favorite hound. Zaroff congratulates Sanger on being a worthy opponent. Later, in hot pursuit, a recoiled knife takes out Ivan courtesy of a technique Rainsford learned in Uganda. Rainsford has eliminated the two best resources the General has to assist in his hunt. Zaroff now only has himself to rely on. He does not have the brute strength of Ivan or the nose of his hound.

Katniss also eliminates her enemies' greatest allies to weaken them. President Snow's greatest ally in keeping the Districts under control is the fear of being destroyed if they rebel again. President Snow knows if the fear that's instilled in the District streets is compromised and hope is displayed for rebellion that it has the potential to spread like wildfire. This fear is compromised when both Katniss and Peeta win The Hunger Games leaving two victors for the first time ever. Although Katniss just wanted both of them to live, she has also started this movement of hope. This shows the type of psychopath Katniss is dealing with, along with his disregard to human life he insists on the people living in the upmost fear of total destruction instead of living in prosperity and happiness.

 Similar to Rainsford, Katniss fares so well in this game because of her prior knowledge of hunting for she bagged game to feed her family on a daily basis. Something no other tribute would be capable of mastering considering its legality. She uses this to her advantage as the bow and arrow is her weapon of choice throughout the series. A similarity between the two characters enemies can be found in their methods of creating death. General Zaroff prides himself on his great hunting skill but uses a group of hounds to help him track his prey. He assumes his dogs will make up for any mistakes he makes himself and to ensure no prey can escape him. Near the end of the Hunger Games, President Snow and the head gamemaker use genetically generated dogs to attempt to kill off either Katniss, her partner Peeta, or another tribute Cato. The appearance of the dogs is a sign of the weakness of the system as a whole. The games did not ensue how they anticipated so they were forced to use these beast like dogs to help speed the process along.
 
These two stories do have many similarities within their main characters, Rainsford and Katnisss at the same time are also very different in terms of morality. In The Hunger Games Katniss is disgusted by President Snow and has always felt uneasy around him. After she kills him she is just glad the monster is dead and that her society is now a better place due to his death. On the other hand Rainsford, after he kills the man who has been hunting him for the last two and a half days, stays the night in Zaroff's bed and Rainsford exclaims he'd: "never slept in a better bed." This shows a characteristic difference in our two main characters because Katniss would have nothing to do with the bed that President Snow slept in while Rainsford seemed to enjoy his bed a little too much.

"The Most Dangerous Game" was a popular short story in its time as well as The Hunger Games being very popular in present day and time. What is interesting is the way our culture views what a hero or action star might look like compared to the early 20th century. In an article Rainsford is described as: "a rugged individualist, square jawed, determined, and capapble of taking care of himself in any situation." (Thompson) while Katniss is:"a new archetype of survivalist girl power" (Scott). This is intriguing because it shows how times have changed in our society, where just before "The Most Dangerous Game" was written, women were not even allowed to vote.
 
In conclusion, by analyzing and comparing the two oppositions our main characters face we can see our two mice use their past experiences to outsmart their stronger opponents in effort to save their own lives, we can see that even if short-handed and at a lack of resources, having intellectual skills, determination, and a level head can defeat any foe. We saw this in both stories because Rainsford and Katniss, although they were being hunted, both emerge as the better hunters and end up triumphant over their enemies. I believe the reason the two were victorious was because of their enemy's underestimation of their abilities. President Snow never thought a sixteen year old girl could destroy an entire government system, and Zaroff didn't think there was any "animal" he could not track and kill. Both of villains in the stories underestimate their opponents will to live while they are too intoxicated by their own disregard for human life to save their own lives. 

