In this story, Richard Connell uses very intense imagery. Like most good fiction writers, he describes things in such a way that the reader can see mental images of what is being described in the short story. In the opening scene, when Rainsford is on the boat with Whitney, the night is described in many ways. These descriptions also help to set the mood of the story. It is described as being a moonless night. They are sailing in the Caribbean and Rainsford was trying to see through "the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht." Rainsford describes the night as "moist black velvet". The same style is later used to describe the jungle and Zaroff and his palace. The key to these descriptions is the use of adjectives and simile and metaphors.