American Interest in Central America and the Caribbean

By 1924, when "The Most Dangerous Game" was published, the United States had firmly entrenched itself in Latin American politics. Military considerations and economic interests—including banking, investments, and the exploitation of natural resources—linked American ambitions to Latin America, leading to expansionist legislation. The Platt Amendment of 1901 allowed for American intervention in Cuba if an unstable new government failed to protect life, liberty, and property; this provision was embedded in Cuba's constitution. In 1905, President Roosevelt urged European nations to stay out of Latin America, asserting that the United States was the only nation entitled to intervene in their politics. This paternalistic, interventionist stance characterized much of U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America. Such policies, exemplified by the construction of the Panama Canal for American shipping and naval power, continued to shape Latin American politics for decades.

Latin Americans have alternated between supporting American foreign policy and condemning it as intrusive, meddlesome, and overpowering. The ongoing economic exploitation by the United States and other first-world nations has led to a crippling dependence on international trade for Caribbean and Latin American countries. Western companies, often through alarming and scandalous means, have dominated the economies of less developed nations like Jamaica, ensuring their reliance on foreign trade. These economies have frequently become entirely dependent on the corporations exploiting them, resulting in widespread poverty. The devastation of native economies and their increasing dependence on international conglomerates led to the term "banana republics." It is into these turbulent and contested Caribbean waters that Rainsford finds himself.

Big Game Hunting in South America

During Connell's time, big-game hunting in South America was primarily conducted through organized safaris. The most sought-after species included jaguar, puma, ocelot, red deer, and buffalo. The jaguar, the most powerful and feared carnivore in South America, was considered a prized trophy. This formidable cat can reach a length of eight feet and weigh up to four hundred pounds. Jaguars were mainly hunted with hounds in the forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. In the story, Rainsford and his companions are preparing for a jaguar hunt.

Roosevelt and Hunting

Similar to General Zaroff in Connell's story, President Theodore Roosevelt, who would later establish the National Parks System in the United States, was an avid hunter. He traveled globally to pursue his passion for hunting. On an African safari, Roosevelt and his son killed 512 animals, including 17 lions, 11 elephants, 20 rhinoceroses, 9 giraffes, 8 hippopotamuses, and 29 zebras. In the story, Zaroff recounts similar hunting expeditions. While Zaroff's most dangerous game was humans, Roosevelt considered the American grizzly bear the most menacing—he was nearly mauled by one while hunting in Wyoming. As a youth, Connell lived near Roosevelt in rural New York, in an area along the Hudson River known for its pristine wilderness.

Bigotry in America

In "The Most Dangerous Game," Zaroff's remarks about various ethnic groups mirror the anti-immigrant sentiments prevalent at the time. Zaroff explains his hunting of humans to Rainsford, stating, "I hunt the scum of the earth sailors from tramp ships—Lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels—a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them." Such attitudes were not uncommon among Connell's American readers in the 1920s. Americans, whose families had immigrated only a few decades earlier, often launched harsh attacks against new immigrants, whom they saw as flooding the workforce and lowering the American standard of living. One contemporary writer, Kenneth Roberts, cautioned that unrestricted immigration would lead to "a hybrid race of people as worthless and futile as the good-for-nothing mongrels of Central America and Southeastern Europe." Federal policies soon began to limit the influx of immigrants into the United States. In 1921, Congress imposed strict quotas for each European country. The National Origins Act of 1924 further adjusted these quotas, favoring British, German, and Scandinavian immigrants over Italians, Poles, and Slavs. The 1924 regulations also completely barred the immigration of Asians, Africans, and Hispanics.

The central ethical dilemma in "The Most Dangerous Game" revolves around the morality of hunting. The author depicts hunters as compulsive killers, inherently bloodthirsty and cruel. Both Zaroff and Rainsford exhibit an unquenchable desire for increasingly challenging hunts and more creatures to kill. Although Rainsford initially refrains from including human beings in his list of desirable prey, this does little to differentiate him from the unabashedly cruel Zaroff. Ultimately, Rainsford gives in to the same temptation as Zaroff, satisfying his hunter's need for greater adventure, heightened danger, and the ultimate thrill of the kill.

Sport hunters among readers might be offended by the association with Zaroff's bloodlust and murderous tendencies. Conversely, those opposed to hunting and the killing of innocent creatures will resonate with the author's clear condemnation of such practices.

To provoke thought and discussion, Connell highlights certain races and ethnic groups who, at the time of writing, faced significant prejudice from those opposed to immigration in both the United States and Europe. These groups were often dehumanized and stripped of basic rights enjoyed by other members of society. In Zaroff's game, these individuals become pawns. Considering himself superior in every way, Zaroff refers to the unfortunate sailors he captures and hunts to death as the "scum of the earth—sailors from tramp ships—lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels," valuing their lives less than those of his hounds. This kind of misplaced prejudice remains a struggle in today's society.

1920s: Wealthy Europeans and Americans find big game hunting in African and South American countries to be a popular pastime. In 1909, Theodore Roosevelt and his son went on an African safari, where they killed 512 animals.

Today: Big game hunting in Africa and South America is largely illegal due to the decline in animal populations. Despite this, the number of tourists visiting these regions has reached unprecedented levels.

1920s: American foreign policy supports intervention in the governmental affairs of Caribbean nations.

Today: Despite decades of economic sanctions and other measures by the United States, Cuba remains under the control of Fidel Castro's communist regime. The U.S. frequently restricts refugees from Cuba and other impoverished and unstable countries from entering the country.

1920s: The Soviet Union is formed under Vladimir Lenin following the Russian Civil War. Private property ownership and Christianity are prohibited, and the Cossacks—military forces loyal to the Tzar—are either killed or deported. However, economic conditions fail to improve significantly.

Today: The Soviet Union has dissolved, and the Russian president is now elected by popular vote. However, democratic and capitalist economic reforms have not alleviated the widespread poverty, inflation, and shortage of goods and services that continue to affect the majority of the population.