Talk:The Most Dangerous Game

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 13 January 2020 and 20 April 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Loren.em.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 11:07, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

salir for peter
what is "a hunter who quickly becomes the salir for peter" I'm not sure what that means and if it is correct (which I doubt) it needs a period at the end.

is it a novel?
I am not sure about this being a novel. The earlier editions are 48 pages long, which is short story length. wonders if there was some kind of padding involved to make it go past the 100 page size later on? AlainV 04:12, 2004 Apr 29 (UTC)

Should the Predator movies be listed as a variation of this theme? (I ask because I haven't seen the movies or read the story but what I've heard of both suggests a match.) -- Logotu 20:05, 13 May 2004 (UTC)

Merging or diversifying?
Human hunting relates to this book and genre. Thinking of cutting the last half of the article to it.--sin-man 04:10, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

This article is terrible
This article is very poor. Somebody please redo it.

I AGREE!!

this suck —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.133.121.60 (talk) 03:21, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

With your masterly command of English ("this suck"), surely you are the very best candidate for the job! Ed Fitzgerald (unfutz)  (talk / cont)  03:29, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Do we need a "Criticism" section?
Aside from the semantic problem with the title--"criticism" as fault finding or "criticism" as interpretation?--the kind of plot-holes currently discussed in the section seem to me outside the scope of critical commentary about the story (I know of none, but . . . ) that might be worth a mention and a reference, but I'd propose deleting this section as it currently stands. Objections, anyone?

ABVR 05:27, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Rainsford did not fall off the boat
rainsford did fall off the boat, he went to see what the gunshot noise was, and he dropped his pipe, and when he reached for it, he fell off!!!!

I'm pretty sure that Rainsford did not fall off the boat, but the boat he was on crashed on the rocks that General Zaroff had placed chanel markers on.

No. "Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and bBOOOOO- YYYYAAAAAAalanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea closed over his head."

--mweiler 04:13, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

www.wowomg.com

It says it was written in 1924, but my literature book says 1925.

You have to remember, though, that the story said immediatly afterward that he screamed at the receding sight of the yacht multiple times. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.130.45 (talk) 02:35, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

this means that he saw the boat going into the distance. he does NOT mean sinking.

Adding to this doesn't the sotry say that he came back up? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dragon276 (talk • contribs) 03:15, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

Cossack or Nobleman?
The article describes Zaroff at one point as a cossack, and at another as a nobleman. This is inconsistent - Cossacks were a specific ethnic group that lived in the steps of southern Russia, and who did not have nobles, but rather an odd, unique, militarized society. "Cossack" is not a synonym for "served in the Tsarist army". Is Zaroff actually described as both a nobleman and a cossack, or was this an interpellation by an editor? john k 19:30, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Just read it for school the other day. Yes, Zaroff is, on multiple occasions referred to as a Cassock, but I don't recall the term nobleman. 19:24, 22 August 2006

It does in fact refer to him as a Cossack and a nobleman('s son). I'm not exactly clear on Russian nobility, so I can't say for sure, but being racially Cossack doesn't necessarily make one culturally Cossack; that is to say, his family could have descended from Cossacks but gained prestige some how with the Tsar and gained a noble rank. 69.29.166.23 02:09, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

The story refers to him as cossack aristocrat, so yes he is both.

Like Dracula?
I don't know why the page says that the General is described similarly to Dracula. Other than both looking like aristocracy, something a lot of "evil" characters have in common, I don't see much similarity. They both have mustaches (but of different styles and even color), and bushy eyebrows. I don't think the similarities make it worth mentioning. But I won't edit it without at least some discussion 69.29.166.23 02:09, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

It mentions in the story that he has long teeth that look like fangs, so I wouldn't touch it right now. Starmenclock 22:42, 28 September 2006 (UTC)


 * "..his smile showed red lips and pointed teeth.." {The Most Dangerous Game-describing the General}
 * "..The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth..." {Dracula Novel Chapter 2-describing Count Dracula} —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.53.145.208 (talk) 14:35, 17 September 2007 (UTC)


 * It implies that-like Dracula-the General has a sadistic "taste" for blood lust —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.53.145.191 (talk) 13:07, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

This could mean that he was one of the royal guards of th Tzars. The money hidden on an island. The taste for blood. etc. It was post Russian Rev. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.167.162.183 (talk) 13:27, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

"chelsea is smarter than jonathon"
damn, I can't imagine how stupid Jonathan is..

Yeah, I removed that yesterday. :) Mathnerd314 00:05, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Plot Summary?
Should there be a plot summary? Mathnerd314 00:05, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I second this suggestion. --Andrusi 18:02, 28 August 2007 (UTC)
 * I third this suggestion. 216.178.50.38 01:45, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Can we put a link to the text?
It's here: http://eserver.org/fiction/the_most_dangerous_game.html Uthanc 09:29, 20 November 2006 (UTC) http://www.classicreader.com/book/1317/1/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.69.79.221 (talk) 22:15, 23 January 2013 (UTC)


 * I don't see why not. I added two "external links". - Rainwarrior 07:28, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

Too many adaptation references
I think it's time we made an entirely separate article/list based off of the number of adaptations listed here in the article, which contains much more information than on the actual short story in question. God forbid this list grows longer and longer and longer until the short story itself is a brief blurb in a sea of redundant popular culture. Theodorel 08:51, 24 December 2006 (UTC)


 * It's happened. Is there a good summary that can be restored, or one written? Shouriki 21:50, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Two things have to go from this article.
Under the section detailing references in TV on of the bullets claims, "' 'the simpson have a episode were they are hunted im not sure on the name but i was reminded of that story when i saw it"

Within the video games the entire resident evil series is listed with a poor reason. "Many games in the Resident Evil series feature a powerful enemy which stalks the player throughout the game (such as the Nemesis from Resident Evil 3)"

This is my first time contributing. This entry was just too much for me.

67.190.77.252 09:02, 7 January 2007 (UTC)Goodman 1/6/07

Burmese Tiger Trap?
About the [[Media:burmese tiger trap]] Rainsford made during the course of the hunt... Think about it. The tiger trap appears to be about Rainsford's height. He must be like 6' 2" or something, but if he is digging a hole when [[Media:Zaroff]]'s dogs are chasing him, he must have a ton of time to dig a 6 foot hole and shave [[Media:spikes]] and stick them in the bottom. Seems a little unrealistic and out of context, but if he has to dig a trap that big and shave sticks for spikes? Man! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.61.237.133 (talk) 00:45, 18 September 2007 (UTC) hi  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.197.98.222 (talk) 03:03, 21 September 2007 (UTC) He was digging in quicksand, so it would go by faster.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.57.191.166 (talk) 01:19, 7 October 2010 (UTC)

No discussion of plot
This article does not explain what the basic plot of the novel is. All we pick up is something about a boat having to land on an island.

WikiReaderer 01:09, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

someone should write a basic summary.


 * I was just thinking that, my friend. Now, all I have to do is get a copy. I got a loaner from a teacher. I don't have the copy anymore. Time to hit Borders. Love, IceUnshattered (talk) 22:08, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Legacy section tagged as "trivia"
I do not find this section to be trivial. Comparison of plot is common literary process. Bobopaedia 03:53, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Theme
I think the article should have the theme of the story... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.149.129.137 (talk) 06:03, 17 October 2008 (UTC)

Zodiac
Er, Zodiac has nothing to do with this story, it's based on the Zodiac Killer who actually exists and is still on the loose. That whole section needs redoing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.37.159.6 (talk) 17:00, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

Works based on the story, not
The long list in this section does not have works based on the story, but stories with a similar plot. Some of those are probably just coincidence, or taken from a casual comment in conversation, or derived from some other similar story. To say the works listed were "based" on "The Most Dangerous Game" would require a statement to that effect from the author. Piano non troppo (talk) 16:40, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

The Most Dangerous Game
The Main Idea of this story is how to hunt if you are the hunter then i am the huntee.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.24.132.246 (talk) 01:22, 19 March 2009 (UTC)

Works with a similar plot
Regarding this edit, I feel it is pretty self-explanatory. Having just read the story, I don't feel that anything that includes man hunting man warrants inclusion. If you disagree with my edit, go ahead and undo it, but keep the original research to a minimum and carefully think about whether or not an item warrants inclusion. Mm40 (talk) 02:30, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

End of story conclusions
I've removed speculative claims about the meaning of "I had never slept in a better bed" per WP:OR. The line seems to naturally imply that he won the fight (though a citation would be nice, thus why I left the tag) and any other conclusion I have to assume is original research unless a reference is provided. -- Fyrael (talk) 22:02, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

Zodiac killer
The Zodiac Killer based some victims off this story. This should be in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.123.227.57 (talk • contribs) 20:51, 6 December 2011‎
 * Do you have any reliable sources that make this claim? -- Fyrefly (talk) 21:22, 6 December 2011 (UTC)

TMDG Satire
I recall a Simpsons episode where M. Burns decides to hunt down Homer and his co-workers in a Halloween episode (I recall a joke where Homer becomes a cannibal in less than a few hours for the lolz) but I can't recall it's name. Does it count as a TMDG parody or was that episode paroding something else? Also, I'm sure that there was an episode of Relic Hunter where Sydney Fox, the protagonist of the Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones-esque wannabe show, was hunted down by a bored rich guy who's backstory I've kinda forgotten (sorry) but it kinda reminded me of TMDG somewhat. Do these count as parodies/references or am I incorrect? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.11.78.150 (talk) 15:10, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

There's a Fantasy Island episode with a similar plot - hunter becoming the hunted, probably parodying that.109.224.137.121 (talk) 04:40, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Kraven the Hunter?
Was the Spider-Man foe Sergei Kravenoff a deliberate homage to Gen. Zarnoff? Note similarity of their last names, their Eastern European heritage, and similarity of their m.o. --The_Iconoclast (talk) 15:03, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

What's interesting about Russian translations
at least one of them (from Soviet times, something like 20-60ss) has that general renamed to Joffre and his servant to Jean, even despite those two obviously were pro-Czarist. Nobody like to read racist things about themselves.217.118.64.59 (talk) 05:05, 14 August 2014 (UTC)

2015 as yet unreleased film
Do we add these or wait until they are in the wild?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3063364/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Zodiac killer section needs a better reference
I know that the Zodiac included words like "hunting humans [who are] the most dangerous animals" in one of his first letters and that it is considered by many to be a reference to the film The Most Dangerous Game which was based on this story. Also, the fact that one of the prime Zodiac suspects expressed a love for that film was part of the evidence against him. So, I'm not disputing what the article says. However, I want to point out that the page on http://www.zodiackiller.com  that is used as a reference (as of now the only reference) is just a message board and IMO doesn't meet the requirements for a Wikipedia wp:reliable source. There are good books on the topic, one of them, I'm sure supports this. --MadScientistX11 (talk) 23:56, 24 June 2017 (UTC)
 * I found a good book on Zodiac and used it as the reference, it talks about the short story in depth and I've included all the page refs (paperback version) in the index. I simply removed the ref that was there, it just went to a discussion thread on a blog. ✅  --MadScientistX11 (talk) 17:00, 1 July 2017 (UTC)

Lazaro the mysterioso?
In the summary, we suddenly encounter (twice) a character called 'Lazaro'. He's not mentioned anywhere else. I'm not familiar with the actual book, but it seems likely this is referring to the main character 'Zaroff'. Confusing. Roxysax (talk) 13:46, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

Creation of a 'List of adaptations' page?
Some of these adaptations are not notable. I'm about to go through and remove a few.

From the conversations already here, excessive non-notable examples seems to be an on-going issue. Based on the examples of the featured article over A Christmas Carol, articles on highly adapted works can and should feature more prominent adaptations but do not need comprehensive lists of all the adaptations a work has seen. However I like the how some of these examples display how influential The Most Dangerous Game is; maybe an entirely new page should be created which lists the adaptations? I'll probably go through with this in the coming week to try it out. I'll copy the material I move into a sandbox and link it here so that I don't loose anyone's contributions. Let me know if you have a different suggestion for solving this issue. thanks, Loren.em (talk) 04:45, 4 March 2020 (UTC)