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Richard Connell (1893-1949) was an American author and journalist, best known for his short story "The Most Dangerous Game". He also wrote novels, screenplays, and worked for The New York American and J. Walter Thompson.
Learn about Richard Connell, a popular author and journalist who wrote The Most Dangerous Game and other short stories. Find his novels, stories, poems, letters, and texts on American Literature website.
- A Short Biography of Richard Connell
- Richard Connell’s Writing Career
- Richard Connell’s Writing Style
- Themes in Richard Connell’s Writings
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Richard Connell was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 17, 1893. His father, Richard Edward Connell Sr. was an editor and reporter in a local newspaper, and in later life, a congressman. Connell Sr. began his political life when he accepted the position of commissioner in Poughkeepsie police. Later after failing in the elections for congres...
World War-I
In France, during his one-year stay, he edited Gas Attack, the military camp paper. When the war ended in 1919, Connell returned to America and got married to Louise Herrick Fox. He also published his first short story the same year.
The 1920s-1930s
In the 1920s-1930s, Connell published a major volume of his works including short stories, novels, and mainly, about ten screenplays. Although his works were categorized as good literary pieces, they did not bring him wide recognition and popularity.
The Most Dangerous Game
His most acclaimed story came in 1924, “The Most Dangerous Game” which earned Connell wide success. It is a thriller story that is even adapted nowadays and is read regularly. The story first appeared with the name “The Hounds of Zaroff”. It was published in the paper, Collier’s Weekly. Moreover, the tale was adapted in the style of hunting expeditions that were common among the American upper-class in the 1920s. The tale, “The Most Dangerous Game” is the account of the Ship Trap Island of th...
Horror and Evil
Richard Connell composes his writing in a way that predicts a feeling of evil and danger. His works are constructed on the setup of the themes of Gothicism, horror, and mystery. Through his writing, he imparts a tinge of impending horror upon the lives of his characters. This makes his works suspenseful and appealing. For instance, his most acclaimed work, “The Most Dangerous Game”, is set in the genre of gothic where the horrors of evil take an important part in the story. In the tale, the r...
World War-I
When Richard Connell began his writing career, World War-I started. Therefore, he had to leave his literary life to serve in the war in France. There he worked as an editor of the camp paper Gas Attack. When the war ended, Connell returned to the US. In this way, his works have a stark representation of a difficult life and depict the psychological effect of World War-I. For example, “The Most Dangerous Game” was composed after the war that has an evil general, who victimizes Rainsford. It al...
Use of Imagery
Connell’s writing style is that of a fast-paced, economical mode. He fills his writing with genuine and vivid imagery to project his thoughts into the minds of readers authentically. Connell’s mastery in imagery development can also be seen in his most acclaimed story “The Most Dangerous Game”. The Caribbean Sea and its island with the vast jungles are constructed in beautiful yet mysterious imagery that enforces the themes of the tale more clearly. Likewise, the imagery of the heads of anima...
Degradation of Man
Most of Richard Connell’s stories are based on the degradation of human life as he had seen the holocausts of World War-I. In war, human life degrades to a major extent because war involves bloodshed, wretchedness, and cruelty. Likewise, after the end of the war, many people develop a mentality of mistrust, terror, and disgust for humanity because of seeing the evil nature of man. This degradation of man can be seen in Richard Connell’s works. For example, in “Playboy”, “The Mad Lover” and “T...
Revenge
Richard Connell’s stories are mostly revenge-driven and end in suspenseful turns of the tale. Moreover, he weaves this theme to impart a strong end to the story where poetic justice is fulfilled and the antagonist is revenged for his evil deeds throughout the story. For instance, in “The Most Dangerous Game”, Rainsford kills Zaroff despite his winning of the match. This action cannot be exclusively termed as self-defense in front of a cruel master. Although Zaroff gets defeated in the game an...
Shift into a Different Personality/ Inversion
Another significant theme of Connell’s writing is the main character’s shift from one personality type into a more refined and grave personality. His main character is a round character who self-contradicts his peculiar values and thoughts as the story progresses. For example, in “The Mad Lover”, the main character is a young man with a very meager interest in life. His only point of interest is engaging in women, wine, and polo. However, through the course of the story, he learns to adopt a...
Learn about Richard Connell, an American short story writer, journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his thriller "The Most Dangerous Game" and his Oscar-nominated screenplay "Meet John Doe".
A summary and analysis of the classic adventure story about a hunter who becomes the prey of a madman on a remote island. Explore the themes of survival, predation, and human nature in this suspenseful tale.
Richard Connell was an American author and journalist, best known for his short story "The Most Dangerous Game." He also wrote humorous tales, screenplays, and nonfiction books. See his biography, books, ratings, quotes, and polls on Goodreads.
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- November 22, 1949
- October 17, 1893
May 30, 2021 · A literary analysis of a short story by Richard Connell, which explores the themes of man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus himself. The story follows a hunter who is hunted by a madman on a remote island and how he survives the ordeal.
Browse the list of books by Richard Connell, the author of The Most Dangerous Game and other stories of adventure and horror. See ratings, reviews, editions and translations of his works.
