Dialogue and Theme Analysis: The Failure of One Leads to the Fall of One
Humans are not perfect creatures. We have various personality traits that contribute to our flaws as higher thinking beings. The short stories “The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, and “Ruthless,” by William de Mille, despite having different plots, are using dialogue to demonstrate the idea; flaws in human thinking leading to death. This idea relates to the theme: fall of man. In “The Most Dangerous Game,” a big game hunter Sanger Rainsford, is venturing out to the Amazon River by boat. He finds himself stranded on an island after he falls overboard. He wakes up to discover a large home where a psychotic Cossack, General Zaroff, is living. The General is forcing Rainsford to participate in a hunt, where the general is controlling the game. In the end, the flaws of the general cause his unwanting death. Whereas in “Ruthless,” a cold-hearted, narrow-minded man named Judson Webb and his significant other, Mabel, are leaving their cabin. Judson notices his liquor is stolen so he decides to spike the liquor with poison, which will kill anyone in a split second if they were to drink it. After Judson falls, his neighbour unknowingly gives him a sip of the toxicating drink to dull the agony. Judson is drinking it while he is “dazed and half-conscious,” ( de Mille 2) leading him to his death. These short stories are showing how dialogue can express the underlying theme -the fall of man- through the characters’ emotions, by using selective diction and through the use of irony.
To begin with, emotions in dialogue can add a unique angle on a story’s theme. The emotions show insight to how the character is feeling and its results are leading towards their undesired fate. The general in “The Most Dangerous Game” sees hunting as a passion, as he clearly states “ ‘I have but one passion in my life, Mr. Rains. for d, and it is the hunt,’ ” (Connell 5) however this passion takes over his life and becomes an addiction. For the most part, when the general is talking about hunting, he displays an emotional tone of happiness, especially as he exclaims, “ ‘You'll find this game worth playing,’ the general says enthusiastically. ‘Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess!’ " (Connell 11). The general clearly is envisioning the match against Rainsford as one that is equal. In reality, however, it is not. It is also seemingly psychotic how the general makes it evident that he is willingly happy to hunt and kill. His happiness for his sick hobby ultimately is leading him towards his fall. This is showcasing one of his many flaws as no sane person is happy about killing another. Likewise, when Judson is having a conversation with Mabel in “Ruthless,” and says “ ‘you’re wrong, my dear,’ ‘I’m not taking anything out of this bottle; I’m only putting something into it,’” (de Mille 1) Mabel knows the tone of his voice is something...
