What theme is highlighted in this excerpt from “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell? Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from...

Quote:  “Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea.”

The answer would be, B, perseverance.  Perseverance means “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success” (dictionary.com).  If you look at some of the context clues or some of the other words the author uses in the...

Quote:  “Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea.”

The answer would be, B, perseverance.  Perseverance means “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success” (dictionary.com).  If you look at some of the context clues or some of the other words the author uses in the excerpt, you can determine the main theme or an important characteristic to describe Rainsford’s behavior. 

First of all, Rainsford “doggedly” swam.  According to vocabulary.com, doggedly means “tenaciously or with strong determination.”  This one word shows that the theme is perseverance and that Rainsford doesn’t give up despite the difficult task of swimming to shore.  He also swims slowly with “deliberate strokes” showing that he is pacing himself to conserve his energy.  He is focused on the goal of reaching shore and knows that if he panics, he will probably drown.  And finally, “For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea.”  Again, this shows his perseverance in not giving up despite the difficulty of swimming in the sea.  All of these context clues gives us the theme, perseverance. 

Throughout the story, we see that Rainsford has survived many dangerous situations.  He fought in WWI, is a big game hunter stalking dangerous animals, and of course, the “dangerous game” he plays with Zaroff solidifies that Rainsford is a man who perseveres and doesn’t give up easily.