From the first lines of "The Most Dangerous Game," readers know that Ship-Trap Island is going to be a problem. The sailors are afraid of the island because there are rumors of mischief. It seems that any ship that travels too close to the island is never seen again. Later in the story, General Zaroff reveals how such a thing could happen.
In the first lines, Rainsford and Whitney are talking about Ship-Trap Island.
"Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island," said Whitney. "It's rather a mystery...The old charts call it Ship-Trap Island'...A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition—"
Rainsford isn't sold on the folklore, but he's curious. The men continue to talk about hunting, but Rainsford asks Whitney if he thinks they've passed the island. Whitney says he hopes so.
Whitney goes on to say that "The place has a reputation—a bad one" and that "even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place."
Rainsford does admit that the crew is acting a bit strange, but he isn't convinced. Whitney provides more evidence when he talks about the ship's Captain hating the place:
Even Captain Nielsen...that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him was 'This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me, very gravely, 'Don't you feel anything?'—as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn't laugh when I tell you this—I did feel something like a sudden chill.
While the answer to this question isn't directly stated, it seems the island's evil reputation has been in sailor folklore for ages. However, some light is shed on the island's name when Rainsford washes up on the shore. He is almost killed by the jagged rocks surrounding the land, which would absolutely trap a ship in the blackness of a tropical night.
Later in the tale, Zaroff admits he lures sailors into the rocks using lights out on the water's edge.
Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea. "Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights. The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws."
Zaroff is the evil energy that lures sailors to their doom, like a Siren in Greek mythology. The sailors may not know the real reason the ships crash, but they believe their seafaring colleagues and heed their warnings.
At the beginning of the story, Whitney and Rainsford discuss the relationship between the hunter and prey before Whitney mentions that the nearby island has a bad reputation. When Rainsford inquires if cannibals live on the island, Whitney responds by saying, "Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place."
Whitney proceeds to mention that the crew seemed a bit jumpy today, and Rainsford agrees that even Captain Nielsen was on edge. According to Whitney, Captain Nielsen told him that the island has an "evil name among seafaring men." Whitney also tells Rainsford that he could feel the palpable evil in the air as they were sailing near the island. The fearful, anxious attitude of the sailors creates an ominous, foreboding atmosphere surrounding the island, which foreshadows the horrifying events that take place in General Zaroff's domain as he ruthlessly hunts defenseless humans throughout his island. Overall, the sailors fear the island, which has a bad reputation of being an evil, God-forsaken place.
Readers can find the answer to this question early in the story. Sanger Rainsford is talking to Whitney. Readers enter the story in the middle of the conversation, and Whitney is pointing out an island off the starboard side of the boat they are on.
"Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island," said Whitney. "It's rather a mystery—"
Rainsford asks Whitney what the name of the island is and finds out it is called "Ship-Trap Island." Additionally, Whitney tells Rainsford that sailors have some superstitious fears of the island.
"The old charts call it Ship-Trap Island,'" Whitney replied. "A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition—"
Rainsford will eventually come to find out that the island's name and the sailors' fears are well-founded. The island's owner, General Zaroff, admits to Rainsford that he has a way of intentionally luring in ships toward the island in order to shipwreck sailors for him to hunt. Zaroff is able to light up a fake channel. The ships attempt to navigate the channel, and they are torn to shreds on the rocks.
"But where do you get them?"
The general's left eyelid fluttered down in a wink. "This island is called Ship Trap," he answered. "Sometimes an angry god of the high seas sends them to me. Sometimes, when Providence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. Come to the window with me."
Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea.
"Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights.
The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut."
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