Some people say that personalities can't be changed, but Rainsford's precarious adventure on Ship-Trap Island in Richard Connell's "Most Dangerous Game" has completely renovated his mind-set about hunting. Rainsford's initial attitude about hunting was never more clear during his conversation with Whitney, "The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the hunters."

When Rainsford found himself marooned on the ominous island, his internal evolution slowly began. Although he never realized it, his conflict with General Zaroff on the rights of the sailors had pushed himself on the other side of the stance between the hunters and the huntees. All of a sudden, the hunter became the hunted as Rainsford found himself desperately struggling for his life. A man who had begun with a heart of stone is now at the mercy of a ruthless man-hunter whose skills and cruelness matched his own. Trapped between the hounds and the infinite ocean, Rainsford finally realizes how an animal at bay feels.

Although Rainsford did eventually escape the grip of Zaroff, I'm sure he had gone through a major change within himself. As some people say, the best way to learn is by experiencing it yourself.