Escape vs. Interpretive

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Escape vs. Interpretive

Escape literature is a form of fiction used primarily for pleasure and entertainment. Reading escape literature helps to pass the time leisurely. Interpretive literature deepens and broadens one’s view of life. Both are important parts of fiction and can give one enjoyment and understanding. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell and “Child by Tiger” by Thomas Wolfe are two short stories that exemplify these two types of fiction. They can stand in their own right as individual examples of these two types of fiction, but when compared and contrasted they present a new view of short stories and fiction. “ The Most Dangerous Game” as escape literature and “Child by Tiger” as interpretive literature can be compared and contrasted through characterization,
plot, and theme.
The characters of these two stories can be easily deciphered as escape characters and interpretive characters . One of the more prominent characters in “The Most Dangerous Game” is General Zaroff. His character is explicitly brought forth to the reading audience. His first appearance in the story is accompanied by an informative head to toe description of him, “... [A] gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist ” (11) “He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his think eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as the night which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharp-cut nose, a spare, dark face, the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat ” (12). The use of direct characterization is a significant trait of escape literature. Zaroff can also be described as a flat and static character. He is flat character because he is what as known as a stock character. This meaning that he is a stereotypical bad guy who has shown up so often in other escape literature that his na...