What are some examples of symbolism in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

"The Most Dangerous Game" is often cited in anthologies
for the structure or plot, not to mention its great suspense. To identify a symbol is a
bit of a stretch in this work, but there are items worthy of
use.

In the beginning Whitney and Rainsford discuss the
jaguar. As they talk, Whitney points out that even an animal can contain fear, while
Rainsford laughs the thought away. Although this is a great moment of foreshadowing and
as it is later fulfilled we see the irony of an animal's capacity to fear, I think
Connell uses this animal to represent the innocence
of all animals. This story was written as a reflection of the big game
hunting that was done for sport in the early 1900s. Connell uses this animal to later
illustrate what it would feel like if a human had to endure the fear of being hunted for
days on end.

Similarly, the cry
that Rainsford hears while swimming close to shore after hearing small
caliber gun shots, symbolizes the torment and agony animals go through when hunters
aren't responsible about their sport. A kill shot is a necessity for many moral hunters
because they actually care about wildlife game management. They don't want to put
animals through pain, but I think Connell uses this cry to demonstrate that hunting
creates pain, and that death is painful, no matter how it is
done.

The term game is used to
have a double meaning, thus it is often a play on words when used in the story to mean
either or both the animal and the sport. I think you could use game as a symbol to
demonstrate that their is a win and a loss. Connell would like his audience to
understand that hunting may be a loss for us in the long
run.

These may be some stretchers, but the work has many
other devices that it is regularly recognized for. I hope you can use some of
these.