At the end of the story, do you think Rainsford feels relief or pleasure?

The conflict that Rainsford goes through in “The Most Dangerous Game” would lead one to think at the end of the story he has seen what it felt like to be hunted. Like Zaroff, he was a skilled hunter too, and he had always felt superior to his prey. However, being on the other side of the hunt, Rainsford came to see what it was like to be tracked down like an animal, and he now understands and feels all the horror and helplessness that the hunted feels.

However, once Rainsford gains the advantage and is able to kill Zaroff, all the lessons he previously learned are forgotten, and he reverts back to the hunter mentality again. He feels no remorse at killing Zaroof, and once again he has become the superior hunter. The relief he initially felt has now turned to pleasure.