"The Most Dangerous Game" is escapist literature since it is mainly plot-driven, formulaic, and thin on metaphorical language. Most high school freshman literature books begin with this story because it is high interest and easy to analyze in terms of story elements and a plot diagram. Though a great story, it is essentially a warm-up to more sophisticated texts.
Interpretive literature certainly has more character insight, as told by a narrator or through third person omniscient point of view. "The Most Dangerous Game" uses third person limited. Even though there are some irony and themes addressed, Connell presents Rainsford as an archetypal "action hero."
What separates the two types of literature is use of metaphor, and the story is thin on symbolism and figurative language. "The Most Dangerous Game" also cannot be read on many levels of literary criticism (feminist, Marxist, etc...) other than archetypal.
From a moral standpoint, I don't believe Connell wrote the story in order to convince people it is moral or immoral to hunt animals, let alone humans. The story is certainly not a polemic against hunting.
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