In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, General Zaroff is characterized as a cold blooded, devious, and murderous man. Zaroff shows little remorse for human life as he does not care that he kills hundreds of sailors.When he is talking to Rainsford, he says this, “I hunt the scum of the earth.”(49)Rainsford is horrified by this, as most other humans would be. Zaroff does not seem to bother how he kills his victims, and he does not even give them a fair chance. Zaroff says multiple times throughout the story that he values his dogs more than the humans he kills. He treats them like livestock, training them and feeding them well, until eventually he makes them play his game, which is nothing more than an entertaining way to kill the lowest
The violence of his mailous host, General Zaroff, initially shocks Rainsford but as he fights to stay alive he becomes caught up in Zaroff’s game. The Generals attempts to justify his violence with “civilized” arguments (“Dangerous Game”). He poses as a modern rationalist and argues against “romantic ideas about the value of human life” and the scolds Rainsford for being “extraordinarily droll” in his response. Zaroff continually defends his murderous desires as the sophisticated and rational extension of hunting animals. Issues of violence and cruelty in “The Most Dangerous Game” exist not only on a literal level but on a symbolic level as well. As Connell directs the reader to sympathize with Rainsford, the reader feels what it is like to be a hunted animal. Zaroff’s shows off his animal heads and after describing his new prey, he refers to his “new collection or heads,” which are supposedly human. Connell mixes violence and cruelty with pleasure to engage the reader and makes a statement at the same time (“Dangerous Game”). Zaroff’s murder, therefore, is not self-defense, as it would have been before Rainsford won the game. It’s either an act of revenge or killing for sport. When he first learns of Zaroff’s sport, Rainsford is horrified. Yet, during the game he kills the dog and Ivan and does not indicate remorse. . He does not set the other “prey” free as soon as he murders Zaroff. Connell thus opens up the possibility that playing the game changes Rainsford (“Dangerous
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is shown as a murderous, uncaring, and creepy. Zaroff is shown to be murderous in the story when he tells Rainsford that he kills people for fun. “I hunt the scum of the earth–sailors from tramp ships–lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels” (Connell 78). This quotes shows that Zaroff is murderous because he created his own game to kill people. During the story Zaroff is also uncaring. He shows that he is uncaring when he says it gives him pleasure to watch men die. “That is why I use them. It gives me pleasure” (Connell 70). Zaroff shows that he is uncaring during this scene because he does not care about how people he kills feel. Lastly, Zaroff is also creepy in the story.
This quote likewise uncovers that "chasing" and slaughtering people is a diversion for General Zaroff and is messed with extremely by him. Additionally, amid their discussion General Zaroff expressed, "This is the reason I utilize them. It gives me joy. They can reason, after a design." (pg.26) When perusing this quote it ought to convey chills to you in light of the way broad Zaroff discusses different people. He alludes to them along the lines of creatures that he is chasing, in this way ending the lives of people doesn't trouble him at all. He likewise says toward the end of the quote that murdering people conveys joy to him, which breaks practically every moral code of
General Zaroff from “The Most Dangerous Game” and Montresor from “The Cask of Amontillado” are similar in several ways. They are both evil in many ways. A piece of evidence for General Zaroff Is when he put lights out in the Caribbean sea to make a false channel which caused Rainsford boat to crash on Ship-Trap island in the Mediterranean sea. One for Montresor is when he built a wall around Fortunato. Another piece of evidence that proves General Zaroff is evil is when he threatens Rainsford with his dogs if he does not play the game “I gave him his option of course. He need not to play that game if he doesn't wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan” (Connell 67).This means that Rainsford does not have to play a game
Hunting has been considered as an evil and uncivilized sport to many in our society. Many people are fine with eating hunted animals, but are not okay with people hunting animals. There have been many debates on which situations of hunting are ethical or not. In the story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, it talks about a man named General Zaroff who thinks it is okay to hunt animals and humans. He keeps his humans as prisoners but still takes care of them until they are ready to be hunted. Despite the fact that he feeds and shelters his humans, General Zaroff is uncivilized because he thinks that it is fair to kill other humans for his own pleasure.
In the text Zaroff justifies that he started to get bored of hunting animals because they were starting to become too easy to hunt. He says, “No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game. Here in my preserve on this island, I hunt more dangerous game.” (Connell 4). Zaroff is talking about humans. He kills humans because he was bored of hunting animals. For me this quote says it all. No sane person would hunt a human as a fun game. This is a clear fact from the text that proves Zaroff is a psychopath. General Zaroff believes that, “Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift?” (Connell 4). This quote is explaining the whole reason why Zaroff thinks it is right to hunt humans. I think that the reason he thinks that's why he should hunt humans is the reason why he’s a psychopath. It makes no sense that a strong person should kill a weak person just because they have more power over them. It’s murder and no one should murder a innocent human just because it's
Furthermore in the story “The Most Dangerous Game” General Zaroff had a strive to kill for fun. Zaroff would always kill animals, and after animals became easy, he moved onto humans. Zaroff would enjoy killing and it became
Zaroff is purely unconscious, and has no compassion or remorse for his actions. His demented mind forces him to believe that it is moral to hunt all living creatures, when in reality he is actually murdering a human soul. The general is sadistic as well as arrogant. He is mentally unstable, insane, and he denies the fact that he is committing something as bad as what he is doing. According to General Zaroff, hunting for him has been consumed by boredom and he no longer sees hunting as a challenge. Consequently, he chooses to hunt a certain “creature” with a higher mental stability of the creatures he has hunted before.(Connell 21) As Zaroff became comfortable with Rainsford, he
The Most Dangerous Game has a dark action you can examine right away from reading the story. In this story, the character General Zaroff starts off by hunting animals and than slowing moves onto hunting humans. This dark action is highlighted when Zaroff hunts the animals and people in the story.
In the story Zaroff thinks it's not a problem if he kills the innocent people for fun. This mindset of his is openly showing signs of being a protagonist and going to do evil things throughout the story. In his conversation with Rainsford he clearly states that, "Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong,, andif needs be, taken by the strong.” He states that he should be aloud to kill just because in his mind only the strong people in the world have the will to live. When Zaroff says "Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer." Also states that he thinks that he's not a murderer he's simply a hunter. Which means in his way of thinking or the way he looks at it what he's doing is not wrong he's hunting them, trying to figure out whose strong and who is not. He decides to hunt humans because he says there the only match for him no other animal is enjoyable for him to hunt. He has the sense of superiority that humans were the only thing left. Zaroff then states “The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure.” He thinks his actions are justifiable and that that's what the weak people are here for to give the more stronger and equip people pleasure. Zaroff then says “I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not?” In his mind since he is a good strong hunter why should not he be able to hunt he calls this a gift and takes a lot of pride in it. This is another statement he says showing he thinks what he is doing is good, eliminating what he says “scum of the earth” so the strong are the ones to live.
The harsh truth of island life reveals that Zaroff’s idea of civilization includes personal pleasure derived from murder .Zaroff explains his “game.” Zaroff has become bored with hunting because the animals do not provide a challenge for him, so hunts the only animal that can think and reason—man (Connell 74).He believes that he deserves the challenge, so it is morally right to hunt men. This is not civilized behavior. It is murder. He tries explains why it is right. “‘If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth—[…]’”(Connell 75).Zaroff believes that his social status and wealth give him the right to kill those in lower classes. This
Connell first demonstrates the General’s proud heart on page seventy. There is a conversation between Rainsford and General Zaroff and Rainsford starts with the question, “But the animal, General Zaroff? Oh, it supplies me with the most exciting hunting in the world… But no animal can reason, … there is one that can. But you can’t mean - And why not?” The General is referring that he resulted into hunting humans. Earlier, he expresses how this sport was becoming tedious and needed something that can reason, which no animal can do, except humans; without reluctance, he turns to them to fulfill his personal needs. General Zaroff is a part of World War I before he returns to hunting. Because of his experiences in the war, he believes that it is acceptable to murder human beings out of pleasure, while Rainsford disagrees. Overall, General Zaroff is betraying his egotistic side by being willing to kill humans for his
“ Instinct is no match for reason” This is true according to general Zaroff, but does the author of the story agree? Yes, the author of “ The Most Dangerous Game” believes that reason is no match for instinct. Throughout the story he gives examples of how reason has out smarted instinct. Reason is the explanation or justification of a certain action or event;the reason is not affected by force of habit. It is a process of very analytical thinking. Instinct, instinct is action woven into your mind for long periods of time; it is a second nature for you. For example a professional basketball player following through after your shot, they do not have to think about what they are doing they just do it. Instinct is done by a force of habit, you do not think of instinct; it just comes naturally.
Zaroff is the antagonist and he believes to always be the best, the predator, and unbeatable until the tables are turned. Zaroff’s view on hunting is the smarter the game the better. By the same token, the text states, “... It must be able to reason.”(pg.25) This shows that Zaroff’s favorite game is humans because he knows that humans are the only animals that can reason. Zaroff’s conflict in the story is external and also man versus man because he has to go against Rainsford and come out on top. Zaroff is fairly confident about himself as a hunter and has no fear. Similarly, the text states, “You’ll find this game worth playing, said the general enthusiastically.”(pg.28) Consequently, this shows that Zaroff has a big ego and thinks it will
In “The Most Dangerous Game”, Rainsford is met with Zaroff, the hunter who through characterization is revealed as a psychopath. As the general and Rainsford are puffing cigars and drinking wine, Zaroff reveals that hunting “has become too easy” and it is beginning to bore him. As a gateway to the love he once had for killing, Zaroff hints to Rainsford that he is “inventing a new animal”. Through explanation, this “new animal” was in fact a human, upon this reveal Rainsford includes, “what you speak of is murder”. Zaroff doesn’t take kindly to this remark as this means that his new acquaintance will not also endure in his activity with him and rejects the idea completely. In