Is hunting people a right choice to make for one’s own pleasure of the hunt? For my own being I have to disagree. Hunting people is cruel, unethical, and unfathomable! People like General Zaroff who think hunting humans is acceptable are ruthless. I disagree with General Zaroff’s philosphy. Hunting humans is cruel and inhumane. Zaroff claims on Ship Trap Island they try to be “civilized”(14). Rainsford is shocked at his statement,striking Zaroff with these powerful words, “civilized and you shoot down men”(14)! How can someone claiming to be civilized hunt men for his own desire of pleasure? Zaroff’s excuse is he “treats his guests with every consideration”(14), but then he admits his own behavior is “barberous”(14)! Is General Zaroff’s philosphy as grim and repelling, like at one’s first thought? Hunting one’s own kind is unethical. Bullying is never acceptable regardless of the victim. Zaroff considers the sailors he hunts “the scum of the earth”(14), and “a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them”(14). General Zaroff is wrong. Humans are the most precious beings on this Earth, because they have “courage,cunning,the ability to reason,and so much more! …show more content…
Most people except perhaps scicopaths find hunting humans is unfathomable. General Zaroff admits “his whole life has been one prolonged hunt”(11), He was groomed as a child to become a killer. It started at age 5 when his father gave him a gun to shoot sparrows,instead he shot his father’s prized turkey. His father applauded for his “markmanship”(11). He has been killing his whole life until Rainsford beat him at his own game. Zaroff’s attitude has a lot to do with his upbringing, in his early upbringing he was shown it was okay to kill, parents play a huge part in who we
General Zaroff is a psychotic man. He was hunting with Rainsford and he found him but he decided to wait so he could have a better challenge to kill Rainsford. In the short story, it states, “I refuse to believe that so modern civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life.” This shows that he has no value for anyone else's life except his own life.
General Zaroff constantly appears all throughout the story, whether it is in what he says, or the activities he depicts, that he has an exceptionally unsteady personality and is to some degree a psycho. For instance, towards the end of the extensive discussion between General Zaroff and Rainsford, General Zaroff says, "I chase the filth of the earth-mariners from tramp ships, lascars, blacks, chinese, and crossbreeds." (pg.
General Zaroff is uncivilized because he thinks that it is fair and ordinary to kill other humans for his own pleasure. The text shows that he is uncivilized when he replies to Rainsford’s comment about murder and says, “Life is for the strong, and if needs be, taken by the strong” (Connell 14). When Zaroff says that life is for the strong, it reveals that he is a very selfish person who doesn’t care about others. It reveals his perspective on the world. It also shows that General Zaroff is a very one-sided person. Another example that proves that General Zaroff is uncivilized is when he comments
General Zaroffs sense of cruelty is proven when he explains that he hunts people. In the story, General Zaroff states, “I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,…“So I said, `What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was, of course, `It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason." (pg #7) Rainsford is quick to point out that no animal can reason but Zaroff replies, “My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can.” (pg #7) Zaroff is implying that he hunts
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is shown as insane, cruel, and arrogant.Zaroff is shown to be insane in the story when he says that he kills humans for fun.“...Did not make me a coldone, cold-blooded murderer.” (Connell 70). This quote shows that Zaroff is psycho because during this part, it is showing that he is a murderer. During the story, Zaroff is also cruel.He shows that he is cruel when He says that he almost makes boats crash into rocks.“Where there’s none: giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I can crush this nut.”(Connell 70). Zaroff shows that he is mean during this scene because he is making people crash, then giving them hope when
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.
General Zaroff is clearly not under control with his hunting habits. General Zaroff creates for himself, a dangerous hunting game. More dangerous than all the rest, an animal can reason and feel.This animal is a human. The general has gone over the edge. By following his instincts and making his desires reality, general Zaroff now has access to this dangerous game. He hunts and kills them with a pistol, disregards their feelings, and treats them like animals. Some people, such as Rainsford, have decided that obeying the law and sticking to the principles is better than following nature. Rainsford says,“Thank you, I'm a hunter not a murderer.” Rainsford chooses to be civil and lawful. Rainsford quite obviously has more control over his actions than the general. The general gives into his dark side and gives into his guilty desire to hunt animal that has reason, courage, and cunningness. Rainsford chooses not to because he knows wrong from right. But perhaps, when dealing with your human nature you must succumb to your darkest
General Zaroff admits to having read Rainsford's book, and demonstrates great craft in creating the game that he made for this island. He also says directly of himself that he has an "analytical mind ». He claims that « Now, mine is an analytical mind, Mr. Rainsford. Doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems of the chase, (Connell pg. 100 or 10.) » He has also for a time commanded a division of Cossack cavalry. Which requires someone who willingness allows themselves to be influenced by other people and to share their ideas openly to enhances their ability or apitude, while being psychologically closed can cause problems. Leaders who are psychologically open seek diverse opinions, so they can see and hear more and factor a wider range of information into their decisions (like he did with Rainsford, wanting to know his opinions on him "hunting" humans). He has also a lot of tricks up his sleeve as he was capable of dismissing Rainsford trap that he equally knew off … « The Malay man-catcher » He had said «Not many men know how to make a Malay man catcher (Connell pg.19 ou 109) ». Luckily, for me, I too have hunted in Malacca Connell pg.19 ou 109.With his knowledge of hunting he was capable of tracing and finding Rainsford not once but twice, which proves that he’s very good at what he does and has an impeccable eyesight ! He could’ve killed Rainsford right away and could’ve won the game but decided not to because he is "just so much fun" and always plays his little « games ». Zaroff just simply has a vicious, sadistic and ruthless mind of physically and mentally torturing his enemies or
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
In “The Most Dangerous Game”, Rainsford is terrified to find that General Zaroff is actually a murder. Rainsford is listening intently to the new “species” that General Zaroff is describing as hunt for his game. General Zaroff has a passion and has become obsessed with hunt because it “had been (his) life”, but sadly “hunting was beginning to bore (him)”. He was eager to continue hunting because of how much he enjoyed it. He needed a new way to satisfy himself while still involving himself in hunting. He decided to go to the extremity of killing people to satisfy himself and make him find new excitement in the one hobby that used to be his life and his source of happiness. General Zaroff’s love and passion for hunting cause him to kill and murder because hunting animals was not satisfying him anymore. Rainsford realizes that he is in the presence of a murderer and when General Zaroff is describing how he has found a new hunt for killing Rainsford figures out that “what (General Zaroff) speak of is murder”. While Zaroff is defending himself by saying that he is not murdering, he does not realize that he sounds foolish because he is saying that he has fallen in love with hunting of humans’ The idea that someone is no joke, but General Zaroff thinks “it’s a game”. Consequently, General Zaroff’s dark side comes through because his love for hunting
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
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
General Zaroff is ruthless in his hunt. He hunts sparingly with his prey, dangerous prey. ‘“Here in my preserve on this island, he said.” In the same low tone ”I hunt more dangerous game”’ (Cornell 5). Zaroff is ruthless, because he doesn’t care about the animal he cares about the kill. Even though he is ruthless he is bloodthirsty for his
Would a person be justified in killing a human being that has hunted and killed many other people? The short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, helps to argue that the killing of human hunter can be overlooked. This short story is about a guy, named Rainsford, that gets stranded in the sea without his ship and makes his way to a nearby island in search of help. In the process of exploring the island, he stumbles across a mansion and while inside he meets General Zaroff who has found a new game to hunt for sport, humans. After three days of forcibly being General Zaroff’s prey, Rainsford ends up becoming the first to have beaten Zaroff. In the end, Rainsford took his opportunity to kill General Zaroff. Rainsford was acquitted
In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff, a creative mastermind and suave killer, having perfected the skill of hunting animals, resorts to the savage ways of murder. “‘I wanted an ideal animal to hunt,’ explained the general. ‘So I said: ‘What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?’ And the answer was of course: ‘It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.’” (Connell, The Most Dangerous Game). Zaroff, a skilled hunter finds no sense of danger while hunting animals, he is bored with the sport and so he creates a way to trap humans to hunt. He fulfills his desires by killing off lesser men than himself, stocking up on sailors, and always having someone to hunt. “‘I had to invent a new animal to hunt,’ he said” (Connell, The Most Dangerous Game). Although Zaroff’s creativity is morally wrong, he did produce a