Saturday, March 10, 2012

In "The Most Dangerous Game," how is General Zaroff civilized in his actions?

Wow!  That is a tough question because all I can imagine is Zaroff hunting down Rainsford in the jungle, and it's pretty hard to see anything civilized in his actions there!  Let's look beyond that if we can and focus on Zaroff's actions,more so than his style of living.  I suppose the most civilized of his actions would have to be the fact that he actually did save Rainsford from being shot by Ivan when he found him on the island; he also gave him clothes, food and a place to sleep.  Keep in mind, of course, that he was preparing him for the upcoming hunt.  I suppose his final act of civilized behavior came when he gave Rainsford a three hour head start before he began to hunt him down like an animal.  Forgive my sarcasm; I have taught this story for years and it is a favorite of mine.  However, the one aspect of the story that has always escaped me is the presence of any civilized actions on the part of Zaroff.  I hope this helps!

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