Is General Zaroff guilty in the name of the law? General Zaroff: a skillful, innocent hunter, or a deranged, guilty murderer.
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff descends from a family of aristocrat Cossacks described as nothing short of savages. Savages are violent and uncontrollable, similar to Zaroff when he is hunting his most precious prey, humans. He is a man who expresses levity on the value of human life and views them as items used to relieve his boredom, therefore broadcasting his cynicism to hunting humans. General Zaroff is a heinous man guilty of the first-degree murders he commits while living on Ship-Trap Island. General Zaroff’s guilt is first portrayed through his familial upbringing and …show more content…
In the short story, he lures many people of all races to his island and provides them with the utmost alluring stay at his home. Then, after he persuades them into the glamor of his lifestyle, he gives them an ultimatum: either play his “game,” or get handed off to Ivan who is known for being a vicious warrior (Connell 7). This is an example of the violation of Title 18 Code 1203, Hostage Taking according to Cornell University Law School. The code states, “... whoever, whether inside or outside the United States… detains and threatens to kill, to injure… shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment.” Zaroff’s games consist of him trying to kill his “prey,” the hostages on his island, while they try to escape his cynical wrath. Some may argue that this code cannot be implied here because General Zaroff was not an American citizen, one of the qualifications of the code, but Sanger Rainsford, the confined man, was indeed an American citizen. This is conveyed when Rainsford states, “My name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City” (Connell 3). Zaroff’s ultimatum proves that he has an intent on forcing them to play his game. We know he ends up killing them in the end when he states, “To date I have not lost” (Connell 7). Zaroff also violated Murder code 1111. …show more content…
According to Valley Behavioral, the risk of developing behavioral disorders include being exposed to violence. Ever since Zaroff was a small child, he bore a gun in his hands. This is expressed in the novel when Zaroff says, “When I was only five years old he gave me a little gun…” (Connell 5). Zaroff also has an effect of behavioral disorders known as social isolation (Symptoms & Signs of Disruptive Behavior Disorder). Expressed in the story, Zaroff originally chooses to live alone on an island in the middle of the Caribbean before he began luring “scum[s] of the earth” (Connell 7) to his
In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff descends from a family of aristocrat Cossacks described as nothing short of savages. Savages are violent and uncontrollable, similar to Zaroff when he is hunting his most precious prey, humans. He is a man who expresses levity on the value of human life and views them as items used to relieve his boredom, therefore broadcasting his cynicism to hunting humans. General Zaroff is a heinous man guilty of the first-degree murders he commits while living on Ship-Trap Island. General Zaroff’s guilt is first portrayed through his familial upbringing and …show more content…
In the short story, he lures many people of all races to his island and provides them with the utmost alluring stay at his home. Then, after he persuades them into the glamor of his lifestyle, he gives them an ultimatum: either play his “game,” or get handed off to Ivan who is known for being a vicious warrior (Connell 7). This is an example of the violation of Title 18 Code 1203, Hostage Taking according to Cornell University Law School. The code states, “... whoever, whether inside or outside the United States… detains and threatens to kill, to injure… shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment.” Zaroff’s games consist of him trying to kill his “prey,” the hostages on his island, while they try to escape his cynical wrath. Some may argue that this code cannot be implied here because General Zaroff was not an American citizen, one of the qualifications of the code, but Sanger Rainsford, the confined man, was indeed an American citizen. This is conveyed when Rainsford states, “My name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City” (Connell 3). Zaroff’s ultimatum proves that he has an intent on forcing them to play his game. We know he ends up killing them in the end when he states, “To date I have not lost” (Connell 7). Zaroff also violated Murder code 1111. …show more content…
According to Valley Behavioral, the risk of developing behavioral disorders include being exposed to violence. Ever since Zaroff was a small child, he bore a gun in his hands. This is expressed in the novel when Zaroff says, “When I was only five years old he gave me a little gun…” (Connell 5). Zaroff also has an effect of behavioral disorders known as social isolation (Symptoms & Signs of Disruptive Behavior Disorder). Expressed in the story, Zaroff originally chooses to live alone on an island in the middle of the Caribbean before he began luring “scum[s] of the earth” (Connell 7) to his