A Questionable Flaw In a fight between good versus evil, good is the recurring victor. However, when the good and evil are fighting within oneself, the outcome is not as desired as we wish it would be. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I would rather be a little nobody than an evil somebody.” Although good should definitely triumph evil, most people struggle between the two and it is a recurrent flaw. In the short stories “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, and “Poison” by Roald Dahl, the protagonists are motivated by self objectives and don’t pay attention to the sentiments of others, making them flawed. In the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, the protagonist is flawed in …show more content…
General Zaroff is an amazing hunter, “[has] hunted every kind of game in every land” (). Since he has hunted every animal and was smarter than every animal, there was nothing left for him to hunt. General Zaroff had been hunting since he was a child, and he thought all animals were too easy, except one. “‘It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason’” (). By this, he means humans. General Zaroff wants to kill people for the fun of it and to challenge himself. And when the character, Rainsford, confronts him about hunting people being a crazy idea, Zaroff is surprised that Rainsford doesn’t like the idea. Zaroff is similar to Montresor, in the way that they want to kill people. Although, they have different reasons for doing so. Montresor kills because he wants Fortunato to pay for the so called injuries he committed towards Montresor. And Zaroff kills for joy, and excitement. He wants a challenge, and hunting any regular type of animal isn’t good enough. It’s as if he is hungry for a challenge, and he knows the only thing as smart as him, is one of his kind. This is a mental flaw due to the fact that it is a way to almost disguise murder. Saying that he wants to hunt an animal that can reason instead of saying he wants to kill people. When Rainsford confronted him about it and asked him if he was serious, he said, “‘Why …show more content…
The protagonists in each of these short stories flaws develop and become more obvious throughout each story. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, the character is mentally flawed, or insane because of his dream to kill. In “The Most Dangerous Game”, the character is inhumane due to the fact that he hunts humans. Finally, in “Poison”, the character is a hallucinant because he imagines things, deadly things, and he reacts like they are true. Each character’s flaw ties back to vile actions and selfish or unreal thoughts and
However, when he becomes the hunted, he experiences fear and realizes the true cost of the hunt. His external conflict with General Zaroff, who hunts humans
what you speak of is murder” (Connell 5). Rainsford is very astonished by this, if you couldn’t tell. The reader can infer that this isn’t the only time that Zaroff has killed a person because he made a game of it. Usually, when someone commits a murder, they are punished
General Zaroff displays little empathy for human life while explaining his murderous game to Rainsford. “‘I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life.’” (Connell 10). General Zaroff reveals his philosophy that human life has no value and that killing for his own pleasure is justifiable. Both Sanger Rainsford and General Zaroff are characters that accurately depict the characteristics of an adventure story.
He honestly wanted to befriend Rainsford, but once things go opposite of how he wanted, he decides to try to kill him. Zaroff believes that he is the top of the food chain, above humans that he considered “scum of the Earth”. Zaroff is not well mannered or respectful when it comes to fellow humans. Zaroff even captures humans and keeps them
In the exposition of the plot, Zaroff told him he hunted “scum of the earth” humans and gave Rainsford an option to either hunt with him or be hunted; Rainsford refused to hunt, even though it meant almost certain death, for he believed it was wrong. “Hunting? General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder… I will not hunt,” (225-228). He wouldn’t murder innocent people, even if they were poor, unwanted men; this shows he is a good man who care’s about every human’s
Secondly, the general's secret is that Zaroff hunts humans and that's he’s going to hunt Rainsford since he does not agree to hunt with him. " Tonight, said the general, we will hunt--you and I... Rainsford shook his head. No, general, he said. I will not hunt.
Zarroff likes to hunt so much he stops hunting animals and started hunting for people. Zarroff prefers to hunt people rather than animals, because he believes that animals lack reasoning, making the hunt easy for him, and he like a challenge. People provide that challenge he so desires, because humans can reason. Sanger Rainsford and his friend Whitney were traveling to Rio de Janeiro to hunt a jaguar. Whitney decides to head in for some rest, while Rainsford decides to go on the deck for a smoke.
Rainsford calls it “murder”(13). Most people perhaps psycopaths would find hunting humans unfathomable. However Zaroff says his “whole life has been a prolonged hunt.”(11). Perhaps Zaroff’s unbelievable actions are due to the fact that he was given his first weapin at five years old and killed his dad’s prized turkeys with it instead of sparrows. Then his father praised him for his good aiming.
Rainsford is initially shown to not show any empathy to the wild animals he hunts. Zaroff is no different, with him declaring, “I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels,” (9). Zaroff hunts humans who have the unfortunate luck to arrive on Ship-Trap Island. Zaroff gives no second thought about hunting humans because he finds them to be the perfect sport to hunt, and finds pleasure in hunting them. In the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the protagonist, Sanger Rainsford, and the antagonist, General Zaroff, are similar characters.
What did Rainsford do after he had killed Zaroff? All the reader is left with is that Zaroff had the tables turned on him and Rainsford is the new
Also, General Zaroff is an extreme hunter and doesn’t find pleasure in hunting regular animals. Zaroff says the most dangerous game is humans because they have the ability to reason. Rainsford is going to be hunted and is given a certain amount of time to survive. Moreover, while Rainsford is being hunted Zaroff
To begin with, in “The Most Dangerous Game” Zaroff has unfair advantages compared to the people he is hunting. On page 26 it says,” I give him a supply and an excellent hunting knife. I give them three hours to start. I am to follow, armed with only a pistol of the smallest caliber and range.”
“I am strong, I hunt the scum of the earth”(17). He only kills them because he wants to hunt something that can reason, something that can change its mind when faced with a life or death situation. “But they are men,” said Rainsford hotly. “Precisely,” said the general”(17). Zaroff is an apex hunter, and he demands the ultimate prey.
Edgar Allan Poe is most famous for the gothic themes he presents in his writings, this was no exception for Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”. Several important ideas are brought up about the story’s central theme of revenge. These ideas can be broken down into 3 parts: the incentive, the extent, and the reaction of the person partaking in revenge. It is essential to consider these ideas while reading Poe’s story, in order to comprehend his views on revenge. It also provides the reader the ability to question their own views on revenge as well as compare it with Poe’s.
However, it does not change for the better. In the middle of the story when he finds out Zaroff hunts fellow human beings, to Zaroff's surprise, Rainsford’s thought and reaction is utter shock and disbelief. “‘But you can’t mean-’ gasped Rainsford. ‘And why not?’”(10). Zaroff knowing Rainsford was a great hunter he hoped that Rainsford would accompany him on a hunt; however, Rainsford accuses him of being a cold-blooded killer.