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Mr. Rainsford did not kill General Zaroff in cold blood, but rather in self-defense doing this world a favor by getting rid of such a beast as General Zaroff. Sanger Rainsford is not a murderer, but rather a savior. The general gets bored with hunting animals and in his words decides that he had to invent a new animal to hunt. (21) This new animal being humans, sailors who happened to have the tragic luck of running into his ship-trap. General Zaroff is a cold-blooded murderer who kills for sport and pleasure and plans out his murders.
However his own death at the hands of Mr. Rainsford is in self-defense and in remembrance of all the men taken by the general. General Zaroff has been killing men on his island for many years, all simply for sport and his pleasure. He is a man that adamantly thinks out his murders and then makes a game, a most dangerous game, out of his victims.
The threat of being turned over to Ivan forces them to run. As the general explains to Mr. Rainsford, He need not play the game if he doesn t wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouted to the Great White Czar, and he has his own ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr.
Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt. They are forced to run or be slowly tortured by Ivan, knowing that they would inevitably be killed, installing the utmost fear in their minds. Then the man is tracked down, possibly for days until the general takes a small pistol and ends their life. General Zaroff has a blurred sense of reality and does not see that what he is doing is wrong. He simply views it as hunting, a harmless sport. When Mr.
Rainsford questions the general on his seriousness the general replies, Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting. (22) The casual manner used by General Zaroff to describe the murder of a man shows that he obviously does not know the difference between right and wrong. The general is completely self-centered and believes that the entire world revolves around him. He thinks that all other people in the world are there for his pleasure, and as long as he provides them with the necessities until their death then it is all right for him to use them however he wishes. This is shown when Sanger Rainsford challenges the general s idea of civilized and General Zaroff replies, I treat these visitors with every consideration. They get plenty of food and exercise. (23) It is unbelievable and inhumane that someone can rationalize such a barbaric act to the point where they truly feel they are doing no wrong.
A man who can do such deeds is a devil, and this man is General Zaroff. That is of course, until Sanger Rainsford ended it all, most likely saving many sailors lives in the future. Society should be pinning a medal on Mr. Rainsford right now. However, instead he is being persecuted and prosecuted for ridding us of a terrible man, if the general can even be called a man. If these murders committed by the general are not enough in themselves, they are also all planned out.
The general has a training school where he keeps all of his victims to make until it is time for them to be murdered to ensure that killing them is of the utmost pleasure for him. When speaking of this school general Zaroff states, It s in the cellar. I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They re from the Spanish bark San Local and had the bad luck to go on the rocks out there. (23) The general s planning does not start with the training. It all begins when he decides which specimens he would like to kill. General Zaroff has certain guidelines that his victims must meet and he shows great disappointment if his kills are not going to be suitable.
When talking of the current occupants of his training school the general states, A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle. (23) Besides the actual hunting portion of his game, the general also planned out how to deal with all different situations brought on by one of his victims. When Rainsford attempts to refuse to hunt, the general agrees to let him but confirms that The choice rests entirely with you. But may I not venture to suggest that you will find my idea sport more diverting than Ivan s? (23) This meaning that if his victim will not hunt, the general will turn him over to be beaten and tortured by Ivan. Were General Zaroff on trial today, he would be being charged with uncountable offenses of first degree murder and most likely given the death penalty. So infact not only does Mr.
Rainsford save the lives of many other innocent sailors, he also saves our government a great amount of money. Sanger Rainsford s action has taken the need for a trial, a cell, and an execution for General Zaroff. Therefore protecting people s tax dollars from this misuse and still acting in self-defense to rid society of General Zaroff. With the fact that General Zaroff is a cold-blooded murderer aside, now focus on the fact that Sanger Rainsford s actions in taking the general s life are purely in self-defense. The general installs great fear into him on the very first day. The threat of being tortured by Ivan makes him realize that he is seemingly defenseless on the island.
When first introducing Rainsford to the game, the general makes it clear that if the victim does not choose the hunt that he would turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouted to the Great White Czar, and he has his own ideas of sport. (24) This type of threat would invariably make any man choose to defend himself during a hunt. Rainsford is trapped on the island with no way of leaving without defeating General Zaroff. Rainsford does make an attempt at a request to leave saying, I wish to leave this island at once. (25) However, this is of course met with the threat of being turned over to Ivan. Hence, Rainsford is forced to withdraw his request.
Had he not outwitted the general for three days, he would be killed himself. However, Mr. Rainsford does accomplish this feat, but is not out of danger yet. He knows that he will still have to face the general if he ever wants to get off this island. This occurs the night of the third day, in the general s bedroom. General Zaroff is not planning on allowing Rainsford to leave, and makes this very clear when he says, One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds.
The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. (29) The general s statement obviously means that one or the other, not both of them will live. He is right, and when General Zaroff attacks Mr. Rainsford, he loses. Sanger Rainsford gets the bed that night, but not out of cold blood, as would General Zaroff had.
Rather by defending himself, and defeating a great beast in the process. General Zaroff is a murderer of the worst kind. He plans his murders and enjoys them. When Mr. Rainsford comes to his island all of this ends. No more sailors will be killed, and not a cent of anyone s tax dollars spent on behalf of General Zaroff.
Sanger Rainsford should not be on trial; he killed the general in self-defense. Not only does he save his own life, but the life of many others. Sanger Rainsford is innocent of all charges.
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Research essay sample on General Zaroff Cold Blooded
