General Zaroff is excited about Rainsford's being on his island because he has become jaded and finds no challenge in the "prey" he has been hunting. Now, he expects Rainsford to offer him excitement and challenge both.
When General Zaroff welcomes Rainsford it is with enthusiasm and praise:
"It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home...I've read ;your book about hunting snow leopards...
General Zaroff is excited about Rainsford's being on his island because he has become jaded and finds no challenge in the "prey" he has been hunting. Now, he expects Rainsford to offer him excitement and challenge both.
When General Zaroff welcomes Rainsford it is with enthusiasm and praise:
"It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home...
I've read ;your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you see...."
As they dine, Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he lives for the hunt and for danger. Further, the general remarks that he has hunted almost every kind of game there is and has become satiated with hunting animals. So, now he has invented "a new sensation," he tells Rainsford, who is appalled when he learns the meaning of Zaroff's phrase, "the most dangerous game."
Therefore, with Rainsford as his "dangerous game" to hunt, Zaroff is thrilled since such an expert hunter as Rainsford himself will offer new and exciting challenges to him. In fact, this love of the challenge becomes Zaroff's undoing as he allows Rainsford to live another day after he has trailed this new prey to a tree.
The general was saving him for another day's sport. The general was the cat; he was the mouse.
And, just as many a cat has done in its deadly play with a mouse, the mouse escapes. For, it is Rainsford who ends up the victor of the dangerous hunt.
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