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What aspects of Zaroff's "rules" for the "game" are unfair?

User ValR
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Answer and Explanation:

General Zaroff is a character in Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Zaroff is a hunter who lives in an island. Around the island, there are rocks that often sink ships. Zaroff has made it a habit to capture the men from the ships and hunt them as if they were animals. According to him, hunting men is more exciting because they are capable of reasoning and are, therefore, the most dangerous game there is.

When the main character, Rainsford, ends up in his island, Zaroff invites him to hunt with him, since Rainsford is a famous hunter. That's when he explains the rules for the game:

"It's a game, you see," pursued the general blandly. "I suggest to one of them that we go hunting. I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three hours' start. I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him "--the general smiled--" he loses."

Even though he gives his prey three hours to get a head start, the rules are still unfair. Zaroff has a gun while the prey has only a knife. However, there is much more that makes it unfair than what Zaroff says. First, he knows the island and its forest well, while his prey does not. Zaroff also counts with the help of Ivan, his servant, and of hound dogs. Zaroff gets to go home whenever he pleases, eat and rest well before returning to the hunt, while his prey grows more and more tired and scared.

User Stroz
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