'The last tiger must be wary, she must be strong, she must be crafty and ruthless and wise.' (P 66) In his role as the hunter, does M become inhuman?

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‘The last tiger must be wary, she must be strong, she must be crafty and ruthless and wise.’ (P 66) In his role as the hunter, does M become inhuman?

M completely swallows the role of the hunter, making himself ‘wary… strong… crafty… ruthless and wise’ (P 66) thus becoming inhuman. M is comparative of himself and the tiger; the tiger is inhuman. M acts contrary to humans being social animals. M does not display the basic traits and principles that make one human.

M becomes not human in nature or quality; he becomes ‘the natural man’ (P 58). M finds himself to be similar to the thylacine. Both are in solitary worlds, the last of their kind – M the last hunter and the last of her species. M frequently fantasises what she may be thinking adopting his conjectures to propel him on. ‘…the scent of a mate. That is what propels her day after day across the plateau: immortality.’ (P 66) M uses her as a metaphor for himself. ‘This ignoble image of his prey [himself] discourages M…’ (P 66) He is at a stage in his mission where he is in doubt of himself, his abilities and his personal purpose of the mission; he is in doubt of his choice. M attempts to rectify his tarnished image of his prey, and thus himself. M himself changes, he has adjusted, like the thylacine, become ‘crafty and ruthless and wise’, to enable him to complete his mission successfully.

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M is extremely cruel in his role as the hunter. He is ‘ruthless’; he will complete his mission at any cost, ‘…virus or antidote, M does not know, cannot know and does not want to know…’ (P 40) He is unaffected by the potentially devastating effect his mission may have on humanity. He is not concerned with the future of humankind. M kills the last thylacine; he ends the chain and brings it to extinction. ‘Quickly, and without thinking, he lifts his rifle and shoots her in the head.’ (P 164) This act is inhuman; to not think of the cruelty ...

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