'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?
‘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.