Moreover, both characters showed signs of a merciful attitude. First, though Zaroff is a hunter of man, he still lets the winner go to mainland. For example, “My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town”(P.18). This shows that he is merciful. He also is merciful in proving hospitality to those who are lost. He also seems hesitant when Rainsford wanted to start the hunt game because Rainsford was not skilled enough. “The general protested ‘you’ve only just come. You had no hunting—‘”. (P.18). This shows that the General was hoping that Rainsford would stay a while longer before the game because the General believes that Rainsford does not have the necessary hunting skills. Next, when Rainsford was hiding near the bushes, Zaroff saw him and could have killed him, but Zaroff decided to spare for later. Secondly, Rainsford is also a merciful man as he is a very skilled hunter. Since he is a skilled hunter, he could easy be like Zaroff and hunt people. He is also merciful because he values human life as precious. To finish, both characters demonstrate signs of a merciful attitude.
Furthermore, both of the characters show signs of a destructive attitude. Zaroff for most is the antagonist of the story. He hunts and kills people for fun. Zaroff create the island to capture the lost for the huntees. It shows that Zaroff does not value human life high since as he kills people with no sense of remorse. Zaroff had hunted animals he also showed no regard for the animals as well. He hunts because he wants a challenge to enable him to be the best of the hunters. For example: “the smile on the general’s face widen ’To date I have not lost.’”(P.17). Shows that since Zaroff is an expert hunter, he wants to hunt an animal that can reason. Second, the character Rainsford is also destructive in nature because he hunts animals. He does not value animal life because in his opinion animals do not have feelings. However, when his partner says that the animals probably sense fear and danger; Rainsford dismisses the idea because he could never feel what it is like to be hunted. He also wants a challenge in hunting as he ponders over which is the most dangerous animal to hunt on earth. However, since he values human life more precious than Zaroff, he does not thinking that humans should be hunted. In wrapping up, both of the characters show that they are destructive in attitudes.
In conclusion, the author is conveying that within a person there are destructive, constructive and merciful attitudes. These attitudes are use by a person when reacting with the environment. To end, from literature and life, people have attitudes regarding the environment.
