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Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—The Color Red:
General Zaroff's violent passions are foretold in the imagery that surrounds his character, which includes Connell’s use of the color red to hint at the general’s bloodlust. As Rainsford—and the reader—learn about Zaroff’s backstory and the reason for his presence on the island, he notes the general’s strange smile that shows “red lips and pointed teeth.” As the story continues and Zaroff is revealed to be a murderous psychopath, the smile becomes increasingly reminiscent of a predator animal.
In the same conversation that reveals the smile, Rainsford and Zaroff also eat borscht: “the rich, red soup with whipped cream so dear to Russian palates.” Connell’s choice of warm, red meal for the two characters—predator and unsuspecting prey—evokes both the color and consistency of blood. As the meal continues, Zaroff’s smile reappears:
“I’ve always thought,” said Rainsford, “that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game.”
For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly, “No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game.”
Connell’s use of red imagery at the moment Zaroff begins to reveal his sinister intentions for settling in on Ship-Trap Island reflects his broader stylistic tendency to use imagery conjured through color and metaphor to sustain the suspenseful mood and dark, foreboding tone of “The Most Dangerous Game” as a whole.
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