General Zarroff is a man who has a very strange depression. So like all people do when they have depression, they search for something to take it away. He has most likely made billions from hunting animals and then the selling valuables, making shady and secret trades, and soon after he had enough to buy the island, he used crashed ship parts to pay for the rest;
Exquisite food, fine china, and Ivan; His deaf servant throughout the story.
His way of getting rid of depression is hunting. But in the beginning, that's what started the whole thing. He had hunted his whole life, and he has become to perfect at it. He has dedicated his life to hunting and the thrill of it. It has become too boring for him, so he had to find something new. Like I said before, his whole life has been hunting, so he doesn't know anything else.
He decides to make a new animal.
Zarroff being a very tricky and intelligent man, he thought, "
I need something that has wits about them" He needed something that could possibly out smart him, and it came to him;
This is a perfect example of his personality.
Depression makes people do things they normally wouldn't do. Before he was a classy and sophisticated person, who would occasionally take advantage of his gift to gain finances. He would ignore his other side until he was in the hunt. He would only use it if he had to.
His idea of a perfect animal was a combination of his inner (
savage) side, and his outer (
Intelligent) side. He decided the only animal that could possibly out smart him,
would be a fellow man. And that would bring you to the setting of the book.
