Running Head: Good versus Bad
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All Humans Have A Good and Bad
Side Nina Rodgers
Liberty University
Good versus Bad
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Thesis Statement: In the short stories “The Child by Tiger,” By Thomas Wolfe, and “The Most
Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, the characters Dick Prosser and General Zaroff
demonstrate the freewill given to human beings to choose to do good or bad things.
I. Dick Posser and General Zaroff are good guys, who are admirable and have done good
deeds throughout their lives.
A.Dick Posser is gentle, hard working, talented and God fearing man who constantly reads
the word of God.
B.General Zaroff becomes a hero in the eyes of a man name Sanger Rainsford after Rainsford
sought refuge after his yacht sinks in the sea and General Zaroff decided to take him in his home to
take care of him.
II. In the beginning both Dick Posser and General Zaroff are depicted as good human beings, however
as the stories go on they begin to show the reader how every human has both good and evil tendencies
that they can choose to release.
A. Dick Posser eyes become blood shot red and filled with anger and hatred, which is his
point of transformation from good to evil.
B. The evil spirit that enters into Dick Posser leads him to steal a gun from his master, lie
about stealing the gun, then go on a killing rampage.
C. General Zaroff is viewed as hero and friend to Sanger Rainsford until he starts insinuating
his participation in evil acts against human beings.
D. General Zaroff finally tells Sanger Rainsford that he no longer hunts animals but hunts
men now, this causes Rainsford perception of the General to change from hero to
predator.
Good versus Bad
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III. Both Dick Posser and General Zaroff display the freewill to do good or bad things, however they
also show how evil can be acted upon due to different motives.
A. Dick Posser has been mentally tormented by racism his entire life and suppressed
his feelings until he reaches his breaking point.
B. After being physically beaten he reaches his breaking point and it unleashes a rage
that becomes uncontrollable.
C. General Zaroff evil is unleashed due to lust for more challenges and God like perfection in
his craft of hunting.
D. General Zaroff decides his greatest challenge would be to hunt humans, a species that is
made in the image of God and that can be a greater challenge to search for then any
animal.
IV. Like Able in the Bible both men become the hunted and sought after committing evil acts.
A. The entire town chases after Dick Posser and eventually kills him for his evil actions.
B. General Zaroff becomes so twisted in the mind with evil and confusion that he allows
himself to be hunted by Sanger Rainsford and is eventually captured and killed by
Rainsford.
