How does the author’s use of imagery to describe General Zaroff impact the overall meaning of the story?

When an author uses imagery, he or she is using figurative language to better describe objects, actions, people, and/or ideas in a way that targets a reader's senses. In "The Most Dangerous Game," Connell describes Zaroff in a way that targets the visual senses of a reader. We don't get descriptions of his smell or taste, but we do get great descriptions of what he looks like.

He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharpcut nose, a spare, dark face--the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat.

Notice how Connell describes Zaroff's eyebrows and mustache. He uses a great simile that tells us that those features were as black as the night. We do get a bit of narration about how Zaroff sounds as well.

In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness, he said, "It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home."

Both of the above descriptions serve to create an image that shows Zaroff as a cultivated gentleman. He is somebody that should be respected. Of course, a part of this story does show that appearances can be deceiving. Zaroff's island is a good example. He has designed it to look like a channel where no channel actually exists. He does this to capture sailors in order for him to hunt down at a later date. Zaroff's appearance is equally deceiving and manipulative. He appears to be a kind gentleman that has Rainsford's best interests in mind; however, that is a facade. Zaroff is a ruthless killer that is always looking for his next great challenge. He may look cultivated, but his motivations and inner person is just as dark as the hair on his face.