King Solomon's Mines Lesson Plan

How does the long-range shooting incident allow Haggard the opportunity to further characterize Quatermain?

Quatermain reveals more of his character in the incident of the long-range shooting. His rivalry with Captain Good has remained below the surface since the “lucky” shot at the giraffe, but Quatermain has made it clear to the reader that he sees Good as his inferior in matters of firearms. This internal rivalry drives Quatermain to thoughtlessly take the life of another human being in order to prove his superiority—an act which Quatermain immediately regrets: “This time I had made no mistake; and—I say it as proof of how little we think of others when our own...