What is the significance of the author structuring this dialogue in the beginning of the text?

Rainsford is imparting his belief that humans are superior to animals..... that animals don't know fear...... that they have no feelings. Whitney, however, believes that anilmals do know fear. Shortly after this conversation, Rainsford will learn that his belief in two distinct classes, the hunter and the hunted, isn't as cut and dry as he believed. Becoming the hunted gives him an entirely different perspective. The conversation has a mood of an ominous impending change of lesson. This section is an example of foreshadowing.