What is the significance of

Zaroff expressing to Rainsford, "I have electricity? We try to be civilized here"?

General Zaroff celebrates barbarism and indulges in gruesome sports by hunting humans. Here he was being ironical when he says that he tried to be civilized because he used light to cause shipwreck and hunt humans, which was inhuman.

Explanation

The above lines are part of an extract taken from "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connel. Its a part of the conversation between Zaroff and Rainsford where they are on the dinner table dining and indulging in some kind of talk. Zaroff according to Rainsford seemed very cosmopolitan and sophisticated by his extraordinary attire where he was wearing garments sewed by famous London tailor. At the same time, Zaroff's reading habits were also extraordinary since he used to read Marcus Eruluis who was known for composing works based on Ethics and Integrity. The real truth and irony about Zaroff's character came to light when he revealed his nasty and barbaric sports where he used to hunt humans just for his whim. He said that was the new type of hunting he had invented just for fun. He used to hunt men whose ship got wrecked on the island. The lines are loaded with irony and hidden vehemence where on the one hand person talks and pretends to be highly sophisticated and ethical but in reality, he is reverse of it. Hunting men for sports and personal whim is the utmost form of barbarism and appalling. He says that he tried to be civilized but there was not an iota of ethics and civility in his practice. This was also apparent by the way Rainsford reacted and repulsed at him.