Excerpt

Excerpt from Jungle Tales of Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Later that day, in England, a Lord Greystoke ate bountifully of things
he had not killed, and he drank other things which were uncorked to the
accompaniment of much noise. He patted his lips with snowy linen to
remove the faint traces of his repast, quite ignorant of the fact that
he was an impostor and that the rightful owner of his noble title was
even then finishing his own dinner in far-off Africa. He was not using
snowy linen, though. Instead he drew the back of a brown forearm and
hand across his mouth and wiped his bloody fingers upon his thighs.
Then he moved slowly through the jungle to the drinking place, where,
upon all fours, he drank as drank his fellows, the other beasts of the
jungle.

As he quenched his thirst, another denizen of the gloomy forest
approached the stream along the path behind him. It was Numa, the lion,
tawny of body and black of mane, scowling and sinister, rumbling out
low, coughing roars. Tarzan of the Apes heard him long before he came
within sight, but the ape-man went on with his drinking until he had
had his fill; then he arose, slowly, with the easy grace of a creature
of the wilds and all the quiet dignity that was his birthright.

Numa halted as he saw the man standing at the very spot where the king
would drink. His jaws were parted, and his cruel eyes gleamed. He
growled and advanced slowly. The man growled, too, backing slowly to
one side, and watching, not the lion’s face, but its tail. Should that
commence to move from side to side in quick, nervous jerks, it would be
well to be upon the alert, and should it rise suddenly erect, straight
and stiff, then one might prepare to fight or flee; but it did neither,
so Tarzan merely backed away and the lion came down and drank scarce
fifty feet from where the man stood.

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Explanation

Detailed Analysis of the Excerpt from Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1. Context & Source

Author & Work: Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American writer best known for creating Tarzan, the iconic "ape-man" who became a cultural phenomenon in the early 20th century. Jungle Tales of Tarzan (1919) is the sixth book in the Tarzan series, consisting of interconnected short stories that explore Tarzan’s early life among the apes and his transition between the human and animal worlds.

This excerpt contrasts Lord Greystoke (Tarzan’s human identity in England) with Tarzan himself in the African jungle, emphasizing the duality of his existence—civilized yet wild, noble yet primal.

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2. Themes

The passage explores several key themes:

• Duality of Identity (Civilization vs. Primitivism):

  • The excerpt juxtaposes Lord Greystoke in England (refined, ignorant of his true nature) with Tarzan in Africa (instinctual, in tune with the wild).
  • The "impostor" line suggests that Tarzan’s true self is not the aristocratic Englishman but the feral jungle-dweller.
  • This reflects Burroughs’ romanticization of the "noble savage"—the idea that civilization corrupts, while nature preserves purity and strength.

• Survival & the Natural Order:

  • Tarzan’s actions (wiping blood on his thighs, drinking on all fours) align him with animals, reinforcing his place in the jungle’s hierarchy.
  • The confrontation with Numa (the lion) demonstrates Tarzan’s mastery of animal behavior—he reads the lion’s tail movements, a detail that highlights his deep connection to the wild.

• Inheritance & Birthright:

  • The "rightful owner of his noble title" implies that Tarzan’s true heritage is not just his English aristocracy but his primordial dominance in the jungle.
  • The "quiet dignity that was his birthright" suggests that his nobility is not merely social but innate, tied to his survival skills and leadership among beasts.

• Man vs. Nature (or Man as Part of Nature):

  • Unlike traditional "man vs. nature" conflicts, Burroughs presents Tarzan as a bridge between human and animal, neither fully one nor the other.
  • The lion’s deferential behavior (drinking near Tarzan without attacking) reinforces Tarzan’s alpha status in the jungle.

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3. Literary Devices

Burroughs employs several stylistic and rhetorical techniques:

• Juxtaposition & Parallelism:

  • The opening contrast between Lord Greystoke’s civilized dinner (linen napkins, corked wine) and Tarzan’s primal feast (bloody fingers, wiping on thighs) underscores the duality of Tarzan’s existence.
  • The parallel structure ("he drank as drank his fellows") aligns Tarzan with animals, blurring the line between human and beast.

• Imagery & Sensory Details:

  • Visual: "snowy linen" vs. "brown forearm," "bloody fingers," "tawny body and black mane" of the lion.
  • Auditory: "uncorked to the accompaniment of much noise" (civilized sounds) vs. "low, coughing roars" (wild sounds).
  • Tactile: The physicality of Tarzan’s movements ("drew the back of a brown forearm across his mouth") contrasts with the refined gestures of Lord Greystoke.

• Symbolism:

  • The Lion (Numa): Represents raw, untamed nature and the constant threat of violence in the jungle. His hesitation suggests Tarzan’s dominance.
  • The Drinking Scene: Symbolizes equality and hierarchy—Tarzan drinks like an animal but commands respect like a king.
  • The Tail as a Tell: A realistic detail (lions twitch their tails before attacking), but also symbolic of instinct vs. reason—Tarzan reads animal signals better than most humans.

• Irony:

  • Dramatic Irony: The reader knows Tarzan is the "rightful" Lord Greystoke, but the English aristocrat is oblivious.
  • Situational Irony: The "civilized" man is the impostor, while the "savage" is the true noble.

• Foreshadowing & Tension:

  • The lion’s approach creates suspense, but Tarzan’s calm demeanor suggests his control over the situation.
  • The phrase "quiet dignity that was his birthright" foreshadows Tarzan’s eventual reclamation of his human heritage without losing his jungle identity.

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4. Significance & Broader Implications

• Colonial & Racial Undertones:

  • Burroughs’ work reflects early 20th-century attitudes toward race and civilization. Tarzan, a white man raised by apes, is portrayed as superior to both Africans and animals, embodying the white savage myth—a racist trope suggesting that even in primitivism, white men are inherently noble and dominant.
  • The jungle is both a place of freedom and a colonial fantasy, where a white man can be a "king" over nature and indigenous peoples.

• Influence on Adventure & Pulp Fiction:

  • This passage exemplifies Burroughs’ fast-paced, action-driven prose, which defined pulp adventure stories.
  • The myth of the "wild man"—someone who straddles civilization and savagery—became a staple in later works (e.g., Conan the Barbarian, Mowgli from The Jungle Book).

• Psychological & Philosophical Readings:

  • Tarzan’s duality can be read as a Freudian struggle between id (instincts) and superego (civilized morals).
  • The excerpt also touches on existentialism—Tarzan’s identity is not fixed but shaped by environment and choice.

• Ecological Perspective:

  • Unlike later environmentalist works, Burroughs’ jungle is both Edenic and brutal—a place where only the strong survive.
  • Tarzan’s harmony with nature is not peaceful but dominant, reflecting a Social Darwinist view of the natural world.

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5. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt encapsulates the core conflict of Tarzan’s character—the tension between civilization and primitivism, inheritance and instinct, man and beast. Burroughs uses vivid imagery, juxtaposition, and symbolic animal behavior to reinforce Tarzan’s unique position as a lord of both the jungle and the aristocracy.

While the story reflects problematic colonial-era ideologies, it also explores timeless themes of identity, survival, and the call of the wild. Tarzan remains a cultural archetype—the ultimate outsider who belongs nowhere and everywhere, a fantasy of unrestrained freedom tempered by noble responsibility.

Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect, such as the racial implications or Burroughs’ writing style?

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Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Tarzan wiping “bloody fingers upon his thighs” serves primarily to:

A. underscore the visceral brutality of jungle life as a counterpoint to aristocratic refinement.
B. highlight the hygienic deficiencies of primal existence compared to civilized norms.
C. symbolize the irreversible corruption of Tarzan’s human heritage by his feral upbringing.
D. reinforce his alignment with the natural order, where functionality supersedes ceremonial ritual.
E. foreshadow the violent confrontation with Numa by establishing Tarzan’s predatory instincts.

Question 2

The narrative’s focus on the lion’s tail movements (“should that commence to move from side to side”) functions most significantly as a:

A. realistic zoological detail to ground the story in empirical accuracy.
B. metaphor for the unpredictability of fate in both human and animal realms.
C. demonstration of Tarzan’s syncretic knowledge, blending human observation with animal instinct.
D. literary device to heighten tension through the delay of inevitable conflict.
E. critique of civilized society’s ignorance of the subtle languages of nature.

Question 3

The phrase “quiet dignity that was his birthright” is most paradoxically resonant because it:

A. attributes aristocratic grace to a figure who explicitly rejects human society.
B. suggests that nobility is earned through survival rather than inherited through lineage.
C. conflates primal dominance with hereditary entitlement, collapsing binary oppositions.
D. implies that Tarzan’s true birthright is his English title, not his jungle sovereignty.
E. undermines the concept of birthright by applying it to a character raised outside human culture.

Question 4

The juxtaposition of Lord Greystoke’s “snowy linen” and Tarzan’s “brown forearm” is structurally analogous to which of the following literary techniques?

A. Pathetic fallacy, where environmental details reflect emotional states.
B. Chiasmus, in which parallel clauses invert syntactic order for rhetorical effect.
C. Synecdoche, using a part (linen/forearm) to represent the whole (civilization/savagery).
D. Anadiplosis, where the end of one phrase becomes the start of the next.
E. Antithesis, employing stark contrasts to emphasize thematic duality.

Question 5

The passage’s treatment of the lion (Numa) as a character is most effectively interpreted as a:

A. personification of the untamed id, challenging Tarzan’s tenuous grip on rationality.
B. symbolic foil to Tarzan, embodying the purity of nature uncorrupted by human duality.
C. narrative device to externalize the tension between instinctual hierarchy and learned behavior.
D. allegorical representation of colonial fears about the “dark continent’s” unpredictability.
E. red herring, distracting from the passage’s central concern with Tarzan’s internal conflict.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The act of wiping blood on his thighs is not merely brutal (A) or hygienic (B), but a functional adaptation to his environment, devoid of the ceremonial rituals (e.g., "snowy linen") that define civilized dining. This aligns with the passage’s broader theme of Tarzan’s integration into the natural order, where actions are dictated by necessity rather than social convention. The detail is less about foreshadowing violence (E) or corruption (C) than about harmony with primal existence.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While the contrast with aristocracy is present, the question asks for the primary purpose of the detail, which is more about Tarzan’s adaptation than a simple counterpoint.
• B: Hygiene is irrelevant; the focus is on method, not deficiency.
• C: There’s no suggestion of corruption—Tarzan’s actions are portrayed as authentic, not degrading.
• E: The tail detail, not the blood-wiping, foreshadows conflict.

2) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: Tarzan’s ability to read the lion’s tail merges human observational skills (learned knowledge of animal behavior) with animal instinct (immediate, unmediated reaction). This syncretism is central to his character, embodying the passage’s tension between civilization and primitivism. The detail is not just realistic (A) or tension-building (D), but thematic.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While zoologically accurate, the passage’s emphasis is on Tarzan’s interpretation, not the tail’s realism.
• B: Fate is not the focus; the detail is about agency (Tarzan’s ability to read signals).
• D: Tension exists, but the tail’s role is characterization, not delay.
• E: The critique of civilization is implicit, but the tail’s function is Tarzan’s hybrid knowledge, not societal ignorance.

3) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The phrase collapses the binary of “primal” vs. “aristocratic” by applying the civilized term “birthright” to Tarzan’s jungle dominance. This is paradoxical because birthright typically denotes hereditary privilege (human nobility), yet here it describes his instinctual sovereignty—suggesting that his true inheritance is both biological and behavioral. The option captures this category-blurring.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: Tarzan doesn’t “reject” society; he transcends the binary.
• B: The phrase doesn’t argue for earned nobility; it redefines birthright as primal.
• D: The passage undermines the English title’s legitimacy (“impostor”), so this is reversed.
• E: The concept of birthright isn’t undermined—it’s reconfigured to include the jungle.

4) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The contrast between “snowy linen” (civilization: clean, artificial, ritualistic) and “brown forearm” (nature: earthy, functional, unadorned) is a deliberate antithesis, reinforcing the passage’s central duality. The other options misidentify the technique:

• Pathetic fallacy (A) involves nature reflecting emotion, not here.
• Chiasmus (B) requires inverted syntax (e.g., “ask not…”).
• Synecdoche (C) would use the part to represent the whole (e.g., “crown” for monarchy), but the focus is on the contrast, not representation.
• Anadiplosis (D) is about repetition, not opposition.

5) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: Numa’s role externalizes the conflict between Tarzan’s instinctual dominance (his ability to command respect as an alpha) and his learned behavior (reading the tail like a naturalist). The lion is neither purely symbolic (B/D) nor a psychological projection (A), but a catalyst that forces Tarzan to negotiate his dual identity through action. The passage avoids allegory (D) or distraction (E) by grounding the tension in observable animal behavior.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The lion isn’t a manifestation of Tarzan’s psyche; the conflict is interspecies, not internal.
• B: Numa isn’t “pure nature”—he’s part of the same hierarchy Tarzan navigates.
• D: Colonial allegory is overread; the lion’s role is immediate and ecological, not metaphorical.
• E: The lion’s confrontation is central, not a red herring.