Article #90-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Son of Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

He did, and in that tongue, brokenly and haltingly, as though it had
been many years since he had used it, he begged them to take him with
them away from this awful country. Once on board the Marjorie W. the
stranger told his rescuers a pitiful tale of privation, hardships, and
torture, extending over a period of ten years. How he happened to have
come to Africa he did not tell them, leaving them to assume he had
forgotten the incidents of his life prior to the frightful ordeals that
had wrecked him mentally and physically. He did not even tell them his
true name, and so they knew him only as Michael Sabrov, nor was there
any resemblance between this sorry wreck and the virile, though
unprincipled, Alexis Paulvitch of old.

It had been ten years since the Russian had escaped the fate of his
friend, the arch-fiend Rokoff, and not once, but many times during
those ten years had Paulvitch cursed the fate that had given to
Nicholas Rokoff death and immunity from suffering while it had meted to
him the hideous terrors of an existence infinitely worse than the death
that persistently refused to claim him.

Paulvitch had taken to the jungle when he had seen the beasts of Tarzan
and their savage lord swarm the deck of the Kincaid, and in his
terror lest Tarzan pursue and capture him he had stumbled on deep into
the jungle, only to fall at last into the hands of one of the savage
cannibal tribes that had felt the weight of Rokoff’s evil temper and
cruel brutality. Some strange whim of the chief of this tribe saved
Paulvitch from death only to plunge him into a life of misery and
torture. For ten years he had been the butt of the village, beaten and
stoned by the women and children, cut and slashed and disfigured by the
warriors; a victim of often recurring fevers of the most malignant
variety. Yet he did not die. Smallpox laid its hideous clutches upon
him; leaving him unspeakably branded with its repulsive marks. Between
it and the attentions of the tribe the countenance of Alexis Paulvitch
was so altered that his own mother could not have recognized in the
pitiful mask he called his face a single familiar feature. A few
scraggly, yellow-white locks had supplanted the thick, dark hair that
had covered his head. His limbs were bent and twisted, he walked with a
shuffling, unsteady gait, his body doubled forward. His teeth were
gone—knocked out by his savage masters. Even his mentality was but a
sorry mockery of what it once had been.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs**

Context of the Source

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Son of Tarzan (1915) is the second book in the Tarzan series, following Tarzan of the Apes (1912). The series is a cornerstone of early 20th-century adventure fiction, blending elements of pulp storytelling, colonial-era exploration, and jungle survival. This excerpt focuses on Alexis Paulvitch, a Russian villain from the first book who, after escaping Tarzan’s wrath, endures a decade of horrific suffering in the African jungle.

Burroughs’ works often explore themes of civilization vs. savagery, survival, justice, and transformation, and this passage exemplifies how karma and suffering can utterly destroy a man—both physically and psychologically.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Consequences of Evil & Divine Justice (Karma)
- Paulvitch was once a cunning, unprincipled villain (a former associate of the even more evil Nicholas Rokoff), but now he is a broken, pitiful wreck. His suffering is framed as poetic justice—he escaped death (unlike Rokoff), but fate condemned him to a living hell.
- The passage suggests that evil deeds invite proportional suffering, reinforcing a moralistic worldview common in adventure fiction of the time.
Physical and Psychological Degradation
- Paulvitch’s body and mind are utterly ruined:
  - Physical decay: Smallpox scars, missing teeth, twisted limbs, hair loss, a shuffling gait.
  - Mental collapse: He can barely speak his own language, his memory is fragmented, and his once-sharp mind is now a "sorry mockery."
- This extreme transformation serves as a cautionary tale—his former arrogance and cruelty have been erased by suffering.
The Horror of Survival Without Dignity
- Unlike Rokoff, who died quickly, Paulvitch lives in agony, making his fate worse than death. This reflects Burroughs’ fascination with survival narratives—where endurance itself becomes a curse.
- The tribe’s sadistic torture (beating, stoning, mutilation) turns him into a subhuman figure, stripping him of all dignity.
Identity and Erasure of the Self
- Paulvitch hides his true name ("Michael Sabrov" is a false identity), symbolizing his desire to escape his past.
- His unrecognizable face (even his mother wouldn’t know him) reinforces the idea that suffering has erased his former self.
- This ties into the broader Tarzan theme of identity transformation—where characters are reborn (or destroyed) by their experiences in the wild.
The Jungle as a Place of Punishment
- The African jungle in Burroughs’ works is often a moral testing ground—a place where the weak perish and the strong (like Tarzan) thrive.
- For Paulvitch, the jungle is purgatory, a place where his sins are physically manifested in his broken body.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

Vivid, Grotesque Imagery
- Burroughs uses graphic, almost horror-like descriptions to emphasize Paulvitch’s degradation:
  - "Smallpox laid its hideous clutches upon him; leaving him unspeakably branded with its repulsive marks."
  - "His teeth were gone—knocked out by his savage masters."
  - "His body doubled forward... his mentality was but a sorry mockery."
- This sensory overload makes the reader viscerally feel Paulvitch’s suffering.
Contrast Between Past and Present
- The passage juxtaposes Paulvitch’s former self ("virile, though unprincipled") with his current state ("sorry wreck").
- This before-and-after structure reinforces the severity of his fall.
Irony & Dark Humor
- There’s a tragic irony in Paulvitch’s survival—he escaped death only to endure worse.
- The phrase "death that persistently refused to claim him" is darkly humorous, suggesting that fate is toying with him.
Repetition for Emphasis
- Words like "ten years" (repeated twice) and "torture" (mentioned multiple times) reinforce the relentless, inescapable nature of his suffering.
Unreliable Narration & Mystery
- Paulvitch withholds his true story, leaving gaps in his past. This creates intrigue—why won’t he reveal his real name? What did he do to deserve this?
- The omission of details makes the reader (and the characters) fill in the blanks, adding suspense.
Symbolism of the Jungle & Cannibals
- The cannibal tribe represents primitive, unchecked cruelty—a mirror of Paulvitch’s own past evil.
- The jungle is both a prison and a judge, meting out punishment where human law could not.

Significance of the Passage

Moral Lesson on Evil and Suffering
- Burroughs, like many pulp writers, often rewarded virtue and punished vice in his stories. Paulvitch’s fate serves as a warning—those who live by cruelty may die (or worse, live) by it.
Character Foil to Tarzan
- While Tarzan thrives in the jungle, Paulvitch is destroyed by it. This contrast reinforces Tarzan’s superiority—not just physically, but morally.
- Tarzan represents noble savagery; Paulvitch represents corrupt civilization reduced to subhumanity.
Exploration of Human Resilience (and Its Limits)
- The passage asks: How much can a person endure before they are no longer human?
- Paulvitch’s survival is not triumphant but monstrous, suggesting that some horrors are worse than death.
Reflection of Colonial-Era Fears
- The African jungle as a place of terror reflects Western anxieties about the "dark continent" as a land of uncivilized brutality.
- Paulvitch’s fate plays into racist stereotypes of the time (savage tribes, inescapable horror), though Burroughs’ portrayal is more sensationalist than deeply analytical.
Setting Up Future Conflict
- Since this is The Son of Tarzan, Paulvitch’s reappearance (even in this broken state) hints at future confrontation—perhaps with Tarzan’s son, Korak.
- His false identity ("Michael Sabrov") suggests he may still be hiding something, setting up plot twists.

Line-by-Line Breakdown of Key Moments

"He did, and in that tongue, brokenly and haltingly..."
- Immediately establishes Paulvitch as a shadow of his former self—his language skills (once fluent) are now fractured.
"a pitiful tale of privation, hardships, and torture, extending over a period of ten years."
- The timeframe (ten years) emphasizes the relentless nature of his suffering—it wasn’t a brief ordeal but a decade of agony.
"How he happened to have come to Africa he did not tell them..."
- Deliberate mystery—why hide his past? Is he ashamed? Still scheming?
"not once, but many times during those ten years had Paulvitch cursed the fate that had given to Nicholas Rokoff death and immunity from suffering..."
- Irony: Rokoff (the worse villain) got an easy death, while Paulvitch (less evil) suffers endlessly.
- Suggests that fate is cruel, not just.
"the beasts of Tarzan and their savage lord swarm the deck of the Kincaid..."
- Flashback to the first book—this is when Paulvitch first fled into the jungle, setting his doom in motion.
"Some strange whim of the chief of this tribe saved Paulvitch from death only to plunge him into a life of misery and torture."
- Dark humor: He’s "saved" from death only to suffer worse.
- The chief’s "whim" suggests the arbitrary cruelty of his fate.
"Smallpox laid its hideous clutches upon him..."
- Personification of disease—smallpox is a monster that "brands" him.
- The word "unspeakably" implies his deformity is beyond words.
"his own mother could not have recognized in the pitiful mask he called his face a single familiar feature."
- Ultimate erasure of identity—not even his mother would know him.
- The phrase "pitiful mask" suggests his face is no longer human.
"his mentality was but a sorry mockery of what it once had been."
- Final degradation: Not just his body, but his mind is broken.
- The word "mockery" implies his intelligence is now a joke.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a masterclass in grotesque character degradation, using vivid imagery, irony, and moral themes to show how evil begets suffering. Paulvitch is not just punished—he is unmade, reduced to a living corpse by the very jungle he feared.

For readers of The Son of Tarzan, this moment serves as:

A reminder of Tarzan’s power (his enemies don’t just die—they suffer).
A warning about hubris (Paulvitch thought he could escape, but fate had worse plans).
A setup for future conflict (will he seek revenge? Will his past catch up to him?).

Burroughs’ pulp-style storytelling shines here—fast-paced, visceral, and morally stark, reinforcing the idea that in his world, justice is brutal, and survival is not always a blessing.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s description of Paulvitch’s physical and mental decay serves primarily to:

A. evoke sympathy for a man whose suffering has rendered him blameless for his past actions.
B. illustrate the indiscriminate cruelty of nature, which spares neither the virtuous nor the wicked.
C. provide a realistic medical account of the long-term effects of tropical diseases and malnutrition.
D. embody a moralistic vision of retributive justice, where evil is punished through proportional degradation.
E. critique colonial narratives by exposing the hypocrisy of European characters who exploit Africa only to be destroyed by it.

Question 2

The narrator’s observation that Paulvitch’s “mentality was but a sorry mockery of what it once had been” is most effectively interpreted as:

A. a thematic reinforcement of the idea that identity is contingent on physical and cognitive integrity.
B. a subtle indictment of the narrator’s unreliable perspective, given the lack of objective evidence for Paulvitch’s prior intellect.
C. an example of Burroughs’ tendency to overstate psychological trauma for melodramatic effect.
D. a metaphorical suggestion that Paulvitch’s suffering has purified him of his former moral corruption.
E. a narrative device to foreshadow Paulvitch’s eventual recovery and return to villainy.

Question 3

The passage’s repeated emphasis on the ten-year duration of Paulvitch’s suffering functions primarily to:

A. create a sense of temporal disorientation, mirroring Paulvitch’s fractured mental state.
B. establish a historical context for the decline of colonial power in early 20th-century Africa.
C. contrast the brevity of Rokoff’s death with the protracted agony of Paulvitch, underscoring fate’s caprice.
D. amplify the grotesque by stretching the reader’s imagination to its limits of endurance and degradation.
E. imply that time itself has become an active agent of punishment, collaborating with the jungle to destroy him.

Question 4

The chief’s “strange whim” to spare Paulvitch from death only to subject him to torture is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The arbitrary nature of mercy in a lawless world, where survival is dictated by chance rather than virtue.
B. The perverse irony of salvation, where escape from one horror delivers the victim into a worse fate.
C. The tribal chief’s unconscious recognition of Paulvitch’s potential for redemption through suffering.
D. A critique of divine justice, suggesting that higher powers derive amusement from human misery.
E. The cyclical nature of violence, wherein the oppressed (the tribe) replicate the cruelty of their former oppressor (Rokoff).

Question 5

The passage’s omission of Paulvitch’s true name and past most significantly contributes to:

A. a postmodern fragmentation of narrative, challenging the reader to question the stability of identity.
B. the construction of Paulvitch as a spectral figure, whose erased history mirrors his physical and psychological erasure.
C. a deliberate pacing strategy, withholding key information to maintain suspense for later plot revelations.
D. an allegorical portrayal of colonial guilt, where the refusal to name oneself reflects shame over imperial crimes.
E. a satirical commentary on the unreliability of memory, particularly under extreme duress.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The passage’s grotesque detailing of Paulvitch’s decay—smallpox scars, missing teeth, twisted limbs, cognitive collapse—is not merely descriptive but morally loaded. The text explicitly contrasts his current state with his past as a “virile, though unprincipled” man, framing his suffering as a direct consequence of his evil deeds. The repeated emphasis on the prolonged, inescapable nature of his torment (e.g., “ten years,” “persistently refused to claim him”) aligns with a retributive vision of justice, where punishment is not just death but degradation proportional to the crime. This reflects Burroughs’ moralistic pulp tradition, where villains are unmade by their sins.