So we continue my favorite series I’ve ever written. Tarzan Of The Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs published in 1912. Tarzan Of The Apes tells a tale of the son of English aristocracy who is raised by highly evolved apes in the jungles of Africa. There he lives with them and soon finds that he is different. He eventually meets with humans of another race and then humans of his own and all that that entails.
Obviously the novel being written so long ago will have passages and thoughts that offend the modern reader but that’s not what’s important about this tale. There are many deep and important themes that Edgar brings up that are worth study to this day. For being such an old book it’s actually quite an easy ready, the language for the most part is pretty clear and other than a saying or phrasing here or there reads like a modern book.
The major points of the novel are Tarzan’s raising in the jungle and the contrast of this with men who are raised in civilization as well as other themes of heredity and evolution that I don’t think are nearly as important as the first. Having been able to see quite a change the industrial age has wrought many writers of this time used their work to contrast “modernity” to primal life.
Civilization As The De-Evolution Of Man
In the novel Tarzen has almost god like powers. He is able to wrestle apes (with some wit and intelligence of course), snap the necks of lions, and rip grown men up into trees like a dinosaur. He senses are sharp and his mind is keen. Essentially growing up in the primal setting that he does with the challenges that he has, he is able to become fully what man was meant to become. When the other humans of his race meet him they call him a forest god and say he looks like a god.
Mentally, physically, and I’d argue spiritually (in the true sense of the word) Tarzan has achieved levels far beyond that of normal modernized man. The foolishness of intellectualism is illustrated in the professor as he bumbles along the beach arguing philosophy as he and another of his party are stalked by a lion. This is just one example but a stronger one in the novel of Edgar’s thoughts about where the civilized world was headed.
In a second I’ll get further into the three men who wish to woo the women of the story and their correlation with modern lines of thought. Another facet of the primal vs civilization debate is the novel’s “heroine” Jane’s attraction for Tarzan and his defense of him. Especially after he kills one of the man-apes that is trying to rape her.
Three Lines Of Thought
Another interesting theme in this novel is the three men who wish to win the “love” of Jane the novel’s heroine/sex interest. We have Clayton who is actually the cousin of Tarzan and is for all intensive purposes a capable and brave man as far as civilization is concerned. When the Europeans are first introduced to the story Jane wishes to marry Clayton, who is also wealthy.
Then there’s another guy who’s name I can’t remember and don’t have the book on hand who we’ll call the capitalist. He is a minor character but tries to marry Jane by buying her family debt essentially (and therefore buying her). She is repulsed by this man who thinks that money can solve everything.
Then of course we have Tarzan who is the man in full. Strong, fierce, intelligent, and fully developed. Unlike Clayton and the capitalist Tarzan has not been retarded by civilization and therefore has become more than the relatively strong and good Clayton or the gutless capitalist. I think a major part of this was Edgar talking about how even a good strong civilized man will be hampered in his development compared to a man of the wilds.
Born To Be Wild, Born To Be Free
As always there is much more to the book I just wish to highlight some concepts that stood out to me. The overall arching theme of this book seems to be the “goodness” (again in the true sense of the word) of the primal ways and primal life when compared to civilization. Man was not meant to develop in cubicles, he was meant to develop in the wilds, where he can be free and strong.
Too much civilization retards a man and makes him soft and weak, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Obviously we can’t all go to the woods and live there but there are things we can do to stave off the effects of modernity and civilization and keep our souls (and balls) in tact. This book is over one hundred years old yet even then wise men noticed the dangers of modernity.
