The story in one page
After a mutiny leaves Lord and Lady Greystoke to perish in the jungle, their infant son is adopted by a great ape named Kala. He grows up as Tarzan, a physical marvel who compensates for his lack of fur and fangs with a discarded hunting knife and the ability to teach himself written English from his parents' books. When a new party of castaways — including the beautiful Jane Porter — is stranded on the same beach, Tarzan must reconcile his animal upbringing with his human heritage. He saves a French officer, D'Arnot, who eventually helps him navigate the transition to a civilization that offers both the woman he loves and a title he may choose to ignore.
Who's who
- Tarzan
The jungle-raised orphan who masters both the trees and the alphabet.
- Jane Porter
The American daughter of a professor who captures the ape-man's heart.
- Kala
The ape mother who rescues and raises the human infant.
- Kerchak
The brutal king of the ape tribe and Tarzan's lifelong rival.
- D'Arnot
The French naval officer who teaches Tarzan the ways of men.
- Cecil Clayton
Tarzan's cousin and unwitting rival for his title and Jane.
What it's really about
- Heredity
- Bloodline triumphs over the most extreme environmental upbringing.
- Identity
- The conflict between animal instinct and civilized social ethics.
Why it's memorable
- Tarzan discovering a cabin full of books and teaching himself to read silently.
- The tribal Dum-Dum ritual where the apes beat earthen drums under the moon.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
D'Arnot confirms via fingerprints that Tarzan is the rightful Lord Greystoke, but Tarzan conceals his identity to avoid taking Jane and the title away from his cousin Clayton.
For your book club
- The tension between inherent noble birth and the brutal reality of survival.
- How silent reading and writing function as Tarzan's first bridge to humanity.