Tarzan of the Apes

Analyze the construction of masculinity in Tarzan of the Apes. How is the masculinity of Tarzan different from characters like William Cecil Clayton or Professor Porter? How do race and species impact the portrayal of masculinity in characters like Kulonga or Terkoz?

While Tarzan disdains the Black African villagers that he encounters in the jungle, he seems to find Esmerelda less objectionable. Why is Esmerelda framed as a sympathetic character while other Black characters are portrayed negatively or vilified? Consider the racial stereotypes common in the early 1900s, such as the “Mammy” caricature that also appears in novels such as Gone with the Wind.

After Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, European attitudes toward human history and time were drastically shifted. How does Tarzan of the Apes use theories about human evolution such as natural selection or survival of the fittest? Do you think that Tarzan of the Apes applies these theories accurately? If not, how does it misunderstand Darwin’s theories?

The plot of Tarzan of the Apes relies upon the forensic use of fingerprints in order to confirm Tarzan’s heritage. At the time of the novel’s publication, forensic fingerprinting was still a new technology, with London’s Metropolitan Police only formally adopting it to solve crimes in 1901. Why do you think Burroughs so prominently features this new method of identification in his story? What relationship does fingerprinting have to other themes such as identity, evolution, and human reason?

Discuss the role of animals in Tarzan of the Apes. Which animals have positive traits, and which animals are portrayed negatively? What do the social dynamics and systems of the animal world tell us about humans and human society?

The public perception of Africa in the 19th century was heavily influenced by the writings of Henry Morton Stanley, who traveled through central Africa on a search for the missionary and explorer David Livingston. Tarzan of the Apes even makes an allusion to Stanley’s apocryphal greeting to Livingstone when the French officers greet Clayton with the phrase “Monsieur Clayton, I presume?” (108). Discuss how Tarzan of the Apes takes inspiration from Stanley’s portrayal of white Europeans maintaining formality and “civility” in contrast to the perceived “wildness” of the African setting.

How does dialect convey character in Tarzan of the Apes? Compare the speaking styles of characters such as Professor Porter, Esmerelda, Snipes the sailor, or Tarzan himself. How does speech form an aspect of identity to these characters?

Discuss the parallels between the Mangani apes and the African village. How does the Dum-Dum ritual of the apes mirror the cannibalism practiced by the humans? Why does Tarzan feel more at home with the apes than with Black humans, and how does this aspect of the novel reflect Burroughs’s inherent biases?