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Tarzan of the Apes
"My mother was an Ape, ... I never knew who my father was."
Honors American Literature
Nguyen Period 2
Ali Chaudhary
Ali Zolfaghari
Christian Choi
Edgar Rice Burroughs was the author of the Tarzan series. He was born on September 1st 1875 and died on March 19 1950. He failed to enter Westpoint, but later he was able to join the army. Unlike his father who was a civil war veteran he was discharged from the army due to heart problems. His first book was Under the Moons of Mars, but he is most well-known for Tarzan. His personal life was always filled with divorces and he eventually died of a heart attack.
The story takes place in the jungles off of the Atlantic coast of Africa. The time period is from the late 19th century into the early 20th Century
The story begins with Lord Greystone and his wife going to Africa. They have their child but Alice, the wife dies and Greystone is killed by Kerchak and thus Tarzan is adopted by Kala. The next many chapters talk about his various adventures in the jungles of Africa and his teasing of the black tribe. Later though a new expedition of people come looking for a treasure, including Jane Porter, and Clayton. Jane and Tarzan fall in love and in the end though Jane is committed to marry Clayton. This is after Tarzan learns French and English and then the book ends to be continued in the future novels.
Tarzan is the main character of the book. He is strong and fit, as he was raised by apes, and he also is a caring person. He takes care of Kala and Jane and other people who he cares about. He is the leader of his tribe after killing Kerchak.
Kala is the ape mother of Tarzan. After Kerchak kills Tarzan's father Kala adopts him, as her own child had recently died. She cares for him like a son and when she is killed Tarzan avenges her.
Jane is the love interest of Tarzan. She is described as beautiful and intelligent. She is sought after by many men and is proposed by many. In the end she ends up marring Clayton.
Professor Porter is the father of Jane. He embarks on the mission with her and the rest of the crew for the treasure. He is described as intelligent and useful. He tries to advise Jane in what to do in her love life.
Clayton is one of the people who came with the crew to Africa. He came solely for the adventure. Late in the book Tarzan finds out he is a Greystone and thus he is the cousin of Clayton. Clayton proposed and she says yes.
The genre of Tarzan is an action novel. The adventures of Tarzan are filled with adventure and discoveries making it an action novel.
The title shows how Tarzan was one of the apes and their leader, even though he was a human. Also the actual name "Tarzan" means white skin in the ape language.
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