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
Non-Fiction Connection: Literary Criticism
The following is a link to the second chapter of Gone Primitive: Savage Intellects, Modern Lives, titled “Taking Tarzan Seriously,” by Marianna Torgovnick. The focus of this chapter is the literary criticism of Tarzan of the Apes, and how the novel provides an irrational escape from reality for its readers. The ideas of the novel were deemed as a “fantasy [with] little positive connection to social reality” (Torgovnick 43). The overall point was that reading a novel embracing the ideas of escapism from the modern world was just not realistic, and was not a beneficial way of thinking for the readers of the “real world” (44) who could not afford to disengage themselves from their responsibilities.
Our group does not agree with the views of Torgovnick because the novel, as written by Burroughs, was meant to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously. Burroughs himself stated, “If you do not find it credible you will at least be as one with me acknowledging that is it unique, remarkable, and interesting” (Burroughs 1). Thus, the themes of the novel are meant for the reader’s own interpretation or lack thereof. It also has to be considered that Torgovnick never argued against the central themes that the novel had to present. Aside from the novel taking stances on masculinity and different perspectives of civilization, perhaps Burroughs just intended for it to be an enjoyable work of fiction. Even the title of the chapter “Taking Tarzan Seriously” ironically implies that the novel is not meant to be taken seriously, so the arguments Torgovnick provides are only valid if anyone actually followed through with an unhealthy obsession of the novel and the escape from reality that it supposedly promotes. Therefore, we do not believe that Tarzan of the Apes is a negative influence in any aspect.
