Here are some last questions to consider for Tarzan, one of which will greet you on Friday. Also, be sure that you have--or have ordered--The Complete Persepolis--for next week, since we'll be starting that almost immediately.
What ideas and concerns most prevent Jane from embracing her love of Tarzan? Are these fears realistic--or racist? Can she truly not love a man who is, at heart, a "half-caste"? Or does she fear what society and civilization will do to his soul?
How is Mr. Canler a "civilized" version of Terkoz? How, in the "concrete jungle," does he plan to bear her off to be his wife?
Has Tarzan become civilized by the end of the book? Though he retains much of his "ape-like" nature, he can speak French, wear clothes, use a knife and fork, and drive an automobile through the wilds of Wisconsin. What do we imagine will happen to him after he leaves Jane's side? Will he revert to being the King of the Apes...or will he settle down to be a respectable Englishman?
Why does Tarzan renounce his heritage (which is now scientifically) confirmed at the end of the book, telling Clayton, "My mother was an ape, and of course she couldn't tell me much about it. I never knew who my father was" (277)? Is this a satisfying and/or appropriate ending to the book?
Comments
Post a Comment