Tarzan of the Apes Summary
Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan of the Apes Summary

One of Burroughs's chief strengths is his ability to create fictional worlds vastly different from, but parallel to, the real world. The contrast between the "civilized" world of human s and the "uncivilized" world of the jungle runs throughout the Tarzan series. Burroughs's detailed descriptions of language, social behavior, and cultural traditions make his fictional society believable. Throughout Tarzan of the Apes, Burroughs juxtaposes images of the two worlds, as when Tarzan, rightful heir to the Greystoke title, "wiped his greasy fingers upon his naked thighs and took up the trail of Kulonga . . . ; while in far-off London another Lord Greystoke . . . sent back his chops to the club's chef because they were underdone."

An extended fable of evolution, Tarzan of the Apes chronicles its protagonist's rise to prominence in ape society as a result of his superior speed and reasoning power. Tarzan gains further advantage when he discovers weapons...

(read more from the Short Guide)