Mistrust of People Who are Different

The first three stories in Jungle Book, about half of the book, deal with Mowgli's boyhood and his adventures growing up amidst the wolf pack. From the very beginning, when he is presented to the wolf council as an infant, the reader feels the distrust and suspicion of the other wolves toward him. These feelings among the wolves are fanned by the cunning and devious Shere Khan, the tiger. Although Mowgli is allowed to grow to adolescence, the reader senses the confrontation that is to come. Eventually, he is turned out of the pack, not because he did anything wrong, but because he is different from the wolves.

Having been expelled from the pack, Mowgli tries living with the humans in the small village just outside of the jungle. Although he is like the villagers in appearance, his habits and mannerisms are those...