Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis

Since Goodall started working in Gombe, twenty-eight years prior to the book's publication, she has become acquainted with many chimps and gotten to know others quite well, such as old Flo. Flo was once top-ranking female so she could not be bossed around and protected her children aggressively. However, Flint rebelled when she started to wean him and she eventually relented, letting him continue to live with her and remain dependent on her. When Flo died in 1972, Goodall was very sad and Flint never quite recovered. He eventually became sick. But other apes had more positive lives, such as Fifi's children, Freud and Frodo.

Goodall was lucky that these chimps would spend so much time with her, as this was such a rare occurrence for any human being. Goodall was also blessed by the fact that her Tanzanian field staff was...