chapter illustration by J. Allen St. John from the first book publication
Text of "A Jungle Joke" (chapter 11 of Jungle Tales of Tarzan)
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Questions: Holtsmark gives extended discussion to the trickster figure in the Tarzan series. In what ways do you see that archetype at work? Burroughs writes, "Always, everywhere, man is man, nor has he altered greatly beneath his veneer since he scurried into a hole between two rocks to escape the tyrannosaurus six million years ago" (319). In what ways does Burroughs confirm or contradict this claim? What symbolic advantage does a black-maned lion have over a lion with an unspecified mane color? Is this story dependent upon "black humor" (no pun or disrespect intended; see Harmon and Holman for definition) for its interpretation? |
Critical Sources:
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Created by Stan Galloway circa 1996. Last updated 9 February 2004. Contact me at sgallowa@bridgewater.edu.
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