English literature for kids

Jungle book

1. What are the conflicts in The Jungle Book? What types of conflict
(physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) did you notice in this
collection?
Context
India during British colonial rule; predominantly in the jungle but also in
villages and a small town
Protagonist and Antagonist
Mowgli, and the Pack including Baloo, Bagheera, and Kaa, are the
protagonists; Shere Khan, the red dogs, and Man are the antagonists. Rikki-tiki-
tavi is the protagonist, Nag and Nagaina the cobras the antagonists. Other
stories feature their own protagonists and antagonists.
Major Conflict
Mowgli's battle with Shere Khan, the Pack's battle with the red dogs, the
Jungle's conflict with Man the hunter, Mowgli's conflict with himself regarding
returning to man, Rikki-tikki-tavi's conflict with the cobras.
2. How does Rudyard Kipling reveal character in the stories of The Jungle
Book?
3. What are some themes? How do they relate to the plots and characters?
Loyalty and Family
Family and loyalty to family are themes running throughout the stories. From
the moment Mowgli wanders into Mother and Father Wolf's cave they adopt
him as their own, with Mother Wolf actually favoring him to his brothers on
many occasions. Each of the animals lives in their own family and whatever the
animal, when they get married and raise cubs of their own, they are permitted to
leave their pack or group.
Importance of Rules and Laws
Jungle Law is very important and every animal has to learn it because it is
literally life-saving. Rules of the jungle preserve personal safety and also
preserve the future of the jungle and each species within it. Law is practiced
democratically with a council and voting system. When a law is broken, steps
must be taken to hold the violator accountable and dole out punishment if
necessary.
Courage
Most of the characters in The Jungle Book are brave and demonstrate their
bravery through their willingness to defend, fight, or undertake an arduous
quest. Mowgli repeatedly shows bravery in battle, killing Shere Khan, fighting
the red dogs, and standing up to the villagers. Kaa is also brave when saving
Mowgli from the monkeys; Baloo and Bagheera are courageous here as well.
Imperialism/Colonialism
Kipling's evocation of English imperial and colonial endeavors in India is more
implicit than explicit, but it is certainly there. Examples of how significant this
historical context was for the development of his tales can be seen in: 1) the
lauding of the law, seen as a British colonial construction; 2) the hierarchy
present in the world of the animals that corresponds to the hierarchy of English
("good" native and "bad native"); 3) the primacy of whiteness (in "The White
Seal"); 4) the echoes of the 1857 Mutiny and the punishment of rebel Indians
(in "The Undertakers"); 4) the fear of native "madness" and contamination; and
5) the eradication of Shere Khan, the dangerous outlier representative of bad
natives.
Identity
Mowgli struggles with his in-betweenness, his liminal status, his sense of
belonging to two worlds. He loves the jungle but despairs being kicked out of
the pack. He rues the fact that he cannot smell as well as the animals can, that
he does not know all the stories of the jungle, and that he does not participate in
the Time of New Talk. Thus, Mowgli's identity takes a long time to develop
because he is constantly torn between these two worlds. He chooses the life of
man at the end, but it is clear that he will have to reconcile with the fact that he
will never be truly man nor cub.
4. What are some symbols in the stories of The Jungle Book? How do they
relate to the plots and characters?
The symbols
Mowgli (Symbol)
By virtue of status as a human being, Mowgli is by definition an outsider in the
world of the jungle. And yet, by virtue of his status as a human being, he is
endowed with an authority over the natives beyond his right.
Shere Khan (Symbol)
The tiger and sworn enemy of Mowgli is a symbol of the lack of civilization,
rules and law and order which colonial imperialists used to justify their invasion
of foreign lands and forced assimilation into their own culture.
Baloo (Symbol)
Baloo the Bear is a wonderfully amiable companion for Mowgli, capable of
instructing him on how to obtain and use the bare necessities in life. Baloo
symbolizes the colonial view toward any culture. Baloo is a symbol of the lack
of intellectual achievement, management skills, and foresight.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Symbol)
The crafty mongoose and star of his own story in the book of the jungle is
perhaps the most symbolic figure in the tales. Rikki-tikki meets all the earmarks
of Joseph Campbell’s questing hero and even manages to defeat the symbolic
opposite of heroic goodness.
Nag and Nagaina (Symbol)
Any doubt that this duo is intended to symbolize pure evil can be laid to rest
when the temptress whispers to her mate that if there were no humans, serpents
would rule the garden.
Bagheera's Mark (Symbol)
Bagheera tells Mowgli, "I, Bagheera, carry that mark - the mark of the collar"
(15). This mark symbolizes captivity, control by humans, the suppression of the
wild animal instinct, and power.
5. Are the characters consistent in their actions? Which of the characters
are fully developed? How? Why?
6. Do you find the characters likable? Would you want to meet any of the
characters? Which one(s)? Why?
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the greatest character in the book – small and brave
beyond expectations. But the best characters in the 1967 animation have
got to be the vultures. They’re based visually on The Beatles, their
indecisive Liverpudlian exchange is hilarious, and then they sing
barbershop! Amazing.
7. How does Mowgli's upbringing affect how his character develops as a
human being?
8. Do the stories in this collection meet (or exceed) your expectations?
How? Why?
9. What is the central/primary purpose of this collection of stories? Is the
purpose important or meaningful?
10.How essential is the setting to the stories? Could the story have taken
place anywhere else?
11.How important is friendship and/or camaraderie to The Jungle Book?
12.Compare/contrast The Jungle Book with other works by Rudyard
Kipling? How does The Jungle Book fit into Kipling's body of works?
13.Would you recommend The Jungle Book to a friend?

The plot of the story

As mentioned above, the story is based on the life of a braveheart orphan kid
Mowgli. He is raised by Raksha (female wolf) and her wolfpack including their
leader Akela. Mowgli was found as an infant by Bagheera, a black panther,
amid the dense forest. He then takes him to Raksha, who takes care of Mowgli
like her own child. Bagheera acts as a protector of Mowgli from all the other
wild animals. He also trains Mowgli to be able to survive in the forest on his
own, without anyone's help. As years go by, Mowgli grows from an infant to a
young boy within the company of wild animals whom he treats as his own.
Shere Khan is a ruthless tiger, the king of the forest, who wants to kill and eat
Mowgli anyhow. During his conquest to hunt down Mowgli, he kills Akela as
well. That’s when Mowgli decides to seek revenge from Shere Khan by using
his human skills. A major character in the story is that of Baloo the bear, who
grows close to Mowgli and Bagheera, the trio becomes thick friends, and
standby each other throughout the story. Baloo is a happy-go-lucky kind of
bear, who only believes in having fun. Overall its' an interesting tale of a man-
cub, which is a must-read.

Characters
Mowgli
Mowgli is the main character in the book. Taken from his village by Shere
Khan the tiger, he escapes and runs into a cave where a wolf family live. They
treat him as their own and he is raised like a wolf cub. His wolf mother names
him Mowgli which means "Little Frog." He is a happy-go-lucky boy who
considers himself a wolf. He is brave and spunky as a young child and as he
gets older his skills come to match his spunk. He is lithe and athletic, more
animal in movement than human, and visually striking to look at. He is wily
and smart and able to strategize well. Occasionally his imagination runs away
with itself and he is brought back to reality by Bagheera or Baloo. He deeply
loves his wolf family as his own. Mowgli is a good, strong leader who honors
the Jungle Law and respects the jungle traditions. He is eager to fight and
defend his pack whenever he feels they are threatened.

Shere Khan
Shere Khan is a tiger who has a pronounced limp due to once being shackled.
He is aggressive and extremely predatory, disrespectful of the Jungle Laws
regarding killing, and an innate troublemaker. He stole Mowgli from a village
on the outskirts of the jungle and never stops trying to hunt and kill him. He is
also very political, forging alliances against Mowgli and turning pack members
against him. Shere Khan is more brawn than brains and eventually gets trapped
by Mowgli, who kills and skins him.

Bagheera
Bagheera is a black panther the color of ink, who most in the jungle are in awe
of, and also a little afraid of. He joins the Council at Circle Rock whilst they are
discussing Mowgli and trades his vote and a newly-killed boar for Mowgli's
acceptance into the pack. He is one of Mowgli's main teachers, the other being
Baloo, and is a great guide and example to him. He loves the man-cub dearly
and the two spend much time together.

Baloo
Baloo is a large brown bear who is the only non-wolf to be allowed at Council
Rock. He is Mowgli's "sponsor" into the pack and also his primary teacher,
teaching him Jungle Law, greetings, and how to stay safe and protected. He is
fairly lazy physically because of his substantial weight. He loves to open honey
combs by hitting them against the rocks until they break so that he can devour
all of the honey within them. Baloo is one of the few characters still living by
the time Mowgli leaves to find man again.

Kaa
Kaa is a giant python blessed with beautiful, polished skin that he regularly
sheds. He and Mowgli are great friends and Mowgli likes to lie on him as if a
pillow. Kaa saved Mowgli's life when he was taken by monkeys, and was also
instrumental in killing the red dogs by transporting Mowgli in silence to the
other side of the water. Although he does not like to associate with the wolves,
he has great affection for their man cub.

Akela
Akela is a gray lone wolf and the leader of the Pack. He is wise and fair,
making decisions and keeping the Pack working and strong from the top of
Council Rock. He went out of his way to protect Mowgli as a cub and this debt
is repaid when Mowgli saves the jungle from the red dogs. Akela is a source of
great knowledge and inspires great respect from the rest of the Pack.

Mother Wolf
Mother Wolf is very protective of Mowgli and raises him as her own. She
attends the Council the night of the looking over of cubs, fully prepared to die
in order to protect him. She is strong and brave and when angered the fiercest
wolf in the Pack.

Father Wolf
Father Wolf is also very protective of his new human cub and fully supports his
wife in wanting to keep him. He is instrumental in helping Mowgli free the
humans who helped him.
Gray Brother
Gray Brother is the oldest of Mowgli's four wolf brothers. He and Mowgli are
extremely close, never losing touch even when Mowgli leaves the jungle. He is
loyal and dependable, always the first to support Mowgli's battle plans.

Chil
Chil is a kite, a very majestic bird of prey who feeds off the carcasses of any
kill. He is on friendly terms with Mowgli and often carries messages for him,
even to the wolves, with whom he would rather not communicate.

Hathi
Hathi the elephant is King of the Jungle and a wise, inspiring leader. He is the
voice of authority in the jungle, for example, calling the water truce during the
drought, and leading his sons to help Mowgli drive the humans out of the
village. There is no force in the jungle as destructive as Hathi when injured or
angry.

The Warden of the King's Treasure

The Warden is an old white cobra who has lived under the ground for so long
that he does not realize the Emperor has left and the jungle grown over where
his palace used to be. He is cunning and keen to kill but too old to do so, as the
venom in his fangs has long since dried up.

Buldeo
One of the few humans with a name in the book, Buldeo is the village chief
who unwittingly sees Mowgli fighting alongside the wolves to kill Shere Khan.
He is intent upon taking advantage of Mowgli and absolutely furious when he is
not able to. He is a decent hunter but no match for the jungle. He is given to
exaggeration and told his village that Mowgli changed from human to wolf to
boy again before his very eyes.

Messua
Messua is Mowgli's human mother who recognizes her son when he returns at
eleven years old and again at seventeen. She is loving and protective, nursing
Mowgli back to health after his Spring Running. It is suggested that Mowgli
returns to live with her when he leaves the jungle.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Rikki-tikki-tavi is a mongoose who is the protagonist of the last tale in the
book. He was washed away from his parents and ends up in a house with a
young family, which is the goal of every well-raised mongoose. He is protective
of the family and extremely bold and courageous. He rescues the family from
certain death by cobra bite no less than three times and is adept at thinking of
ways in which to kill the snakes. He lives a happy life with the family diligently
making sure the backyard is in good order and totally free from snakes.

Nag and Nagaina

Nag and Nagaina are married cobras who live under the bungalow where Rikki-
tikki-tavi lives with his human family. They want nothing more than to kill the
humans so that they may have the bungalow and garden to themselves for when
their children are born. Both snakes are aggressive and calculating but neither is
a match for the mongoose, who kills them both.