Literature Pentatholon
Mother and Father Wolf
Give Mowgli his name and raise him with their own cubs in the jungle
Kotick
White seal who lives in the Arctic. He fulfills the prophency of leading his people away from mankind and saving them from the hunt.
Buldeo
chief village hunter, who tries to take Shere Khan's hide when Mowgli kills him. He follows Mowgli when he returns to the jungle, but is outsmarted by Mowgli & the wolves.
Symbolism
Shere Khan's skin represents to Mowgli's power. Also, the red flower is a euphemisms for fire which animals can't create so fire represents both fear and power.
Bagheera
Speaks for Mowgli to remain in the wolfpack and sends Mowgli to get fire to protect himself against his enemies. This character was born in captivity among men, & understands the way of man.
The Bander-Log
The Monkey-People, who are despised by the other jungke dwellers. They carry Mowgli off when he climbs a tree and tries to make friends with them but Mowgli quickly realizes that they have no laws and no leader.
Three main settings in The Jungle Books
The jungle, the village, and the Arctic
Baloo
The lazy bear who teaches wolf cubs the law of the jungle. The first to speak for Mowgli and becomes his teacher and friend. His friendship and protection save Mowgli from the Bander-log.
Akela
The leader of the Seeonee wolf pack, also known as the Lone Wolf. Also mother and father wolf to raise mowgli. 10 years later when he is weak, mowgli protects him from the pack. Akela grows older, turning milky white and dies in the battle against the dholes in the story "Red Dog"
Similes
The main literary device used by Kipling. An example, in "Mowgli's Brother's", this device explains the charcteristics of different animals. Another example in the final story clarifies the conflict Mowgli feels when the spring arrives. These devices rely on images in nature amd the jungle.
Kotuko
The name of both the Indian boy and his dog in the story "Quiquern." He comes of age in the arctic during a dangerous time of famine. His dog becomes the mythical two-headed dog when he accidentially becomes caught up in another dog's sled lines.
Alliteration
The repitition of the initial consonant sound in a series of words in a poem or prose. For example, in "The White Seal" they sat staring stupidly, the "s" sound emphasizes that the seals interact with man.
Kaa
The rock python who helps rescue Mowgli when he is carried by the monkeys. He is know for his "hug" which none can escape and remains friendly with Mowgli
Euphemisms
A mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive. For example, Kaa the snake dies not squeeze his victims, he "hugs" them.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
A mongoose, a weasel-likw animal that eats snakes. He is washed out by heavy rain and is rescued by an English Family. He becomes their protector by killing a pair of cobras named Nag and Nagaina
Gray Brother
Mowgli's brother in the wolf pack and helps to rescue Messua and her husband when they are trapped by other villagers
Foreshadowing
Occurs when the author gives a hint to the reader of something that will happen later in the stroy. For example, in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi when the mongoose is rescued by the english family & the father hints to the fact that he will later kill Nag and Nagaina, protecting the whole family
Shere Khan
The tiger who chases Mowgli when he is first lost in the jungle. Also known as "The Lame One" because he was born with one bad foot. This character only hunts animals that are not difficult to kill, like cattle. In the story "How fear Came," he openly announces that he once killed a man in the village by choice, not for food. He meets his end when Mowgli arranges for him to be trapped by a stampede of cattle.
Messua
The woman who adopts Mowgli for a time. She finally tells Mowgli that she believes he is her son, Nathoo, who was lost in the jungle many years before. She is rescued by Mowgli when the villagers accuse her of witchcraft
Coming of Age
Theme: Mowgli, Kotick, Toomai, Kotucko all "come of age" in these stories. What does it mean to "come of age?" In many cultures, rituals mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. Mowgli begins this transition when he returns to Council Rock with Shere Khan's hide. He has shown his ability to lead and restores Akela to the pack. Toomai was told that he must "see the elephants dance" (page 128) before he can join the hunt. He returns from the 🐘 dance and has begun his transition.
Revenge
Theme: getting even and searchibg for justice is important in the jungle. The main story of revenge involves Shere Khan and Mowgli takes care of him in Tiger Tiger. the need for revenge doesn't stop there, as Buldeo attempts to claim Shere Khan's hide. Mowgli frees Messua and her husband after Buldeo accuses them of witchcraft, and then punishes the entire village for casting him out when he "lets in the jungle." The most vilenr story involves the dholes and mowgli uses the anger of the "littke ppl. of the rocks" (the 🐝) to help carry out his search for justice, destroying the dhole pack before they can destroy the wolves.
Laws, rules, and order
Theme: many of the stories in the jungle books, there are certain laws that rule societies. There are laws of the jungle, the beach, and of man. Regardeless of the location, it is clear that these rules help to create order. From the very first, "Mowgli's brothers" we hear of the law of the jungle. Bagheera brings the bull that pays the price for Mowgli, by law, allowing him to stay with the pack. At the end of the books, Bagheera slays another bull to pay the debt, freeing Mowgli to the man pack. Several of the opening poems in the chapters speak of laws, Baloo teaches the animals the law of the jungle, and we see how laws function to create order outside the jungle in stories like, "The White seal."
Mowgli
This character wanders away from his village into the jungle when he is a very small child. He is reared by Mother Wolf and becomes a member of the Seeonee wolf pack, the Free People. After killing and skinning Shere Khan, he returns to the pack and has many adventures with the jungle animals, but when he is around 17 years old, he returns to live among men.
Little Toomai
the Indian boy who see the elephants "dance." In seeing them, he has proven his worth as a future great hunter of elephants.
Tabqui
the jackal who is despised by the animals of the jungle. He is known as the Dish Licker because he never hunts for his own food, but eats the scraps left behind
Hathi
the wise elephant, who tells the story of why the tuger has stripes. He also, at Mowgli's request, destroys the village that rejected Mowgli.
Family
theme: Mowgli becomes part of the seeonee pack and the wolf family in the first story. He is often called "brother" by many of the animals thus also becoming part of the larger family of the jungle by learning their languages and accepting their laws, he recieves the protection of his families. mowgli also becomes part of Messua's family when he goes to the village. Family plays and important role in several of the other stories. Little Toomai experienceses conflicts in his family, but proves himself by going off to see the 🐘 dance
The Hunt
theme: hunting is of central importance in the Jungle books. First, the animals nust hunt to live. Since this is the necessary oart of their existence, "good hunting" is a common cry throughout the stories. In both of the arctic stories, hunting also plays central role. Kotick, the white seal, is driven to action in order to save his people from the hunters who slaughtered them. In Quiquern, Kotucko leaves during a famine in order to hunt and save his people. All of these hunts represent strength. Finally, being allowed to join the hunt symbolizes the transition from childhood.
Betrayal
theme: on several occasions, the wolf pack betrays Mowgli. The first time, some of the younger wolves decides they would rather listen to Shere Khan than follow the law of the jungle. Mowgli ends up leaving the pack and living in the village w/ Messua. Here again, he is betrayed, this time by man, as he is cast out by the village
