Book Review: "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling
My Take on The Jungle Book
- Book Report by Isaak Kumar
The Jungle Book is a novel written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894 in. Set in the jungle regions of India, this book follows a young orphan, Mowgli, as he is raised by a pack of wolves after barely surviving an encounter with Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger that killed his parents. He is slowly taught the Law of the Jungle by a sympathetic sloth bear and grows stronger to avenge his mother and father and face the deadly tiger.
"The Monkey-Folk... have no speech of their own, but use stolen words which they overhear when they listen, peep, and wait above in the branches... They are without leaders... They boast and chatter and pretend that they are great people about to do great affairs in the jungle, but the falling of a nut turns to laughter all is forgotten,"(Kipling 60)
In a story filled with animals, Rudyard Kipling does a fabulous job giving the characters human-like traits and relationships with others. With the use of jokes and humor, the author is able to give a unique personality for each animal species. A prime example of these human-like characteristics is the proud and boastful manner of the Bandar-log (Monkey People). these conceited tree-swinging animals feel that they are above all others, and pretend to be great rulers of the jungle. Fortunately, most other animals see through their façade, knowing that they are ultimately forgetful and just plain dumb (reminds be of some people too!). The actions these furry creatures display throughout the plot help the reader relate them to people they have encountered, making this book a much more authentic and personable reading experience.
"Man-killing means, sooner or later, the arrival of white men on elephants, with guns, and hundreds of brown men with gongs and rockets and torches. Then everybody on the jungle suffers."(Kipling 12)
Unlike its movie rendition, Kipling is able to indicate the environmental problems of his time throughout the book. When writing this novel, India was under British occupation. In this period, deforestation and burning of vast Indian jungles for grazing fields and poppy plantations were common. Sport hunting of the native species was also popular, and many animals revered in Hindu tradition were shot to extinction. Kipling voiced his discontent over the British mistreatment by making many of Mowgli's problems stem from human actions against the environment. An unlikely example of this is the origin of this story's antagonist, Shere Khan. After being shot in the leg by a hunter, the great tiger was not able to catch his prey, agile deer. He is forced to find slower game, such as cattle and villagers, which ultimately leads him to kill Mowgli's parents. The suggestions made throughout this tale make us readers aware of the injustices that were done to the environment by the British occupation at the time.
This book has been a favorite for me ever since I was young. Its mix of comedy and important issues along with its nail-biting plot make it an entertaining read for all ages. The way Kipling models the main characters after real human personalities makes the book so much more relatable, and the awareness he brings to serious problems not discussed in his time helps us take initiative to make a difference. The word choice is simple, and the plot is always changing, making for a page-turning read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, humor, and a timeless classic.
I like how the book compares animals and gives them human traits, as it makes the readers easier to connect with the characters. I think it's interesting that all these animals share such common character traits with humans, such as Mowgli wanting revenge or the Monkey people having a sense of pride due to them "swinging above everyone else". The real world can be similar, with those who are richer than others having a sense of superiority, even though we are all human.
ReplyDeleteI've watched this movie over and over as a kid, but I've never read the book. This novel sounds really interesting and would be fun to compare to the movie. The quotes you've included in this essay give off the impression that this book has a lot of thought put into it, and good descriptions of everything that happens in the jungle. The unspoken rules that you can tell everyone follows is interesting to hear about, and the personality of animals in the book sounds interesting and relatable. This is a book I'd consider reading in the future.
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