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Jacqueline Valtierra
Professor Lynda Haas
Writing 37
4 March 2015
Kiplings use of Anthropomorphism and Parallelism in The Jungle Book
According to Professor Deniz Tahiroglu from the University of Oregon,
anthropomorphism is referred to as theory of mind, to nonhuman animals and inanimate
objects (University of Oregon). In The Jungle Book, author Rudyard Kipling uses the rhetoric
device to express the tale of two orphans, Mowgli and Rikki Tikki Tavi, who share the parallel
life of being taken out of their natural habitat thus involuntary adapting to a new environment. In
Mowglis Brothers, the man cub Mowgli is introduced as hes torn away from his parents by
Shere Khan, a bungalow tiger that inhabits the jungle and terrorizes the villagers nearby.
Destined to fight back, Mowgli is saved from death by Akela, leader of a pack of wolves,
Bagheera a wise black panther, and Baloo a lazy bear. It is not until many seasons later that he
stands up against Shere Khan and his corruption. Likewise, in Rikki Tikki Tavi, a flood
separates a baby mongoose from its home; a human couple rescues Rikki, allowing his stay in
their home with their sons safety in mind. The villains here are two cobras, Nag and Nagaina,
that the mongoose in a later confrontation defeats. In both stories not only does good prevail but
one species protects the other species. The interaction the humans and the animals display
reveals mutual friendship and love. Kipling uses the rhetorical devices of anthropomorphism
and parallelism in order to focus readers' attention on the idea that although the animals don't
speak, there are important similarities between the animal and human characters.

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Kiplings use of anthropomorphism varies in both stories. In Mowglis Brothers the
reader is introduced to the man cub Mowgli, after being separated from his parents. The wolves
rather than killing the baby that theyve just rescued, they keep him using the Law of the Jungle,
as a human would keep a baby using the jurisdiction of a court, the Law of the Jungle, which
never orders anything without a reason, forbids every beast to eat Man except when he is killing
to show his children how to kill, and then he must hunt outside the hunting grounds of his pack
or tribe (Mowglis Brothers). By creating the anthropomorphic idea of a law of the jungle,
Kipling gives the animals morals and codes of conduct to act upon. In the wild, animals follow a
prey and predator nature, Kipling as author Keith Barker states created a world approximate to
an Eden in which the animals inhibit an idyllic home, yet are still prey to the complexities of
reality, such as killing, death, and old age, where the animals not only exhibit human qualities
but face the same reality(Barker). Another example is the bear Baloo, for he is to teach the man
cub the laws of the jungle, as a nanny or mentor. Baloo displays a genuine interest in Mowglis
well-being, I speak for the man's cub. There is no harm in a man's cub. I have no gift of words,
but I speak the truth. Let him run with the Pack, and be entered with the others. I myself will
teach him" (Mowglis Bothers). Here, Kipling uses an anthropomorphic idea that animals have
the capacity to care for a different species without any boundaries, adding a compassionate
characteristic to a wild animal from a jungle. In reality, animals all live within their own species
and dont conduct meeting dealing with laws or interest in the fate of another species.
In Rikki Tikki Tavi a flood separates the mongoose from its family, not the villain. The
couple keeps Rikki as protection, Teddys safer with that little beast than if he had a bloodhound
to watch him (Rikki Tikki Tavi). Rikki initially possessed a curiosity of a toddler, meddling
through the familys home and possessions, He spent all that day roaming over the house

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(Rikki Tikki Tavi). Nag and Nagaina in the other hand were opportunist and spiteful to anyone
slightly threatening their accommodations there, I Am Nag, said the Cobra: Look and be
afraid! but at the bottom of his cold heart he was afraid. Nagaina much more after Nags death,
as she threatening to kill the young boy, Son of the big man that killed Nag, [] Oh, foolish
people, who killed my Nag! She possessed the characteristics of vengeful girlfriend and loving
mother but only after seeing Rikki with one of her eggs, Nagaina spun clear round, forgetting
everything for the sake of the one egg. Here the audience may feel sympathy towards Nagaina
because of the anthropomorphic idea that as a mother, shed do anything to protect her children,
when in reality several animals grow up without parental supervision. Overall, Nag and Nagaina
could easily be seen as greedy heirs awaiting the death of the wealthy family member, except in
the story, they did not have any connection to the families property. Lastly, Kipling may have
enhanced the characteristics of specific animals in the jungles to think or act as humans, but in
retrospect established man and animals as a species both follow their similar predispositions.
Aside from the defeating the evil, Kipling made Mowglis and Rikkis lifes parallel to
one another. In both stories, the protagonist face being temporarily orphans who are adopted by
families of the opposite species. Mowgli has the Mother Wolf taking care of him, "And it is I,
Raksha [The Demon], who answers. The man's cub is mine, Lungri--mine to me! He shall not be
killed. He shall live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, look you,
hunter of little naked cubs--frog-eater-- fish-killer--he shall hunt thee! Now get hence, or by the
Sambhur that I killed (I eat no starved cattle), back thou goest to thy mother, burned beast of the
jungle, lamer than ever thou camest into the world! Go!"(Mowglis Brothers) while Rikki had
the young boy and his mother, Heres a dead mongoose. Lets have a funeral. No, said his
mother, lets take him in and dry him. Perhaps he isnt really dead. In both instances, the

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young heroes lives would have been cut short if it wasnt for a maternal figure interfering with
fate. But fate always gets its way, even though they face a double identity Mowgli as a man
cub and wolf, Rikki as a domestic guard and a wild mongoose, it is a source of alienation and
suffering, but also of heroic status and prowess.(Introduction to the Jungle Book) Through one
single event in their early life, they matured and became what nature intended them to be, a man
and a mongoose. Each faced the pivotal moment in the plot where good prevails, carrying out
their natural destiny. For Mowgli it was using man made fire to scare off Shere Khan and
ultimately saving the wolves but it defined him as what he was, a man. He was raised by the
wolves, but hunting and knowing the Laws of the Jungle would not stop puberty, but a time
comes when he must move beyond his animal brothers and realize the truth about himself, and
accept the responsibility of being a man and the recognition that it sets him apart (Barker).
Rikki Tikki Tavi successfully saves the lives of the family he had integrated by killing Nag and
forcing Nagaina to retreat but it only displayed he was a mongoose not a member of the family.
Accepting what set them apart from the family they loved helped them mature and ultimately
accept their nature.
In conclusion, Kiplings use of anthropomorphism and parallelism in The Jungle Book
stories Mowglis Brothers and Rikki Tikki Tavi allowed the reader to distinguish the
similarities animals and humans have. Protagonist such as Mowgli and Rikki live in harmony
with the opposite species due to isolation from their natural environment. Antagonist like Shere
Khan and Nagaina force Mowgli and Rikki to carry out their natural instincts, proclaiming them
man and animal. These similar fates clash with the message Kipling had, both species have the
capacity to love and sustain a mutual relationship with one another despite the physical
differences.

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Works Cited

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Barker, Keith. "Animal Stories." International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's
Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. 270, Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016: Routledge, 2004. 282.
Print.
"Introduction to the Jungle Books." Introduction to the Jungle Books. Kipling Society, 4
Apr. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Kipling, Rudyard. "The Jungle Book., by Rudyard Kipling: "Mowglis Brothers!" N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Kipling, Rudyard. "The Jungle Book. by Rudyard Kipling: "Rikki Tikki Tavi! N.p., n.d.
Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Tahiroglu, Deniz. "Development and Correlates of Anthropomorphism." Development
and Correlates of Anthropomorphism. University of Oregon, 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.