Velasco 1

Kasandra Velasco
Dr. Lynda Haas
Writing 37
22 February 2015
Kaas Hunting and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: The Use of Anthropomorphism
Revised Thesis:
In both stories, Kipling uses anthropomorphism as a rhetorical device
to help readers think from the perspective of the animals as well as the
humans, which encourages readers to have a closer and kinder relationship
with their non-human animal counterparts.
Revised Paragraph:
Like the previous story, Rikki Tikki Tavi anthropomorphizes its
characters with the main character being the mongoose, Rikki Tikki Tavi.
After being separated from his family due to a flood, he becomes an outcast
living with an English family who he grew a close relationship with. When
Rikki-tikki is taken in by the family, he is shown to be rather curious and
ecstatic about it. Rikki says, Every well-brought-up mongoose always hopes
to be a house mongoose some day (105). This is because of the variety of
resources that humans can provide for animals like at the moment when
Rikki is fed bananas and a boiled egg. The readers think that the mongoose
are taught that in order to a good life that they need to live with humans.

Velasco 2

The motto of the mongoose family is Run and find out so Rikki-tikki spent
the day roaming the house and just exploring (104). While exploring, he
almost drowned in the bathtub, put his nose into the ink and then burned it
on the end of the Englishmans cigar. If animals intelligence was ever
questioned, then his curiosity showed the viewers that he is smart. He
decided to explore his new home and become comfortable with his
surroundings, which is something that humans would do if they were in his
situation. In the beginning there was certainly more of a trust between the
man and the mongoose because the man knew how mongooses behaved.
When his wife was skeptical about leaving Teddy with Rikki at night the
husband is quick to defend the mongoose. He is able to assure his wife that
Teddy will be the safest especially if any snakes are in the house. Throughout
the story, Rikkis duty is to protect the family against the snakes. With the
family giving him food and a place to sleep he enters into a mutualistic
relationship. Since Rikki ends up saving the family from multiple snake
attacks, he gains the familys gratitude. According to Leslie Irvine who has a
Ph.D., in sociology and is focusing on the roles of animals in society, Rikkitikki would have officially become a companion animal (12). Rikki is no
longer seen as just an animal but now as an equal member, which makes the
readers think about the human and animal relationships and how they are
both mutually dependent on each other. In the end, Kipling teaches the
readers that humans and animals can have a close and kind relationship.

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Works Cited
Irvine, Leslie. If You Tame Me: Understanding Our Connection with Animals.
Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2004. 12-32.
Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book. New York: Viking, 1996. Print.
Medlock, Chelsea. "Kiplings Menagerie: Human-Animal Relations in the
Works of Rudyard Kipling." N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.