A MOST FORGIVING APE

BY ALAN MOOREHEAD
Alan McCrae Moorehead
Born in 1910 in Victoria, Australia
A war correspondent and author of
popular histories
Worked in various newspapers
before writing books
His books include African Trilogy and The
Rage Of The Vulture
Winner of the 1956 Royal Society of
Literature Award for Gallipoli
About The Title
The word “forgiving” brings out precisely
the basic nature of gorillas
Gorillas are calm and naive by nature
The myths about gorillas being ferocious
and brutal is not entirely true
Gorillas live peacefully in their habitat
Subject Matter
Gorillas are fascinating creatures that
attract the attention of scientists and
explorers
In spite of the explorations and expeditions,
very little has been known about gorillas
Humans by nature are curious due to which
they would like to know more about such
fascinating creatures
Gorillas are very strong and heavy
Gorillas communicate with each other by
talking
Gorilla is a most forgiving ape
Introduction
“A Most Forgiving Ape” has been extracted from
one of Moorehead’s creations “No Room in the
Ark” written in 1959.
This chapter is the account on his journey through
the African game preserves.
It talks about the cruelty that the gorillas have
endured over the years
Moorehead states that, the portrayal of gorillas as
monsters is an irony
In fact, gorillas are very protective of their family
and they are turned on only when someone poses
a threat to their family.
Introduction
A brief account about the writer’s journey
to the gorillas’ abode is given
He also describes about the majestic
physique of the gorilla that he encountered
Finally, he describes this encounter to the
most exciting experience that had come his
way
Summary
This essay tells us about the experience of the
narrator when he managed to observe the
Gorilla in it’s wild state in the jungle of Central
Africa.

The essay begins with the stereotyped image

of the gorilla which had been defamed by the
journalists, explorers, films etc.
Gorillas are actually magnificent creatures and
the beauty they posses is rare and unique.
.
The essay indicates a possible threat of
the extinction of a rare animal like Gorilla, rather than to
entertain the readers.

Not only he is warning the people about the critical state of

the extinction of Gorilla, he is conveying a message to take
effective measures to stop what they are facing or else we
might not see these wonderful creatures in our next
generations.

The author describes about an account on Miss

Donisthorpe’s exploration in Mahavura and accuses her of
giving false information about Gorillas, describing them as
violent animal. He rather thinks “Forgiving” would be the
actual word to describe them.
Analysis and Interpretation
1. Structure
2. Effectiveness
3. Theme
4. Thesis Statement
5. Outline.
Conclusion
Apes are gentle and kind creatures
They are misunderstood by people
The short encounter with the ape became
the writers best experience
Forgiving describes the ape as they never
cause harm to other creatures.
Thank You
References
https://www.shmoop.com
https://
linkinmyth.blogspot.com/2014/08/A-Most-Fo
rgiving-Ape.html