Jungle book

Parallels and similarities between

the novel , Disney ’s adapation
and Netflix movie.
Andrei Eugenia
Key points about the novel

• SHORT PLOT - a young boy

raised by animals who must
one day return to the man
village. 
• Is centered around a moral
code called THE LAW OF
THE JUNGLE.
• The Law of the Jungle 
personifies the animals more
by showing us that they
adhere to human-like laws.
• Subtle social satire.
The Main Characters- Novel version
• Kipling’s protagonist- Mowgli-
is fearless and is actually very
cunning and fits seamlessly into
the jungle environment.
• Bagheera - Mowgli’s wise
companion
• Poor old Kaa. Kaa the rock
python is one of Mowgli’s
wisest and most helpful
companions.
• community of monkeys
known as the bandar-log
• Shere Khan- he is not the
most threatening enemy
Mowgli( despite the
general belief about him
promoted by the Disney
movie.
Begging of the novel- the set up
 A human toddler
suddenly appears in the
grasses in front of their
lair, completely
unafraid and
apparently amused by
the presence of the
wolves.
The first image of Kaa

 Other than helping

rescue Mowgli from
the monkeys (I’ll get
to this in a moment),
Kaa both helps him
find some rare
treasure and also
protects him from a
formidable foe later in
the book.
The image of the outcasts- namely the
monkeys

 Instead of chilling with

Baloo, Mowgli is nursing his
bruises after another beating.
The man-cub then reveals
that he has been talking with
the bandar-log, or Monkey
People, as they are the only
ones who take pity on him
when the bear beats him up.
March of the Elephants
 Hathi is a wise old elephant and
the recognised Master of the
Jungle. He has three sons who
accompany him, and he watches
over the Water Truce: during the
dry season, he makes sure there
isn’t a blood-bath free-for-all at
the local watering hole. Even
Shere Khan speaks politely to
him as he is aware of his status,
and he is far from the doddery
military figure in Disney’s
version.
Pair of antagonist versus protagonist- Mowgli vs. Shere
Khan
 Shere Khan is not the all-
powerful, terrifying nemesis he
is shown to be in the Disney
film.
  In the book, Shere Khan is not
so immediate or unstoppable a
threat, and you could argue that
he was all bark and no bite – it’s
Mowgli who instigates the
violence towards him, and kills
him to fulfill his destiny
Disney’s adaptation
 Disney’s The Jungle
Book is inspired by
Rudyard Kipling’s
novel The Jungle Books –
specifically, the stories of
Mowgli, a young boy raised
by animals who must one
day return to the man
village. 
The Main Characters
 Mowgli- the main image is kept but is shaped in a
childish way and this variant is no so aggressive.
  Bagheera- still wise and powerful
 Baloo- childish and acts like a 10 year old kid
preoccupied with the pleasures of life, not wise
like in the book.
  Shere Khan, the main antagonist of the
film.
 terrifying nemesis
Kaa- presented as silly rather than
helpful.
King Louie- new character, the king of
the monkeys.
The Set Up
Disney version

 One morning,
Bagheera the panther
finds a baby lying in a
smashed up boat
along the river. Rather
than grabbing an easy
breakfast, he decides
he should give it to
someone to take care
of.
The Encounter With Kaa

 Kaa only has two

encounters with Mowgli
and he is not the helpful
figure from the book.
March of the Elephants
Disney version

 we encounter Colonel Hathi

and his herd of elephants. They
call themselves the Jungle
Patrol, and march back and
forth singing but doing nothing
in particular apart from felling
trees and unwittingly foiling
Shere Khan’s attempts at
hunting.
Mowgli vs. Shere Khan

 Shere Khan has finally tracked

down his man-cub.
 Mowgli is literally unmoved by this
and won’t run from the tiger. This
show of spirit impresses Shere
Khan, who is very sportsmanlike
and decides to give Mowgli a
fighting chance by counting to ten
before tearing him to shreds.
Conclusions
NOVEL
 is more about Mowgli’s internal
conflicT
Strong, wise, aggressive charaters.
The elephants are seen as wise and
moral.
The main focus is the Law of the
jungle
BOTH VERSIONS SHOW THAT HUMAN
WORLD AND ANIMAL WORLD ARE
SIMILAR BUT CANNOT EXCHANGE ITS
INHABITANTS
Kipling’s Mowgli is allowed to
discover his own destiny by
himself.
Disney VERSION
is about a boy going back to where he
belongs, and making sure everyone is in
their rightful place
downgrading the characters to make them
more caring and sensible (apart from Shere
Kahn and Kaa)
The elephants are portrayed as playful.
The main focus is Mowgli’s return.
BOTH VERSIONS SHOW THAT HUMAN
WORLD AND ANIMAL WORLD ARE
SIMILAR BUT CANNOT EXCHANGE
ITS INHABITANTS
portray Mowgli as a mischievous little
scamp who should listen to his guardians