Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} of the Apes by ',' An Adventure Novel With a Complicated Legacy. Tarzan of the Apes was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, an American author best known for his science fiction, fantasy and adventure stories. In 1912, the story was serialized in a pulp fiction magazine. It was published in novel form in 1914. Tarzan of the Apes was so popular among readers that Burroughs wrote more than two dozen sequels featuring the adventures of Tarzan. The story remains a classic adventure novel, but the undercurrent of racism running through the text has led to a more complicated legacy. Fast Facts: Tarzan of the Apes. Author : Edgar Rice Burroughs Publisher : A.C. McClurg Year Published : 1914 Genre : Adventure Type of Work : Novel Original language : English Themes : Escapism, adventure, Colonialism Characters : Tarzan, , Alice Rutherford Clayton, John Clayton, , Paul D'Arnot, , Notable Film Adaptations : Tarzan of the Apes (1918), The Romance of Tarzan (1918), Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Tarzan (1999) and The Legend of Tarzan (2016). Summary of Plot. In the late 1800s, John and Alice Clayton, the Earl and Count find themselves marooned on the western coast of Africa. They build a shelter in the jungle and Alice gives birth to a son. The child is named John, after his father. When the young John Clayton is just a year old, his mother dies. Shortly afterward, his father is killed by an ape named Kerchak. Young John Clayton is adopted by a female ape named Kala, who names him Tarzan. Tarzan grows up with the apes, fully aware that he is different from his ape family but unaware of his human heritage. He eventually discovers the shelter that his biological parents built, as well as a few of their possessions. He uses their books to teach himself how to read and write English. However, he has never had another human to talk to, so he is unable to speak the “language of men.” Growing up in the jungle helps Tarzan become a fierce hunter and warrior. When the savage ape Kerchak attacks and tries to kill him, Tarzan wins the fight and takes Kerchak's place as the king of the apes. When Tarzan is just over 20 years old, he discovers a party of treasure hunters marooned on the coast. Tarzan protects them and saves a young American woman named Jane. Jane and Tarzan fall in love, and when Jane leaves Africa, Tarzan eventually decides to track her down by traveling to the U.S. During the journey, Tarzan learns how to speak French and English, and tries to develop "civilized" manners. He also meets Paul D'Arnot, a French naval officer who discovers that Tarzan is the rightful heir to an esteemed English estate. When Tarzan arrives in the U.S., he saves Jane from danger once again, but soon discovers she is engaged to man named William Clayton. Ironically, William Clayton is Tarzan's cousin, and is set to inherit the estate and title that rightfully belong to Tarzan. Tarzan knows that if he takes the inheritance from his cousin, he will also be taking away Jane's security. Thus, for the sake of Jane's well-being, he decides not to reveal his true identity as the Earl of Greystoke. Major Characters. Tarzan : The protagonist of the novel. Although he is the son of a British lord and lady, Tarzan was raised by apes in the African jungle after the death of his parents. Tarzan is somewhat contemptuous of civilized society, but falls in love with a young American woman named Jane. John Clayton : Also known as the Earl of Greystoke, John Clayton is Alice Clayton's husband and Tarzan's biological father. Alice Rutherford Clayton : Also known as the Countess of Greystoke, Alice Rutherford Clayton is John Clayton's wife and Tarzan's biological mother. Kerchak : The ape that killed Tarzan's biological father. Tarzan eventually kills Kerchak and takes his place as the king of the apes. Kala : Kala is a female ape who adopts and raises Tarzan after his biological parents die. Professor Archimedes Q. Porter : An anthropology scholar who brings a party of people, including his daughter Jane, to the jungles of Africa under the guise of studying human society. His real goal is to hunt for a long-lost treasure. Jane Porter : The 19-year-old daughter of Professor Porter. Tarzan saves Jane's life, and she falls in love with him. Paul D'Arnot : A French naval officer who finds proof that Tarzan is really John Clayton II and heir to an ancestral English title and estate. Major Themes. Escapism : When asked by an editor to write an article about the theme of the Tarzan books, Edgar Rice Burroughs said that the theme consists of just one word: Tarzan. Burroughs claimed that the Tarzan books did not have a particular message or moral agenda; rather, he said, Tarzan of the Apes was intended to serve as an escape from thought, discussion and argument. Civilization : The novel raises questions about the true meaning of civilization. Tarzan exhibits behaviors that outsiders consider uncivilized, such as eating raw meat and wiping his hands on his clothing after a meal. In contrast, members of "civilized" society exhibit behaviors that appear unseemly to Tarzan. For example, the supposedly civilized men gang up on animals and use weapons that give them an unfair advantage during a hunt. Tarzan eventually conforms to many of these "civilized" norms, but he concludes that he is still wild at heart. Racism : Racism is an ever-present theme in Tarzan of the Apes . White characters, including Tarzan, are written as superior beings. Tarzan's father is referred to as a member of the “higher white races.” Tarzan is also depicted as physically and genetically superior to the native tribes who live nearby. These Black African characters are referred to as “poor savage negroes” with “bestial faces.” Tarzan does not try to befriend them, communicate with them or protect them in any way, but he makes great efforts to help and support the white men that he meets in the jungle. The novel also implies that Tarzan is able to teach himself how to read and write because of his white heritage. Literary Style. Tarzan of the Apes is classified as an adventure novel. The perils of the jungle and the life and death struggles that ensue between characters are meant to give readers a sense of excitement. Burroughs stated several times that the story was influenced by the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus. Tarzan of the Apes has influenced other works as well. It has been adapted into films, comics and radio adventure programs. Key Quotes. The following quotes are spoken by Tarzan, after learning to speak "the language of men." Edgar Rice Burroughs. (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer best known for his creations of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres. Contents. Biography [ edit | edit source ] Early life [ edit | edit source ] Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois (he later lived for many years in the suburb of Oak Park), the fourth son of Major George Tyler Burroughs (1833–1913), a businessman and Civil War veteran, and his wife, Mary Evaline (Zieger) Burroughs (1840–1920). His middle name is from his paternal grandmother, Mary Rice Burroughs (1802–c.1870). [1][2][3] Burroughs was of almost entirely English ancestry, with a family line that had been in North America since the early colonial era. Through his grandmother Mary Rice, he was descended from Edmund Rice, one of the English Puritans who moved to Massachusetts in the early colonial period. He once remarked, "I can trace my ancestry back to Deacon Edmund Rice." The Burroughs side of the family was also of English origin and also emigrated to Massachusetts at around the same time. Many of his ancestors fought in the American Revolution. He had other ancestors who settled in Virginia during the colonial period, and he often emphasized his connection with that side of the family, seeing it as more romantic and warlike. [4] Burroughs was educated at a number of local schools, and during the Chicago influenza epidemic in 1891, he spent half a year at his brother's ranch on theRaft River in Idaho. He then attended Phillips Academy, in Andover, Massachusetts, and then the Michigan Military Academy. Graduating in 1895, and failing the entrance exam for the United States Military Academy at West Point, he became an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory. After being diagnosed with a heart problem and thus ineligible to serve, he was discharged in 1897. [5] Burroughs's bookplate, showing Tarzan holding the planet Mars, surrounded by other characters from his stories and symbols relating to his personal interests and career. Typescript letter, with Tarzana Ranch letterhead, from Burroughs to Ruthven Deane, explaining the design and significance of his bookplate. Adulthood [ edit | edit source ] After his discharge, Burroughs worked a number of different jobs. He drifted and worked on a ranch in Idaho. He found work at his father's firm in 1899. He married his childhood sweetheart, Emma Hulbert (1876–1944), in January 1900. In 1904, he left his job and worked less regularly, first in Idaho, then in Chicago. [6] By 1911, after seven years of low wages, he was working as a pencil-sharpener wholesaler and began to write fiction. By this time, he and Emma had two children, Joan (1908–1972), who later married the Tarzan film actor James Pierce, and Hulbert (1909–1991). [7] During this period, he had copious spare time and began reading pulp fiction magazines. In 1929 he recalled thinking that. In 1913, Burroughs and Emma had their third and last child, John Coleman Burroughs (1913–1979), later known for his illustrations of his father's books. [ citation needed ] In the 1920s Burroughs became a pilot, purchased a Security Airster S-1, and encouraged his family to learn to fly. [9][10] Burroughs divorced Emma in 1934, and in 1935 he married the former actress Florence Gilbert Dearholt, the former wife of his friend Ashton Dearholt. Burroughs adopted the Dearholts' two children. He and Florence divorced in 1942. [11] Burroughs was in his late 60s and was in Honolulu at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. [12] Despite his age, he applied for and received permission to become a war correspondent, becoming one of the oldest U.S. war correspondents during World War II. This period of his life is mentioned in William Brinkley's bestselling novel Don't Go Near the Water . Death [ edit | edit source ] After the war ended, Burroughs moved back to Encino, California, where after many health problems, he died of a heart attack on March 19, 1950, having written almost 80 novels. He is buried at Tarzana, California, US. [13] American actor Reid Markel is Burroughs' great-great-grandson. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted Burroughs in 2003. [14][15] Literary career [ edit | edit source ] Aiming his work at the pulps, Burroughs had his first story, Under the Moons of Mars , serialized by Frank Munsey in the February to July 1912 issues of The All-Story [16][17][18] – under the name "Norman Bean" to protect his reputation. [18][a] Under the Moons of Mars inaugurated the Barsoom series and earned Burroughs US$400 ($9,825 today). It was first published as a book by A. C. McClurg of Chicago in 1917, entitled A Princess of Mars , after three Barsoom sequels had appeared as serials and McClurg had published the first four serial Tarzan novels as books. [16] Burroughs soon took up writing full-time, and by the time the run of Under the Moons of Mars had finished he had completed two novels, including Tarzan of the Apes , published from October 1912 and one of his most successful series. Burroughs also wrote popular science fiction and fantasy stories involving adventurers from Earth transported to various planets (notably Barsoom, Burroughs's fictional name for Mars, and Amtor, his fictional name for Venus), lost islands, and into the interior of the hollow earth in his stories. He also wrote westerns and historical romances. Besides those published in All-Story , many of his stories were published in The Argosy magazine. Tarzan was a cultural sensation when introduced. Burroughs was determined to capitalize on Tarzan's popularity in every way possible. He planned to exploit Tarzan through several different media including a syndicated Tarzan comic strip, movies, and merchandise. Experts in the field advised against this course of action, stating that the different media would just end up competing against each other. Burroughs went ahead, however, and proved the experts wrong – the public wanted Tarzan in whatever fashion he was offered. Tarzan remains one of the most successful fictional characters to this day and is a cultural icon. In either 1915 or 1919, Burroughs purchased a large ranch north of Los Angeles, California, which he named "Tarzana." The citizens of the community that sprang up around the ranch voted to adopt that name when their community, Tarzana, California was formed in 1927. [19] Also, the unincorporated community of Tarzan, Texas, was formally named in 1927 when the US Postal Service accepted the name, [20] reputedly coming from the popularity of the first (silent) Tarzan of the Apes film, starring Elmo Lincoln, and an early "Tarzan" comic strip. In 1923 Burroughs set up his own company, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., and began printing his own books through the 1930s. Reception and criticism [ edit | edit source ] In a Paris Review interview, Ray Bradbury said of Burroughs that "Edgar Rice Burroughs would never have looked upon himself as a social mover and shaker with social obligations. But as it turns out – and I love to say it because it upsets everyone terribly – Burroughs is probably the most influential writer in the entire history of the world." [21] Bradbury continued that "By giving romance and adventure to a whole generation of boys, Burroughs caused them to go out and decide to become special." In Something of Myself (published posthumously in 1937) Rudyard Kipling wrote: “My Jungle Books begat Zoos of them. But the genius of all the genii was one who wrote a series called Tarzan of the Apes . I read it, but regret I never saw it in the films, where it rages most successfully. He had ‘jazzed’ the motif of the Jungle Books and, I imagine, had thoroughly enjoyed himself. He was reported to have said that he wanted to find out how bad a book he could write and ‘get away with’, which is a legitimate ambition.” (Ch. 8, “Working Tools”). Few critical books have arisen concerning Burroughs. From an academic standpoint, the most helpful are Erling Holtsmark's two books: Tarzan and Tradition [22] and Edgar Rice Burroughs ; [23] Stan Galloway's The Teenage Tarzan: A Literary Analysis of Edgar Rice Burroughs' ; [24] and Richard Lupoff's two books: Master of Adventure: Edgar Rice Burroughs [25] and Barsoom: Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Martian Vision . [26] Galloway was identified by James Gunn as "one of the half-dozen finest Burroughs scholars in the world"; [27] Galloway called Holtsmark his "most important predecessor." [28] Selected works [ edit | edit source ] Main article: Edgar Rice Burroughs bibliography. Barsoom series [ edit | edit source ] A Princess of Mars (1912) The Gods of Mars (1914) The Warlord of Mars (1918) Thuvia, Maid of Mars (1920) The Chessmen of Mars (1922) The Master Mind of Mars (1928) A Fighting Man of Mars (1931) Swords of Mars (1936) Synthetic Men of Mars (1940) Llana of Gathol (1948) John Carter of Mars (1964) . "Skeleton Men of Jupiter" (1942) Tarzan series [ edit | edit source ] Tarzan of the Apes (1912) The Return of Tarzan (1913) The Beasts of Tarzan (1914) (1914) Tarzan and the Jewels of (1916) . . (1921) . Tarzan and the Ant Men (1924) . Tarzan and the Lost Empire (1928) Tarzan at the Earth's Core (1929) Tarzan the Invincible (1930–31). (1931) Tarzan and the City of Gold (1932) . Tarzan and the Leopard Men (1935) . . Tarzan and the Forbidden City (1938) Tarzan and the Foreign Legion (1947) Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins (1963, for younger readers) (1964) Tarzan and the Castaways (1965) Tarzan: The Lost Adventure (1995) (written with Joe R. Lansdale) Pellucidar series [ edit | edit source ] At the Earth's Core (1914) Pellucidar (1923) Tanar of Pellucidar (1928) Tarzan at the Earth's Core (1929) Back to the Stone Age (1937) Land of Terror (1944) Savage Pellucidar (1963) Venus series [ edit | edit source ] Main article: Venus series. Pirates of Venus (1934) Lost on Venus (1935) Carson of Venus (1939) Escape on Venus (1946) The Wizard of Venus (1970) Caspak series [ edit | edit source ] The Land That Time Forgot (1918) The People That Time Forgot (1918) Out of Time’s Abyss (1918) Moon series [ edit | edit source ] The Moon Maid (1926; The Moon Men ) Part I: The Moon Maid Part II: The Moon Men Part III: The Red Hawk. These three texts have been published by various houses in one or two volumes. Adding to the confusion, some editions have the original (significantly longer) introduction to Part I from the first publication as a magazine serial, and others have the shorter version from the first book publication, which included all three parts under the title The Moon Maid . [29] The Apes. In the forest of the table-land a mile back from the ocean old Kerchak the Ape was on a rampage of rage among his people. The younger and lighter members of his tribe scampered to the higher branches of the great trees to escape his wrath; risking their lives upon branches that scarce supported their weight rather than face old Kerchak in one of his fits of uncontrolled anger. The other males scattered in all directions, but not before the infuriated brute had felt the vertebra of one snap between his great, foaming jaws. A luckless young female slipped from an insecure hold upon a high branch and came crashing to the ground almost at Kerchak's feet. With a wild scream he was upon her, tearing a great piece from her side with his mighty teeth, and striking her viciously upon her head and shoulders with a broken tree limb until her skull was crushed to a jelly. And then he spied Kala, who, returning from a search for food with her young babe, was ignorant of the state of the mighty male's temper until suddenly the shrill warnings of her fellows caused her to scamper madly for safety. But Kerchak was close upon her, so close that he had almost grasped her ankle had she not made a furious leap far into space from one tree to another--a perilous chance which apes seldom if ever take, unless so closely pursued by danger that there is no alternative. She made the leap successfully, but as she grasped the limb of the further tree the sudden jar loosened the hold of the tiny babe where it clung frantically to her neck, and she saw the little thing hurled, turning and twisting, to the ground thirty feet below. We have hundreds more books for your enjoyment. Read them all! With a low cry of dismay Kala rushed headlong to its side, thoughtless now of the danger from Kerchak; but when she gathered the wee, mangled form to her bosom life had left it. With low moans, she sat cuddling the body to her; nor did Kerchak attempt to molest her. With the death of the babe his fit of demoniacal rage passed as suddenly as it had seized him. Kerchak was a huge king ape, weighing perhaps three hundred and fifty pounds. His forehead was extremely low and receding, his eyes bloodshot, small and close set to his coarse, flat nose; his ears large and thin, but smaller than most of his kind. His awful temper and his mighty strength made him supreme among the little tribe into which he had been born some twenty years before. Now that he was in his prime, there was no simian in all the mighty forest through which he roved that dared contest his right to rule, nor did the other and larger animals molest him. Old , the elephant, alone of all the wild savage life, feared him not--and he alone did Kerchak fear. When Tantor trumpeted, the great ape scurried with his fellows high among the trees of the second terrace. The tribe of anthropoids over which Kerchak ruled with an iron hand and bared fangs, numbered some six or eight families, each family consisting of an adult male with his females and their young, numbering in all some sixty or seventy apes. Tarzan of the Apes. Tarzan of the Apes is Burroughs’ exciting, if improbable, story of an English lord, left by the death of his stranded parents in the hands of a motherly African ape who raises him as her own. Although he is aware that he is different from the apes of his tribe, who are neither white nor hairless, he nevertheless regards them as his “people.” When older, larger, stronger apes decide that he an undesirable to be killed or expelled from the tribe, it is fortunate that Tarzan has learned the use of primitive weapons. Although small and weak by ape standards, Tarzan is a human of god-like strength and agility to men who discover him. By studying these people, he gradually decides he is not an ape at all, but human. And when he meets Jane, a beautiful American girl marooned with her father and friends on the hostile coast of Africa, Tarzan conceives love for her. When they are unexpectedly rescued before Tarzan can find a way to reveal his feelings to Jane, he determines to become civilized and follow her into the world of people – to find her and wed her, though he must cross continents and oceans, and compete with two other suitors for her hand. This story was the subject of a successful film in 1932, with Tarzan being played by , who acted in a further eleven Tarzan films. According to Weissmuller in an interview with Mike Douglas, his famous ape-call was audio stitched together from a soprano, an alto, and a hog-caller! Summary by Mark F. Smith. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 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