Tarzan of the Apes

"Tarzan of the Apes" by Edgar Rice Burroughs is an early twentieth-century story about what happens when humans find themselves separated from everything that they know. Beginning with John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, and his wife getting stranded on the shores of Africa because of a violent mutiny onboard their ship, the scene is set for a tale of survival against all odds. Their infant son is left to fend for himself after facing tragedy, and he is adopted by a tribe of apes. The boy becomes Tarzan whose life becomes his identity that crosses the lines between humanity and nature. Before the Claytons are marooned in Africa, the initial chapters build the dramatic tension of John Clayton's mission to Africa, which quickly becomes a fight for survival when a mutiny erupts on their ship. The tale foreshadows the birth of their son and the dangers that await him. After the shipwreck, the story follows Tarzan's unusual growth among the apes, demonstrating both his difficulties and his emerging abilities as he adjusts to and thrives in the jungle. The adventure, how to survive, and instinctive behavior grabs the reader's attention, hinting at Tarzan's development and his personal search for identity in a world marked by the untamed and the civilized.