# III explained — Tarzan and the Ant Men

> Chapter companion for Tarzan and the Ant Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

Tarzan regains consciousness in a stone chamber surrounded by Alali young, who examine him and take his locket. He explores the courtyard and observes the Alali's primitive, silent sign language. As darkness falls, the Alali become restless, and Tarzan plans his escape. The First Woman's children threaten him, but the eldest Alalus boy defends him. The Third Woman arrives, and Tarzan flees with the boy, escaping the corral and pursued by Alali women throwing stones.

## Themes in this chapter

### Survival and Adaptation

Tarzan uses his jungle instincts to plan escape, flee, and adapt to the Alali's primitive environment.

### Power and Hierarchy

The Alali women dominate the males; The Third Woman asserts authority over The First Woman's offspring.

### Civilization vs. Primitivism

Tarzan's civilized veneer is stripped away as he reverts to jungle survival tactics among the primitive Alali.

## Character check-ins

### Tarzan

Regains consciousness after falling through the forest roof; explores the Alali courtyard; plans escape; flees with the Alalus boy.

### The First Woman

Had captured Tarzan and brought him to the amphitheater; her corral contains her offspring.

### The Third Woman

Adult Alalus female who enters the corral of The First Woman; confronts the children and later pursues Tarzan.

### The Young Alali

The Alali children in the corral; they examine Tarzan, take his locket, and later some threaten him.

### The Alalus

The eldest Alalus boy who defends Tarzan and flees with him.

## Key lines

> To the jungle-born flight from useless and uneven combat carries with it no stigma of cowardice, and not only was Tarzan of the Apes jungle born and jungle raised, but the stripping of his clothes from him had now, as always before, stripped also away the thin and unnatural veneer of his civilization.

For someone raised in the jungle, retreating from a hopeless fight is not shameful; Tarzan's loss of clothing also stripped away his civilized manners, revealing his primal nature.

_Highlights Tarzan's reversion to primal instincts and the theme of civilization vs. primitivism._

> Slow is the mind of man, slower his eye by comparison with the eye and the mind of the trapped beast seeking escape.

A human's thoughts and vision are sluggish compared to the quick instincts of a cornered animal looking for a way out.

_Emphasizes Tarzan's animal-like speed and cunning in escaping the Alali._

> Instinct warned the women against killing the males, though it did not warn them against treating them with the utmost brutality.

The Alali women's instincts prevented them from killing males, but they still treated them with extreme harshness.

_Reflects the power hierarchy and survival dynamics among the Alali._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_ant_men_se/chapters/iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_ant_men_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_ant_men_se/chapters