Tarzan and the Ant Men · Chapter
VIII explained
Tarzan is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Veltopismakusian cavalry, who swarm over him and render him unconscious.
What happens
Tarzan is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Veltopismakusian cavalry, who swarm over him and render him unconscious. Meanwhile, Uhha plots revenge against Esteban Miranda, steals his bag of pebbles and his knife, and escapes into the jungle at night, heading toward her home village. She is stalked by Numa the lion.
Themes in this chapter
Scale and Perspective
Tarzan, despite his size and strength, is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the tiny Minunian warriors, illustrating how scale can invert power.
Survival and Adaptation
Uhha adapts to her situation, planning escape and revenge, and navigates the dangerous jungle alone at night.
Deception and Manipulation
Uhha deceives Esteban Miranda, feigning sleep while plotting her theft and escape, and Miranda's earlier impersonation of Tarzan is recalled.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Overwhelmed by the Veltopismakusian cavalry, he is knocked down and buried under warriors and diadets, losing consciousness.
- Komodoflorensal
Attempts to persuade Tarzan to retreat, but fails; he then turns to command his troops as the enemy advances.
- Uhha
Lies in a thorn shelter, plotting revenge against Esteban Miranda. She steals his bag of pebbles and knife, then escapes into the jungle at night.
- Esteban Miranda
Squats by a fire, gloating over the contents of his bag of pebbles. He is tricked by Uhha, who steals from him while he sleeps.
- Numa
Stalks Uhha through the jungle night, hesitating to spring but following her closely.
Key passages
“He smiled grimly as he realized that in these little people, scarce one-fourth his size, he, the incomparable Tarzan, the Lord of the Jungle, had met his Wellington.”
Tarzan grimly acknowledged that these tiny warriors, only a quarter his size, had finally defeated him.
Tarzan compares the Minunian cavalry to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, acknowledging his own overwhelming.
“Uhha, daughter of Khamis the witch doctor of the tribe of Obebe the cannibal, lay huddled upon a little pile of grasses in a rude thorn shelter in an open jungle.”
Uhha, the daughter of the witch doctor Khamis from Obebe's cannibal tribe, was curled up on a grass pile in a simple thorn shelter.
Introduces Uhha's background and her current situation.
“With the loss of her respect for him she lost, also, nearly all her fear.”
Once she stopped respecting him, she also stopped being afraid of him.
Uhha's realization that Esteban Miranda is not the River Devil or Tarzan diminishes her fear.