Tarzan and the Ant Men · Chapter
XIV explained
The Alali women attack the men in the forest, but the son of The First Woman, inspired by Tarzan, leads the men to victory, capturing a female to cook for him.
What happens
The Alali women attack the men in the forest, but the son of The First Woman, inspired by Tarzan, leads the men to victory, capturing a female to cook for him. Meanwhile, Tarzan is brought before King Elkomoelhago and Prince Zoanthrohago, who discuss experiments to alter human stature, with Zoanthrohago seeking a seat on the royal council.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Hierarchy
The Alali women's authority is challenged and overthrown by the men, while in Veltopismakus, Zoanthrohago maneuvers for political power within the royal council.
Survival and Adaptation
The Alali men adapt to new weapons and tactics taught by Tarzan, improving their survival and diet; Zoanthrohago's experiments aim to adapt warriors for battle.
Deception and Manipulation
Zoanthrohago manipulates King Elkomoelhago to gain a council seat, while the king fears and hates Zoanthrohago but relies on his inventions.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Present in the laboratory, observed by Zoanthrohago and Elkomoelhago during their discussion of growth experiments.
- The First Woman
Her son leads the male Alali in battle against the women, capturing a female.
- Zoanthrohago
Discusses his experiments on reducing and increasing stature with King Elkomoelhago, and negotiates a position on the royal council.
- Elkomoelhago
King of Veltopismakus, meets with Zoanthrohago to discuss the experiments and reluctantly agrees to appoint Zoanthrohago as a councilor.
- The Zertalacolols
The Alali men and women; the men, led by the son of The First Woman, defeat the women and capture one.
- Zuanthrol
Mentioned as the slave whose stature was reduced by Zoanthrohago to one quarter its original proportions.
Key passages
“The Alali women, fifty strong, sallied forth into the forest to chastise their recalcitrant males.”
Fifty Alali women went into the forest to punish their disobedient men.
Describes the women's punitive expedition against the men.
“It was then that the son of The First Woman revealed possession of a spark of generalship that decided the issue for that day, and, perhaps, for all time.”
The son of The First Woman showed a flash of tactical brilliance that determined the outcome of the battle and possibly the future.
Highlights the son's strategic leadership in turning the tide against the women.
“I am going to keep her. I do not like to cook. She shall cook for me.”
He intends to keep the woman to cook for him, as he dislikes cooking.
The son of The First Woman explains his plan to keep a captured woman as a cook.
“Here, there lies, as you know, a small, oval, reddish gray body containing a liquid which influences the growth of tissues and organs.”
Zoanthrohago points to a small gland at the base of the skull that contains fluid regulating tissue and organ growth.
Zoanthrohago describes the gland at the base of the skull that affects growth.