# XIV explained — Tarzan and the Ant Men

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

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_and_the_ant_men_se/chapters/xiv
- 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