Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar · Chapter
The Escape from Opar explained
Tarzan, suffering from amnesia, rescues Werper from La's sacrificial altar in Opar.
What happens
Tarzan, suffering from amnesia, rescues Werper from La's sacrificial altar in Opar. La recognizes Tarzan and professes her love, but Tarzan rejects her. After cutting Werper's bonds, they fight their way out of the temple, using La's sacrificial knife to ward off the priests. They escape the city, with Tarzan reverting to primal behavior, eating insects and rodents. Werper, seeing Tarzan's jewels, plots to exploit the ape-man's memory loss for his own gain.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Duality
Tarzan's amnesia highlights his dual nature as both civilized man and primal beast, struggling to reconcile his past with his present animalistic state.
Love and Obsession
La's obsessive love for Tarzan drives her to attempt to keep him in Opar, even threatening death when rejected.
Greed and Betrayal
Werper's avarice leads him to betray Tarzan by concealing his identity and plotting to use him for ransom, motivated by the sight of the jewels.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Suffering from amnesia, Tarzan behaves like a wild beast, speaking in the language of the great apes and eating raw insects. He rescues Werper but shows no recognition of his past.
- Albert Werper
Astounded by Tarzan's transformation, Werper decides to exploit Tarzan's amnesia for personal gain, leading him toward the Greystoke bungalow.
- La
The High Priestess of Opar, La recognizes Tarzan and declares her love, but is rejected. She summons the priests to attack, but Tarzan and Werper escape.
Key passages
“Could this creature be the same dignified Englishman who had entertained him so graciously in his luxurious African home?”
Werper is shocked by the contrast between the civilized Tarzan he knew and the wild, amnesiac beast before him.
Highlights Tarzan's regression and Werper's realization of the extent of his memory loss.
“Tarzan does not desire you.”
Tarzan flatly rejects La's romantic advances, prioritizing escape over her offers of power and love.
Demonstrates Tarzan's lack of emotional attachment and his primal focus on freedom.
“The priests feared the sacrificial knife!”
Werper realizes the Oparians are superstitiously afraid of La's knife, which allows them to escape despite being outnumbered.
Key tactical observation that enables their flight from the temple.