Tarzan of the Apes · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to Emma Hulbert Burroughs.
Chapter 2
Tarzan of the Apes
The chapter introduces the infant Tarzan, born to Lord and Lady Greystoke on a remote African coast after a mutiny. Following the death of his parents, the infant is adopted by the ape Kala, who raises him among the mangani apes. Tarzan grows up in the jungle, learning the ways of the wild and discovering his human heritage through his parents' cabin and books.
Chapter 3
Out to Sea
John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, and his wife Lady Alice sail from Freetown aboard the Fuwalda, a brutal ship with a vicious captain and crew. After Clayton intervenes to stop the captain from killing a sailor, tensions escalate. The captain's hostility grows, and the Claytons discover their revolvers have been stolen. A warning note is slipped under their door, and a sailor warns Clayton that mutiny and murder are imminent. The Claytons decide to remain neutral and await events.
Chapter 4
The Savage Home
John and Lady Alice Clayton are forced ashore by Black Michael and his mutinous crew on a wild, uninhabited coast. They build a tree-platform shelter for protection against the jungle's dangers, including a panther that stalks them at night. As they settle in, Lady Alice spots a mysterious, man-like figure in the shadows, heightening their sense of fear and isolation.
Chapter 5
III: Life and Death
John Clayton builds a cabin for his family, adapting to jungle life while facing loneliness and danger. Lady Alice, traumatized by an ape attack, gives birth to a son but never fully recovers her mental faculties. She dies a year later, leaving Clayton alone with their infant son, whose cries for nourishment underscore the tragedy.
Chapter 6
IV: The Apes
Kerchak, the king ape, flies into a rage and kills several members of his tribe, including Kala's infant. When the tribe approaches the cabin of John and Alice Clayton, Kerchak kills John Clayton. Kala, driven by maternal instinct, snatches the living human baby and adopts him, leaving her dead infant in the cradle. The apes then return to the forest with Kala fiercely protecting her new charge.
Chapter 7
V: The White Ape
Tarzan, now a young boy, becomes acutely aware of his physical differences from the apes, feeling shame at his hairless skin and human features. He discovers his reflection in a lake and is horrified by his own appearance. The chapter also details his early life with Kala, his slow development, his growing strength and agility, and his invention of rope-making and nooses, which he uses to torment Tublat. A pivotal moment occurs when Sabor the lioness attacks, and Tarzan's quick thinking saves him while his ape companion is killed.
Chapter 8
VI: Jungle Battles
Tarzan discovers the cabin door and enters, finding skeletons and a hunting knife. He later battles a great bull gorilla, sustaining severe wounds, and is rescued and nursed back to health by Kala.
Chapter 9
VII: The Light of Knowledge
Tarzan continues his self-education using bark and leaves as copybooks, while also honing his hunting skills. The ape tribe has grown under Kerchak's leadership, and Tarzan, now about thirteen, faces persistent persecution from Tublat. During a Dum-Dum ceremony celebrating the killing of a giant ape from another tribe, Tarzan kills Tublat after the bull attacks Kala, establishing his dominance and demanding respect from the tribe, including Kerchak.
Chapter 10
VIII: The Treetop Hunter
Tarzan devises a plan to hunt and kill Sabor the lioness using a rope noose, learning from past failures. The chapter also describes a violent tropical storm and Tarzan's reflections on clothing as a symbol of human superiority.
Chapter 11
Man and Man
Tarzan grieves the death of Kala, killed by a black warrior, and tracks the murderer Kulonga. He observes Kulonga hunt a boar, then follows him to his village, where he kills him with his rope and knife, avenging Kala. Tarzan examines Kulonga's body, takes his knife and ornaments, but hesitates to eat him due to an innate human instinct against cannibalism.
Chapter 12
X: The Fear-Phantom
Tarzan observes the village of Mbonga from the trees, learning about the poisoned arrows used by the natives. He steals a supply of arrows and explores a hut, leaving a mocking display. The discovery of Kulonga's body and the theft terrifies the villagers, who attribute it to supernatural forces. Tarzan returns to the jungle.
Chapter 13
XI: King of the Apes
Tarzan returns to the tribe, boasting of his adventures and spoils, but Kerchak is jealous. He practices archery and discovers his father's diary and photograph in a metal box, though he cannot read the French script. He returns to the black village to steal arrows, witnesses the brutal torture of a captive, and throws a skull to frighten the villagers. Later, he encounters Sabor the lioness and shoots her with an arrow.
Chapter 14
XII: Man's Reason
Tarzan struggles with the duties of kingship among the apes, finding that his intelligence and human reason set him apart from his tribe. He faces the growing hostility of Terkoz, who challenges his authority. After Terkoz brutally beats an old female, Tarzan attacks him in a fierce battle. Using his superior reason, Tarzan gains a decisive hold (the half nelson) but loses his knife, leaving the outcome uncertain.
Chapter 15
His Own Kind
Tarzan, recovering from his battle with Terkoz, returns to his cabin to find it ransacked by white sailors. He witnesses them murder one of their own and decides they are no better than the apes or black men. He then goes to Mbonga's village, kills a black warrior, and takes his breechcloth. The villagers, terrified, believe he is a jungle god and leave offerings for him.
Chapter 16
At the Mercy of the Jungle
After Clayton ventures into the jungle, the mutineers flee to the Arrow, leaving Jane and Esmeralda barricaded in the cabin. Tarzan observes the party, feels a connection to the white girl, and follows Clayton into the jungle. He saves Clayton first from Sheeta the leopard and then from Numa the lion, killing the lion with his knife. Tarzan leads the bewildered Clayton back toward the beach, while Jane and Esmeralda wait in terror, hearing the sounds of the jungle and a single gunshot.
Chapter 17
XV: The Forest God
Tarzan carries Clayton through the jungle to reach the cabin, where Sabor is attacking Jane and Esmeralda. Tarzan and Clayton pull the lioness from the window, and Tarzan kills Sabor with his bare hands. Jane and Clayton are saved, and Esmeralda revives. Clayton reflects on Tarzan's heroism and mystery.
Chapter 18
Most Remarkable
Professor Porter and Mr. Philander, lost on the beach, argue about history and the Moors until a lion approaches. They flee in terror, and Tarzan rescues them by pulling them into a tree. Afterward, the group discusses the strange 'angel' who saved them, with Clayton and Jane Porter reflecting on Tarzan's raw, unangelic nature.
Chapter 19
Burials
Tarzan observes the mutineers burying a treasure chest and killing Snipes. Later, he watches the cabin's inhabitants bury the remains of his parents. He steals Jane's manuscript and witnesses the Arrow's departure, followed by its return upon sighting smoke on the horizon.
Chapter 20
XVIII: The Jungle Toll
Tarzan awakens and rereads Jane Porter's letter, struggling to decipher the handwriting but eventually succeeding. He learns about the party's background, their perilous journey, and their fear of the mysterious 'Tarzan of the Apes.' Determined to provide for them, he leaves game at the cabin daily. After writing a love note to Jane, he hears a woman's scream and dashes into the jungle, leaving the note behind. Clayton, Professor Porter, and Mr. Philander find Esmeralda unconscious, and she revives to describe a terrifying encounter with a 'great, hairy giant,' revealing that Jane has been taken by an ape.
Chapter 21
XIX: The Call of the Primitive
Terkoz is driven from the ape tribe and wanders the jungle, where he captures Jane Porter. Tarzan tracks them, fights and kills Terkoz, then claims Jane with a kiss. Jane initially responds but then repulses him, and Tarzan carries her into the jungle. Meanwhile, a French cruiser and the Arrow arrive offshore, and Clayton signals them with a smoke pyre.
Chapter 22
XX: Heredity
Tarzan carries Jane through the jungle to the ape amphitheater, where he provides her with fruit and builds a bower for her. Jane feels a growing sense of trust and love for Tarzan, despite his savage nature. Tarzan, influenced by his hereditary instincts, acts with chivalry and gives Jane his mother's locket. He guards her through the night, and Jane awakens feeling safe and grateful.
Chapter 23
The Village of Torture
Lieutenant D'Arnot is captured by black warriors from Mbonga's village while leading a search party for Jane Porter. He is taken to the village and subjected to a brutal torture ritual at the stake. Tarzan, having heard the distant gunfire and with Jane's kisses still on his lips, swings through the jungle to the village. He arrives just in time to rescue D'Arnot by using his rope to snatch a warrior away, then cutting D'Arnot free and carrying him to safety.
Chapter 24
XXII: The Search Party
The search party returns to the beach camp, reuniting Jane with her father and Clayton. Jane anxiously inquires about the forest man who rescued her, leading to a tense exchange with Clayton, who dismisses the man as a savage. Later, Jane grapples with her feelings for the ape-man and Clayton, finding a love note from Tarzan. Clayton apologizes for his insinuations, but Jane's emotions remain conflicted.
Chapter 25
Brother Men
Tarzan nurses D'Arnot back to health after his fever, teaching him to speak French in the process. When they return to the cabin, they find it deserted—Jane and the others have sailed away, leaving only letters. Tarzan, heartbroken, abandons D'Arnot and flees into the jungle, but later wrestles with his conscience and returns to protect his fellow man.
Chapter 26
Lost Treasure
The expedition debates whether to leave the jungle after failing to rescue D'Arnot. Jane Porter passionately defends the forest man, arguing that his continued absence proves he is still aiding D'Arnot. Despite the loss of the treasure chest, Jane insists on waiting for him, leaving supplies and a message in the cabin. She privately confesses her love for him, even as doubts about his origins creep in.
Chapter 27
The Outpost of the World
D'Arnot reads John Clayton's diary to Tarzan, revealing the story of Lord and Lady Greystoke. Tarzan doubts he is the child mentioned, believing the infant died. They encounter a French mission, where Tarzan learns civilized behavior. D'Arnot convinces Tarzan to postpone retrieving the treasure chest and continue toward civilization.
Chapter 28
The Height of Civilization
Tarzan and D'Arnot arrive at a coastal town, where Tarzan begins to adapt to civilized life. He demonstrates his extraordinary abilities by killing a lion with only a knife and rope to win a wager, and later retrieves the treasure from the ape amphitheater. The chapter ends with their departure for France.
Chapter 29
The Giant Again
Tarzan rescues Jane from a fire and they reunite, discussing their feelings and the obstacles to their union, including Jane's promise to marry Robert Canler due to her father's debt. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Canler pressures Professor Porter to hasten Jane's marriage to him, unaware of Tarzan's return.
Chapter 30
Conclusion
In the final chapter, Tarzan rescues Jane and the party from the forest fire and brings them to a hotel. Robert Canler arrives with a preacher to force Jane into marriage, but Tarzan violently intervenes, forcing Canler to release her from her promise. Tarzan then reveals he has recovered Professor Porter's lost treasure, providing a letter of credit for $241,000. Clayton proposes to Jane, and she accepts. Later, Tarzan confesses his love to Jane, but she insists she must honor her promise to Clayton. A cablegram from D'Arnot arrives, revealing that Tarzan's fingerprints prove he is the true Lord Greystoke. Tarzan chooses not to reveal his identity, allowing Clayton to keep the title and Jane.
