Tarzan the Terrible · Chapter
Home explained
After the fall of Lu-don and Mo-sar, Ja-don is proclaimed king of Pal-ul-don.
What happens
After the fall of Lu-don and Mo-sar, Ja-don is proclaimed king of Pal-ul-don. Tarzan advises reforming the temples by removing the priests and placing women in charge to administer them with kindness. A feast unites the Ho-don and Waz-don in peace. Ta-den marries O-lo-a, and Om-at marries Pan-at-lee. After a week, Tarzan, Jane, and Korak depart, traveling through Kor-ul-ja and across the great morass on the back of a gryf. They bid farewell to their friends and head north toward home.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Corruption
The priests' corruption is exposed and their power dismantled; Tarzan advocates for a kinder, female-led temple system.
Love and Loyalty
The weddings of Ta-den and O-lo-a, and Om-at and Pan-at-lee, celebrate loyalty and union; the farewells underscore deep bonds.
Civilization vs. Primitivism
Tarzan's reforms bring a 'civilized' moral order to Pal-ul-don, yet the departure on a gryf highlights the primitive, untamed nature of the land.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Advises Ja-don on temple reform, invokes blessings, and leads the journey home, riding a gryf across the morass.
- Jane Clayton
Travels with Tarzan and Korak, investigates the ancient caves of the Kor-ul-ja, and rides the gryf out of Pal-ul-don.
- Ja-don
Proclaimed king of Pal-ul-don after the defeat of Lu-don and Mo-sar, and hosts Tarzan's family before their departure.
- Om-at
Marries Pan-at-lee and seals a pact of friendship between the Waz-don and Ho-don.
- Pan-at-lee
Brought from Ja-lur and married to Om-at in the great throneroom.
- Ta-den
Marries O-lo-a and leads a contingent of Ho-don warriors escorting Tarzan's party.
Key passages
“Take then the temples from the men and give them instead to the women that they may be administered in kindness and charity and love.”
Tarzan proposes that women should run the temples, replacing the cruel male priests with a system based on kindness and charity.
Tarzan's key reform to the religious structure of Pal-ul-don.
“And then they turned once more toward the north and with light hearts and brave hearts took up their long journey toward the land that is best of all—home.”
The group faces north and begins their journey home, feeling hopeful and courageous.
Closing line emphasizing the theme of homecoming.