# In the German Lines explained — Tarzan the Untamed > Chapter companion for Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs. ## What happens Tarzan, still driven by revenge for his wife's death, struggles with his renunciation of humanity as he finds himself unable to ignore the plight of the British fighting Germans in Africa. He decides to aid the British, first checking on the German officer Schneider he left trapped with a starving lion, then killing a hyena and feeding the lion. After scouting the German lines, he meets British Colonel Capell and offers his unique jungle skills to help, revealing hidden machine gun emplacements and proposing a plan to clear a trench using his knowledge of the jungle and its inhabitants. ## Themes in this chapter ### Revenge and Justice Tarzan's initial motivation is revenge against Germans for his wife's death, but he shifts toward aiding the British, blending personal vengeance with a broader sense of justice. ### Survival and Adaptation Tarzan's jungle skills allow him to survive and thrive, killing a hyena, feeding a lion, and moving unseen through enemy lines, contrasting with the struggles of civilized soldiers. ### Loyalty and Betrayal Tarzan's internal conflict between his renunciation of humanity and his loyalty to the English cause, ultimately choosing to help the British despite his desire to be an ape. ## Character check-ins ### Tarzan Struggles with his identity as an Englishman versus an ape, decides to help the British, kills a hyena and feeds a starving lion, scouts German lines, and offers his services to Colonel Capell. ### Hauptmann Fritz Schneider Previously trapped by Tarzan in a gulch with a starving lion; Tarzan finds the tree empty and the lion emaciated, suggesting Schneider may have fallen. ### Numa The lion Tarzan trapped; found gaunt and starving, fed by Tarzan with the carcasses of a deer and a hyena. ### Dango A hyena that attempts to steal Tarzan's kill; Tarzan kills it with a spear and feeds it to Numa. ### Bara A deer killed by Tarzan for food; its carcass is later used to feed the starving lion. ### Colonel Capell British commanding officer who meets Tarzan and initially doubts his ability to infiltrate German lines, but accepts his help after Tarzan demonstrates his knowledge. ## Key lines > Tarzan was not yet fully revenged. There were many millions of Germans yet alive⁠—enough to keep Tarzan pleasantly occupied the balance of his life, and yet not enough, should he kill them all, to recompense him for the great loss he had suffered⁠—nor could the death of all those million Germans bring back his loved one. Tarzan's thirst for revenge remains unquenched, as no number of German deaths could compensate for the loss of his wife. _Highlights Tarzan's deep grief and the futility of his revenge-driven mission._ > The thought made him lower his head and growl and it worried him not a little⁠—a bit, perhaps, because he was finding it difficult to forget that he was an Englishman when he wanted only to be an ape. Tarzan is troubled by his lingering sense of English identity, which conflicts with his desire to live as an ape. _Illustrates Tarzan's internal struggle between his human past and his adopted jungle identity._ > I can empty that section of trench without a shot. I was raised in the jungle⁠—I know the jungle folk⁠—the Gomangani as well as the others. Tarzan claims he can clear a German trench silently using his knowledge of jungle creatures and natives. _Demonstrates Tarzan's unique abilities and his confidence in unconventional warfare._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_the_untamed_se/chapters/iii-in-the-german-lines - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_the_untamed_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tarzan_the_untamed_se/chapters