Since Edgar Rice Burroughs first published Tarzan of the Apes in 1912, the story has been retold and adapted many times in a variety of media. After such success, Burroughs claimed that this book launched him from impoverished husband and father to wealthy, famous writer without any experience or training. However, Burroughs’s biography tells a different story: he actually grew up in a well-to-do family and drew from knowledge of classic literature while writing his most renowned tale.
This work examines the first two Tarzan novels, Tarzan of the Apes and The Return of Tarzan, as coming-of-age stories in which the jungle orphan is finally recognized and accepts his role as the British nobleman Lord Greystoke. This book identifies the literary influences of the Tarzan books—ranging from classical mythology to Kipling’s The Jungle Book—and examines each novel and nine subsequent adaptations, exploring the themes, symbolic landscapes and continuing relevance of Tarzan.
