“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are a collection of stories set in India, where most characters are animals. Within these stories, one of the most recognizable is the story of the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. 

For the most part, I found these stories interesting, however, I was not very interested in them. I cannot pinpoint why I was not interested, but, alas, I was not very interested. Therefore, I cannot give a more detailed review. 

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was a British journalist, short-story writer, poet, and author. He was born in India, which enlightened many of his works.

Kipling's works of fiction contain "The Jungle Book" (1894), "Kim" (1901), and many short tales, including "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888). His poems include "Mandalay" (1890), "Gunga Din" (1890), "The Gods of the Copybook Headings" (1919), "The White Man's Burden: The United States and the Philippine Islands" (1899), and "If—" (1910). He is seen as an innovator in the art of the short story. His children's books are classics; one critic noted "a versatile and luminous narrative gift.

"The Jungle Book" offers Kipling's writing for children at its best. It is a compilation of short stories and poems revolving around the boy Mowgli, raised by a pack of wolves in India. We meet the tiger Shere Khan who attacked and drove off Mowgli's parent, Bagheera, the black panther, Baloo, 'the sleepy brown bear', and the evil python, Kaa. Other tales include Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The White Seal and Toomai of the Elephants

Family and loyalty to family are motifs throughout the stories. From the point Mowgli walks into Mother and Father Wolf's cave, they adopt him as their own, with Mother Wolf favouring his brothers on many occasions. The importance of the pack is always emphasised, and there is an order that ensures decisions are created as a family. Per of the animals lives in their own family, and whatever the animal, when they get matched and raise cubs of their own, they are allowed to leave their pack or group. Loyalty to home is also paramount; at Mowgli's looking over, Raksha prepares herself to battle until the demise for him. Mowgli reveals his commitment to Akela, his pack's leader and Lone Wolf, by departing the jungle to save him and later by supporting him and the entire collection from the red dogs. The author continues the theme of family devotion when Mowgli yields to Man and discovers his pseudo-mother, whom he values profoundly and desires to guard above all else.

Jungle Law is essential, and every animal has to learn it because it is life-saving. Laws of the jungle keep personal safety and maintain the future of the jungle and each species within it. Law is practised democratically with a committee and vote system. When a rule is broken, measures must be taken to make the violator liable and dole out a vital penalty. Some regulations and laws related to self-protection, and the greater good, see everyone working together to ensure a future for the jungle. This is evident during the Water Truce when many species work together to drive Man out of the village.

Most of the personalities in "The Jungle Book" are fearless and display their bravery through their readiness to defend, fight, or embark on an arduous quest. Mowgli often shows courage in battle, slaying Shere Khan, battling the red dogs, and standing up to the villagers. Kaa is too brave when saving Mowgli from the monkeys; Baloo and Bagheera are courageous here. In the different stories, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi maintains immense bravery by protecting his human family from the ferocious cobras, attacking one with excellent skill in the restroom, and evaporating into a hole with the moment. Little Toomai shores up his boldness to watch the elephants dance. Kotuku ventures out into the foreboding outdoors to save his people from famine. Kotick journeys for miles and miles from finding a safe island.

 

Kipling's evocation of English imperial and colonial endeavours in India is more implicit than explicit, but it is undoubtedly there. Samples of how vital this historical context was for the story of his tales can be seen in:

These are solely a few specific examples, but overall, Kipling depicts a world that the coloniser makes organised.

Kipling is a big believer in the hierarchy, as were most Englishmen at the turn of the century. Britain was putatively the most affluent country globally regarding political influence, reach of empire, economy, and culture. Her colonisation of India and African countries solidified this but had to be justified by various theories. The English and other Western countries saw themselves as racially, culturally, and evolutionarily superior to the "savages" they colonised. They were neat to enforce this hierarchy with rules and were forced to maintain their power in the occupied territories.

 I have finally managed to read this classic children's book. I enjoyed it much better than all the movie adaptations, but sadly, this story did not catch me as I hoped it would. However, I think you should have read it at least once in your life.

I was pleasantly surprised by this classic - the adventures are fast-paced and it was easy to get into the rhythm of the language, despite the different time it was written in. I tried to view it as much as possible without the lens of modern thinking overlaid, but some of the British colonial ways of talking about the people and cultures of India and Afghanistan sit awkwardly, even though I’d hesitate to call them overtly racist. If anything, I’d say India and the way of life is depicted as exotic and fascinating from a perspective of someone who sees himself as superior, which is, of course, not ok but also not unexpected from an author living in British colonial India during the period. Still, this is a minor aspect of the book as it mostly focuses on anthropomorphic animals and their affairs and only a little on people. I was surprised, given the Disney film I remember, that the Mowgli part of the book was only about half of it. The other stories were also engaging and I particularly liked The White Seal.