Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Jungle Book, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Laws of Nature
Human and Animal Relationships
Loyalty
British Imperialism
Coming of Age
Summary
Analysis
When Mowgli was younger, before he left the Pack, he spent a lot of time with Baloo the bear. Baloo took it upon himself to teach Mowgli the Law of the Jungle. Baloo makes Mowgli memorize the various rules of life that dominate life in the jungle, including how one should and should not interact with the various animals. Although Mowgli tries his best to follow Baloo’s lessons, he often gets bored. When Baloo sees Mowgli is not paying attention, he hits him.
Punishment in the jungle is swift, harsh and usually involves physical violence. Baloo wants to ensure Mowgli knows the Law of the Jungle because it is the only thing that can keep him safe. However, Mowgli is not yet mature enough to realize the importance of the Law of the Jungle, so he doesn’t take Baloo’s advice as seriously as he ought to.
Themes
Literary Devices
Baloo’s sudden outburst upsets Mowgli, who flees. After Mowgli’s departure, Bagheera arrives and asks Baloo what is happening. Baloo explains that he is teaching Mowgli the Law of the Jungle, which requires him to be harsh. Otherwise, Baloo believes, Mowgli will not absorb his lessons, which are incredibly important for his survival.
Here, Kipling once again depicts the Law of the Jungle as essential for a community to thrive. Notably, the Law of the. Jungle does not ensure the safety of all animals; instead, it creates a hierarchical system where some lives are of higher value than others. All the animals except Shere Khan view Mowgli’s life as most valuable.
Themes
After Baloo’s conversation with Bagheera, Mowgli comes back, having taken some time to calm down. Mowgli correctly repeats everything Baloo taught him, including what to say to different animals in the jungle to ensure his safety. These sayings are known as the “Master Words.” Mowgli also tells Baloo that while he was away, he spoke to the monkey people, also known as the Bandar-log.
The phrase “Master Words” implies a sense of superiority, which Mowgli and Baloo feel like they have over the other animals of the jungle. Additionally, Mowgli’s ability to repeat the Master Words shows that Baloo’s harsh treatment of Mowgli was necessary to get the outcome he wanted.
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Literary Devices
Apparently, the Bandar-log saw Mowgli while he was upset and comforted him. The Bandar-log encouraged Mowgli and told him that, one day, he would become their leader. Baloo warns Mowgli not to trust the Bandar-log. They live away from the other animals and do not follow the Law of the Jungle. Also, they will lie and manipulate others to get what they want.
Like Shere Khan, the Bandar-log represent a threat to the established order because they do not follow the Law of the Jungle. In the story, Kipling depicts them as a negative force while portraying the Law of the Jungle as positive. Kipling is once again signaling his approval of the existing social order. In this way, one can read the story as yet another defense of the British Imperial order.
Themes
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After their initial meeting with Mowgli, the Bandar-log start following Mowgli around. They see that he knows how to construct small wooden objects with his hands—an ability they wish to possess. Because of Mowgli’s skills, the Bandar-log decide to make him their leader whether he wants to be or not. One evening, while Mowgli is sleeping, the Bandar-log swing down from the trees and kidnap him. Then, they swing back to their home, which is far away from the other animals, as fast as they can.
One should compare this section to Mowgli’s introduction to the Pack in “Mowgli’s Brothers.” The Pack took Mowgli in because he wanted to join; it was a two-way consensual agreement. Meanwhile, the Bandar-log use deception and force to get what they want, giving Mowgli no choice in the matter.
Themes
Literary Devices
As the Bandar-log swing through the trees, Mowgli calls out to a bird named Rann, and asks him to send Baloo and Bagheera for help. He does not trust the Bandar-log and worries they will drop him as they maneuver through the jungle. As the Bandar-log take Mowgli back to their home, Rann seeks out Baloo and Bagheera and tells them what happened. Upon hearing the news, Baloo gets upset and fears for Mowgli’s safety. However, Bagheera calms Baloo down by reminding him that he taught Mowgli everything he needs to know to survive.
Many minor characters throughout the Mowgli stories, such as Rann and Tabaqui, exist to illustrate how well the jungle functions when everyone follows its rules. No matter how fast the Bandar-log flee with Mowgli, it will be difficult for them to prevail given Mowgli’s extensive support system.
Themes
Bagheera and Baloo decide to seek out Kaa, the python, because he often eats the Bandar-log and would know where to find them. When Bagheera and Baloo find Kaa, they lie to him and say the Bandar-log have been insulting them. They correctly presume that these fake insults will make Kaa angry and agree to help them.
Bagheera and Baloo know Kaa will believe them because the Bandar-log have no respect for the natural hierarchies in the jungle. Kaa is angry because the Bandar-log are lower than him on the jungle hierarchy, but they are acting like they are above him (or at least he thinks they are).
Themes
After Baloo and Bagheera tell Kaa about Mowgli, Rann arrives and tells them where the Bandar-log took him. According to Rann, the Bandar-log took Mowgli to the Cold Lairs, where they live. The Cold Lairs are a set of ancient ruins that humans inhabited long ago. Now, only the Bandar-log are willing to live there. The Bandar-log do not understand how the ruins came into being, and they do not care. They simply use them to meet their needs.
The ancient ruins the Bandar-log live in indicate their distance from modernity. Even the physical spaces they inhabit are out of sync with the current order of things. Unlike the other animals in the jungle, the Bandar-log do not care about their home; it is merely a tool they will throw away as soon as they find a better one.
Themes
Meanwhile, Mowgli watches as the Bandar-log go about their daily tasks. Although they are supposed to be securing food, the Bandar-log spend most of the time bragging about themselves. Quickly, Mowgli grows annoyed with the Bandar-log; he thinks they are useless and vain. As he waits for his friends to come and rescue him, he wonders whether he could escape the Bandar-log on his own.
Here, the Bandar-log exhibit exceptionally individualistic and vain behavior. They are the opposite of the animals who follow the Law of the Jungle, which encourages adherence to a standard code of conduct to benefit the collective jungle.
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Literary Devices
Bagheera and Kaa arrive at the Cold Lairs before Baloo because they are faster. However, Baloo shows up shortly after, prepared to fight to the death to save Mowgli. When the Bandar-log see them, they get ready to attack. One of the Bandar-log takes Mowgli and throws him into an abandoned building full of cobras. As quickly as he can, Mowgli says the Master Words Baloo taught him so that the cobras do not attack him.
The Bandar-log do not care about one another at all; meanwhile, Baloo and Bagheera are fiercely loyal to Mowgli and willing to die for him. Loyalty is a trait Kipling consistently values and rewards throughout The Jungle Book. Additionally, Kipling justifies Baloo’s treatment of Mowgli at the beginning of the story in this section, as Mowgli manages to escape now that he knows the Master Words.
Themes
Bagheera, Baloo, and Kaa split up to take on the Bandar-log. Bagheera quickly gets overwhelmed and has to seek cover in a tank of water. Meanwhile, Baloo aggressively takes on every Bandar-log he can find and punches them. Although the Bandar-log do not fear Baloo and Bagheera, they are terrified when they see Kaa. Kaa’s presence scares the Bandar-log away.
Bagheera and Baloo fight fiercely in defense of Mowgli, while Kaa defends his honor. Though the Bandar-log put up a good fight, they are no match for the other animals who are better coordinated, working together to achieve a common goal rather than working separately to benefit only themselves.
Themes
After the fight is over, Kaa finds Mowgli in the building with the cobras and rescues him. When Kaa sees Mowgli, he comments that he looks scrumptious and that he might eat him one day. In response, Mowgli thanks Kaa and promises to send goats to him that he can eat instead. Because Mowgli stirred Kaa’s appetite, Kaa performs a hypnotic dance, which captivates the Bandar-log, who are still in the area. Once Kaa hypnotizes the Bandar-log, he leads them away and prepares to feast on them.
Again, the upholders of the current order get rewarded, while those who go against the Law of the Jungle are punished. Although Kaa wants to eat Mowgli, he does not. Unlike the Bandar-log, he goes against his base instincts and is rewarded for his restraint. Meanwhile, the Bandar-log are punished, becoming a meal for Kaa.
Themes
Baloo and Bagheera reunite with Mowgli and are pleased to see that he is safe. Unfortunately, according to the Law of the Jungle, they must punish Mowgli for his actions. For his poor behavior, Mowgli receives six hits from Bagheera. Bagheera does his best to be gentle, but he knows that his hits cause Mowgli immense pain. After Mowgli’s punishment is over, everyone travels back to their homes. Mowgli rides home on Bagheera’s back and falls asleep on the way there. Bagheera does not mind and carries Mowgli all the way to the wolf cave.
These events are another significant step in Mowgli’s coming-of-age journey. Although he disobeyed the Law of the Jungle and Bagheera had to punish him, he learned a valuable lesson, which will contribute to his maturation. Although Bagheera punishes Mowgli, he is not angry with him. His anger isn’t personal—he simply knows he must uphold the Law of the Jungle, even if someone he loves breaks its rules.
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