The Son of Tarzan

What It's About

Jack, the young son of Lord and Lady Greystoke, has inherited his father's restless love of the wild. Kidnapped as a boy by a vengeful Russian, Alexis Paulvitch, he escapes into the African jungle, where he is adopted by the great ape Akut and takes the name Korak, "the killer." He grows up fast and fierce, and his path crosses that of Meriem, a young girl held captive by the Arab chieftain Ibn Jad. Their friendship, and the enemies who pursue them, drive the rest of the story, with Tarzan and Jane appearing as the family tries to find its way back together. Fast-moving and episodic, it is a classic early twentieth-century jungle adventure.

Key Concepts

The novel asks whether character is inherited or shaped by upbringing, as the boy's refined English parentage meets a jungle education. It also explores loyalty and found family, through his bond with Akut and his protection of Meriem. Readers should be aware that, like much adventure fiction of its time, it reflects colonial-era attitudes and contains racial stereotyping in its portrayal of Africa and its peoples, which modern readers often find dated or offensive.

About the Author

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American writer born in Chicago. He came to writing in his mid-thirties after a series of unsuccessful jobs, and went on to become one of the most commercially successful pulp fiction authors of the twentieth century, helping to define popular adventure storytelling.