Nation in the Jungle: Toomai of the Elephants - Essay Example

Summary of the Essay: Nation in the Jungle: ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ as a story and a chapter is an essay that looks into the relation between an individual story and the general theme and meaning of the novel in which it is a chapter as well. A reading of The Jungle Book in its constructions of nation, race, and class in colonial space explains the relation of ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ with the overall theme of the novel. The character analysis, plot study, and analysis of the symbolism and theme of Toomai of the Elephants bring out the individual nature of the story and it proves the interrelationship of the story with the general framework of the novel. Thus we arrive at the conclusion that the story, even when works as an individual story, has got much to do with the general theme and meaning of The Jungle Book in its colonial reading. Nation in the Jungle: ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ as a story and a chapter “Since Kiplings The Jungle Book has been relegated to the category of childrens fiction and is today usually read in its Disneyfied version, its constructions of nation, race and class in colonial space, exposed through its narrations of local inhabitants (both animals and humans), have not attracted the attention that they deserve.” (Nyman 2001). A search into the meaning of the Toomai story of The Jungle Book leads to the understanding that the story, though independent, contributes much to the Jungle Book’s general themes, through its independent narrative. The independent meaning of ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ is, in close reading, the representation of the colonial nation through its plot, characters, theme, dialogue, and symbols. It is obvious from the elephant hunters’ attitude which tells the same attitude of the colonizers. Kipling is pointing out this in the words of Toomai. “"Yes," said Little Toomai, "he is afraid of me," and he took long strides up to Kala Nag, called him a fat old pig, and made him lift up his feet one after the other.” (Kipling) When Big Toomai treats Peterson Sahib as a madman for “hunting these wild devils” Kipling represents the colonial world in the story. This is the same meaning of the Jungle Book and the independent story clarifies the general theme. The character analysis, plot study, and analysis of the symbolism and theme of Toomai of the Elephants prove the same. Colonial world is represented through the narration of the animal and human lives of the jungle. Thus, the independent, self explanatory story ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ contributes to the colonial reading of the general story of The Jungle Book, broadening its deep meaning and enhancing its general theme of colonization. The narrative style of the Jungle Book is in tune with that of ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ which is an independent work in itself. “The reader gets the sense of a wise older narrator, one who is intimately familiar with Colonial Indian and the jungle therein, but not of it, as a British colonial officer would be.” (Kipling). Characters are developed in a way that they give the real meaning and significance of the work, when we treat The Jungle Book beyond the constrains of children’s fiction. In the wider perspective, the characters like Little Toomai, Paterson Sahib, the elephant hunters and others represent the colonial want for colonies and power. Little Toomai, even at such a young age, reflects this strive for power and he is willing to undertake the strangest of risks. We can associate the wild Elephant Dance with this same spirit. The joy of the colonial conqueror is evident in the triumphant return of Little Toomai, “who had seen what never man had seen before – the dance of the elephants at night and alone in the heart of the Garo hills!” (Kipling, ‘Toomai of the Elephants’). Other characters like Peterson Sahib also contribute to the colonial meaning of the story. The character of Kala Nag who “had served the Indian Government in every way that an elephant could serve it for forty-seven years” (Kipling) also brings out this colonial meaning of the story. In the larger perspective of The Jungle Book one will not find great difficulty in identifying this colonial concern of ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ in a wider space. Jungle characters of The Jungle Book represent the original world of the colonized assisting the general theme. Another contribution to the main theme is made by the dialogues of different characters in ‘Toomai of the Elephants’. It is clear from their dialogues that the story is a representation of the colonial nation and world. The very beginning monologue reads, “I will remember what I was, I am sick of rope and chain – I will remember my old strength and all my forest affairs. I will not sell my back to man for a bundle of sugar-cane: I will go out to my own kind, and the wood-folk in their lairs. I will go out until the day, until the morning break – Out to the winds untainted kiss, the waters clean caress; I will forget my ankle-ring and snap my picket stake. I will revisit my lost loves, and playmates master less.” (Kipling 2007). The same feeling is expressed by Big Toomai when he tells Little Toomai about the mad colonizer. “He may even require thee to be an elephant catcher, to sleep anywhere in these fever-filled jungles, and at last to be trampled to death in the Keddah.”(Kipling) Thus the narrative of the story, in a way, improves the scope of the general theme. ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ is, on the one hand, an independent story with the theme of colonial world represented through the characters and their dialogues and, on the other, a complementary chapter of The Jungle Book contributing to the narrative especially through widening the scope of the general meaning in a colonial re-reading of the work. The significance of this individual story in relation with The Jungle Book is clearer when we analyze the symbols used in ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ and cross analyze them with main symbols of the novel. Jungle itself is the most significant one. It represents the ‘dark’, ‘primitive’ world of the colonized where they enjoy their real freedom. “I will remember my old strength and all my forest affairs… I will go out to my own kind, and the wood-folk in their lairs… I will revisit my lost loves, and playmates masterless!” (Kipling). Here, the forest is evidently a symbol of the world not occupied by the colonizers. It is noteworthy that the elephants enjoy their wild, frenzy dance in the secrets of the forest, not in the Keddah. This same symbol works throughout The Jungle Book. The animals in the story symbolize the colonized animals while the hunters and other men represent the colonial authority. In the Jungle Book we find the same symbols and the animals here enjoy real freedom. Jungle is the place where the animals are not in chains, but there is always the threat from the human world that symbolizes the English colonial authority. Mowgli “is accepted as a "wolf" by the other animals, but when he is finally exposed to humans, he begins to question his own identity. He resists the realization that he is human because he is dismayed by the greed and destructiveness of those who invade the jungle.” (Kipling). These strong symbols of jungle, animal world and human world prove the colonial theme of The Jungle Book and it is very much helped out by the similar symbols in ‘Toomai of the Elephants’, contributing to the general theme of the novel to which it belongs. The realization of the real identity in Mowgli as well as Toomai marks the shifting of the focus by the novelist from the colonialist identification to the Englishness of the colonizers. Fear is yet another symbol seen in the animal world of The Jungle Book as well as the Toomai story that proves significant in the colonial understanding of the work. "He is afraid of me also," said Little Toomai, standing up to his full height of four feet, with only one rag upon him (Kipling). The fear of the colonized is strength of the colonizers. The themes of both ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ and The Jungle Book run parallel, mutually contributing and they establish the same colonial perspective of the novelist. Kipling, setting the novel in the colonial background of India back in 1894, intends to tell the truths about the colonial nation and other related concerns. The jungle world of the animals is constantly threatened by the cruel world of the humans. Colonial nation is represented by the novelist in the independent story of Toomai which has an independent theme, plot and narrative style. However, the story renders much to the general theme of The Jungle Book which has the same meaning in the colonial re-reading. The deep meaning that prevails in the novel is the colonial invasion of the Indians by the colonial masters who are boastful of their Englishness. It is a theme that has long significance in the wider context of the novel and ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ with all its individual characteristics works as a complementary chapter of the novel. Class and cast considerations of the novelist also helped the general theme of the novel as reflected in the Toomai story. “The British class system is the enemy of everything natural, particularly jungle life, in this edition of Kiplings tale.” (Jungle book is a far cry from what Kipling wrote. 1995). The theme is very well developed events in the novel as well as the story isolation. ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ is a story with a narrative style, theme, specified plot and individual characters of its own. When we analyze the story thoroughly, we find every characteristic of a normal story with coherence in itself. The aspects of the story like the characters, dialogue, plot, theme, symbols and motifs are in parallel with the general framework of the novel, though it possesses all the characteristics of a good story. That is to say, the chapter ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ included in the novel The Jungle Book has got an existence of its own even while it contributes to the general myth of the novel. The narrative of the story is significant to the general meaning of the novel when we attempt a colonial reading of The Jungle Book. Colonial nation is represented in the jungle setting of the novel and the same meaning that we get from the Toomai story contributes to the broad, deep meaning of The Jungle Book. Thus, the meaning arrived at in a colonial reading of the novel proves the relation of ‘Toomai of the Elephants’ as an individual chapter with the general theme of The Jungle Book. Works cited Nyman, Jopi. Re-Reading Rudyard Kiplings English Heroism: Narrating Nation in the Jungle Book. 2001. 29 Oct. 2007 . Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book Study Guide. Book Rags. 26 Oct. 2007. . Kipling, Rudyard. Toomai of the Elephants. Chapter 10 of the Jungle Book. 2007. 29 Oct. 2007 . “Jungle book” is a far cry from what Kipling wrote. The Virginian pilot. 1995. 29 Oct. 2007 . Read More