No discussion of Tarzan is complete without Jane. In the early novels, Jane Porter serves as the catalyst for Tarzan's introduction to humanity. While often relegated to the role of the damsel in distress in film adaptations, Burroughs’ original Jane was a character of surprising depth for her time.
Burroughs was writing during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization. The American frontier had officially closed, and the modern world was becoming increasingly crowded and regulated. Into this stifling atmosphere, Burroughs injected a fantasy of absolute freedom. Tarzan represented the ultimate escapist dream: a man unburdened by taxes, social expectations, or the rigid structures of society, living a life of primal liberty. TARZAN
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan, Los Angeles | Literary Traveler No discussion of Tarzan is complete without Jane
: In a famous literary feat, Tarzan discovers his father's old cabin and teaches himself to read and write English using children's primers, despite never having heard human speech. Evolution in Media and Literature Burroughs was writing during a time of rapid
When Tarzan first meets humans (French officer D’Arnot), he shocks D’Arnot not by his strength, but by writing flawless English on a piece of paper:
If most people see as a monosyllabic swimmer with a chimp named Cheetah, they are seeing Johnny Weissmuller. An Olympic gold medalist swimmer, Weissmuller redefined the character. His Tarzan dropped the British accent and the philosophical monologues. He was a cipher of action. These MGM films also invented the “Me Tarzan, you Jane” dialogue and made the yell iconic. For a generation, he was Tarzan .
The character is born , the son of British aristocrats (Lord and Lady Greystoke) who are marooned on the Atlantic coast of Africa. After his parents pass away, the infant is adopted by a tribe of "great apes" known as the Mangani .