Alan Hanson Comments ERB-APA #26: A Reply

I found your article most interesting and a good title for it would have been The Black Side Of Tarzan. You opened up by pointing out the good sides of Tarzan and then reversed by showing us the bad. I would like to use this time to defend the tree swinger a little bit.

ERB-APA #26

You make the statement, "While in Paris Tarzan was actually more unwilling than he was unable to adapt to the ways and laws of that great city." Alan, you are absolutely right, but let's use some reverse psychology here. How would you like to leave America being raised the way you were and live the way Tarzan did? How well could you adapt to eating vermin, raw bird eggs, rodents, and raw meat? Sleeping in a tree fork at night and fighting for your life daily. Remember how Tibo fared?  It's not necessarily that you couldn't adjust, but it is a fact that those adjustments are not going to be easy or happen overnight.

The Return Of Tarzan

When it comes to your thrashing of the policeman theory that "might is right" I do not agree. Tarzan has just been attacked by a room full of thugs. Needless to say, the ape-man kicks butt and seriously injures one, but take note that he kills nobody. That shows me that civilization is already taking a toll on the jungle lord, for in his world it was kill or be killed.

Joe Jusko

As you yourself pointed out, "You know that I am but half civilized even now," the ape-man told D'Arnot. "Let me see anger but a moment, and all the instincts of the savage beast that I really am, submerge what little I possess of the milder ways of culture and refinement."

The Return Of Tarzan

Tarzan tried to tell the police his side of the story, but they refused to listen. In the ape man's eyes, he had done no wrong. His blood was still hot from the previous battle. When the police tried to take the jungle lord into custody he kicked their butts, too. "The thin veneer of his civilization fell from him." Again, take note that Tarzan kills no one.

The Return Of Tarzan

I would have to agree with D'Arnot and the police and say Tarzan was indeed acting upon instinct and savage training. Nowhere do I pick up the impression that Tarzan has an "I'm mightier than you and I'll do as I want attitude. What impression I did pick up was, "I haven't done anything wrong and I am not going to jail."

The Return Of Tarzan

Alan, you also try to imply that Tarzan has this "might is right" thing going when it comes to his affair with Countess de Coude. Again, I can not agree with you. Neither Tarzan nor the Countess ever had any intentions of getting something going. They both became friends, innocently enough, and uncontrolled events more or less threw them together. During an incident that was stumbled into, the two did experience a moment of weakness and it did get a little out of hand.

The Return Of Tarzan

There is no doubt in my mind, however, even had Raoul de Coude not shown up that Tarzan would have regained his senses and nothing would have happened. As you know the jungle lord once again becomes weak with Nemone, but again nothing actually happened and there was no outside interference.

Joe Kubert

I just do not see anything in these events which implies the ape-man's thoughts are "Tarzan is mightier than Count de Coude, therefore Olga de Coude should be mine." What I see is two young people, in need, are thrown together and their friendship is tested. Rather or not they passed that test I feel was unproved.

Joe Jusko

In my opinion, if Tarzan did indeed possess this "might is right" attitude he would have been after dozens of other women already. There is no indication that anything like this has happened. Therefore, I see it as an isolated incident.

Ron Ely

You wrote, "The choking of de Coude is in keeping with Tarzan's natural law of fighting to the death for mates." When I read that incident I visioned a jealous husband, with the intent to murder, attacking Tarzan with a heavy walking stick. Each time the walking stick struck the "blow aided in the transition of the ape-man back to primordial." When Tarzan attacked de Coude he was an animal. There were no thoughts except kill or be killed. In my opinion, Tarzan was fighting a murderous attacker, not an ape fighting for a she.

The Return Of Tarzan

I really enjoy reading and digesting your work. Hope you don't mind my opinions, they are just my personal views of the Tarzan sphere.

The Return Of Tarzan

About The Author

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines, over a span of forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory).instead of the more excepted date May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, and Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022. Swordsman On Unium is going through the publishing process.