HPIA
Hofstra Papers in Anthropology
Volume 6, Article #1, 2011
Stereotyping and Evolution
by Joe Tonelli
The concept of evolution has entered into our society as a powerful force whether we have realized it or not. We look at human evolution as a way to separate ourselves from the rest of the animal world around us. The way we have evolved presents us with a certain awareness or presence of mind that is not evident in other animals. Human evolution is in many ways the barrier that sets us apart from anything that isn’t human. Whether it is animals, cavemen, or aliens, it is our concept of evolution that provides us the essential qualities and behaviors of being a normal, modern-day human being. One way to explore this divide is by looking at the common stereotype of the ape-man or man raised by animals. Some of the most popular characters in modern movies and literature have been created using this stereotype. Characters like Mowgli of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and Tarzan from Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan of the Apes. These two characters have led to many offshoots of this stereotype with different variations, each creating a different concept of what “being evolved” means.
Lets first look at the character of Mowgli across the many adaptations and versions of The Jungle Book. Mowgli is a typical example of a feral child—a child who was raised by wolves or some other animal. The consistent theme with Mowgli as well as with other famous feral children is that due to their upbringing they are irrevocably connected to nature and to wildlife. Mowgli can speak with his animal counterparts and is essentially a member of the pack. The idea of breaking away from nature and not being dependent on it reveals itself in this trait. Being evolved in some sense is simply not living in the forest and acting like an animal. Mowgli does not adhere to human manners and courtesies, but rather reacts to primal instincts. The ability of an “evolved” human to deny their animalistic instincts and act “properly” within society is seen as an important characteristic in being “human.” Evolved humans need not submit to basal impulses and are therefore more in control than those “less evolved.”
This idea of control appears as a centralized concept in determining a sense of being “evolved.” Control over our own human emotions, control over animals, control over our environment. It is when we lose this control that humans appear to revert to being “animals.” Mowgli submits to animal instincts and therefore is separate from us. He is not in complete control over his life because he has not been taught how by humans. “Evolved” humans seek to retain this sense of control and perpetuate it through generations by teaching it to their children so they can become evolved and sophisticated as well. Without the proper guidance, Mowgli reverts to animalistic behavior.
This is not to say that Mowgli does not possess some virtues of an evolved human. Anthropomorphic representations of animals in The Jungle Book teach Mowgli how to behave properly according to the “The Law of the Jungle.” The Law of the Jungle in Kipling’s terms stresses fairness, respect and equality among the pack. It is a moral code that all must follow or else suffer the consequences. In terms of evolutionary perspective, The Law of the Jungle is a set of “evolved” characteristics that Mowgli learns and retains in spite of being raised by animals. The Law of the Jungle makes a statement (whether Kipling intended it to or not) regarding what separates evolved humans from animals. Because the animals are anthropomorphized, they too retain human qualities which are passed onto Mowgli. The Law of the Jungle is saying in some ways that respect, cooperation, and equality among other traits are essential parts of being a cultured, evolved person. If these traits were absent from the animals and Mowgli, he would be a pure animal. An important aspect of The Jungle Book is that Mowgli works with the animals and has moral responsibilities in the jungle. It is the Law of the Jungle, and thus the human qualities imbibed into the characters, that allows Mowgli to take moral action and act “evolved” rather than be an instinctual animal (Kipling).
Tarzan, or the stereotype of the ape-man, provides another interesting look at what evolution has come to mean to us today. Tarzan shares many similarities with Mowgli in that he was raised by animals and is in tune with nature and the wildlife around him. Tarzan lacks common courtesies of typical “evolved” humans and functions on a much more instinctual basis. Tarzan is characterized (at least in the original novel) as highly intelligent, loyal, and brave (Burroughs). Where Tarzan acquired such positive human qualities is unknown. Similar to Mowgli, it is these human qualities that make Tarzan such an exceptional character. Tarzan’s most basic human nature allows him to be evolved in ways that the other animals are not.
Tarzan’s intelligence is probably the most important characteristic in terms of revealing an evolutionary stereotype. Tarzan is clearly smarter than the apes who raised him and very quickly learns English when he meets Jane. Later on in the novel Tarzan even is capable of existing within modern society because he is able to adapt so well. Tarzan’s intelligence makes a statement about what it means to be human. His intelligence allows him to function and be evolved when he uses it. It allows him to essentially succeed in nature and become an exceptional hunter, fighter, and intellectual. Burrough’s choice to create such an intelligent character is a testament to natural human intelligence and its importance in representing an evolved person. Tarzan may be less evolved than us in essence because he lives in the jungle and has many animalistic qualities, but his intelligence makes him special, and most importantly—makes him human.
Even before Tarzan or Mowgli, we can see feral children throughout literary history. Looking back as far Roman mythology and the Epic of Gilgamesh we see examples of feral humans. The twins Romulus and Remus were raised by wolves and became the eventual founders of Rome. The character of Enkidu in Gilgamesh was raised by animals and lived in nature until found by Gilgamesh and brought to society. Regarded as one of the oldest pieces of known literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh appears to have been written around 2700 B.C. Despite its age, The Epic of Gilgamesh offers an obvious portrayal of characters that are less than human and how they differ. Interestingly, the story provides a description of the events that force Enkidu’s change from a being of the wild to being human. We see the animalistic qualities of Enkidu stripped away and replaced with human attributes as opposed to Tarzan and Mowgli where we only see the remnants of being human.
Enkidu’s entrance into personhood provides yet another look at how humans draw the distinction between being “evolved” and being primal. In the story, the Gods created Enkidu as a man who existed in the animal world. “He was innocent of mankind; he knew nothing of the cultivated land. Enkidu ate grass in the hills with the gazelle and lurked with wild beasts at the water-holes; he had joy of the water with the herds of wild game” (Epic 4). Enkidu exists like this until a harlot is sent to “humanize” him. “She was not ashamed to take him, she made herself naked and welcomed his eagerness; as he lay on her murmuring love she taught him the woman's art” (Epic 5). Enkidu leaves the world of animals and enters the world of men when the harlot has sex with him and he “becomes human.”
While this suggests that sex is a distinguishing factor being evolved, it is not so. All animals have sex—this is obvious. It is more correct to say that the element that has changed Enkidu from a beast to a man is sexuality. Sexuality is distinctly different than sex in that sexuality attributes emotions or feelings (love being at the forefront of these emotions) to the act of sex or sexual relations. While animal pair-bonding does exist and the extent of animal emotion is not fully understood, the presence of a definite sexuality and awareness of that sexuality cannot be attributed to animals without anthropomorphic interference. Enkidu becomes aware of his own sexuality, a trait that appears to be exclusive to humans.
Similar in some ways to Tarzan, Gilgamesh also asserts the notion of intelligence as a facet of being “evolved.” After having sex with the harlot, Enkidu returned to the beasts only to notice something was wrong. “Then, when the gazelle saw him, they bolted away; when the wild creatures saw him they fled.” (Epic 5). Enkidu’s attempts to return to nature were met with failure—something within him had changed and he was no longer wild. The story continues, “And now the wild creatures had all fled away; Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart” (Epic 5). In a fashion akin (at least in my mind) to Adam and Eve acquiring true knowledge by eating the forbidden fruit, Enkidu has been awakened to the thoughts and realities of personhood, and as discussed earlier, his sexuality. He now possesses wisdom and has become a separate entity from the animals and from nature. His bond with nature has been broken and he understands the world only as a human can.
While the story does not delve further into what exactly “the thoughts of a man” means, it appears to refer to a shift in consciousness experienced by Enkidu. But what thoughts are exclusive to humans? We cannot know for certain until we are able to successfully read the minds of animals, but I think rather than alluding to specific thoughts, “the thoughts of a man” refers to self-awareness. The “thoughts of man” reflect those thoughts that explore our own humanity. The ability of humans to reflect upon their own existence, contemplate their purpose, and explore motivations is unique.
Enkidu has been awakened to these possibilities as evidenced by the fact that he seeks out Gilgamesh as a rival and by the fact that he has a goal. “I will challenge him boldly, I will cry out aloud in Uruk, ‘I am the strongest here, I have come to change the old order” (Epic 5). Along with the acquisition of self-awareness comes the capacity to contemplate the future and take steps to pursue a specific reality. This ability ties in with the ideas of control mentioned earlier. By being aware of the past, present, and future, and by pursuing objectives, Enkidu is attempting to take control over his own reality. His consciousness has given him the power of mind to create and implement change in his life. Simply put, Enkidu has realized the power of human agency. Enkidu has left the wild to pursue his ambitions now, he is an active agent in the world, making conscious change and exerting control over specific areas—as only humans can do.
A similar thread that appears to run through all three works is the apparent power of nature for all these stereotypes. Living among animals and nature has made the characters physically and instinctually strong. The departure from nature even weakens the character Enkidu after he is “tamed.” “Enkidu would have followed, but his body was bound a s though with a cord, his knees gave way when he started to run, his swiftness was gone” (Epic 5). Both Tarzan and Mowgli are physically strong but their unique “humanity” allows them to become something more, something better. This common theme reveals that while men may be physically strong when bound to nature, it is by recognizing their own agency that humans may become strong of mind and go on to do great things and create futures. Within the power of nature is also a weakness. It curbs the power of thought and by breaking away from nature humans can harness this power.
The major problem with the idea of these feral children stereotypes is that in reality, feral children are not highly intelligent and reasoning children. There are many cases of feral children that have been found after a few years of being gone. Some are able to integrate themselves back into society well and have vague recollections of their feral experience but some cannot adjust to the change and remain in the wild (Feral). These children do not willingly help humans like Tarzan and do not necessarily have rational thoughts and actions like our characters. There is evidence though, that feral children develop senses like those of animals making clearer the links between ourselves and animals (Feral).
Mowgli, Tarzan, and Enkidu are examples of feral man stereotypes that also reveal aspects about what it means to be evolved in today’s society. Tarzan and Mowgli are wild human beings lost to the jungle, many of their human-like qualities supplanted with animal instinct. But at their core, they possess human qualities, emotion, and intelligence. Similar in some sense to the positive stereotypes discussed in the “Seeing Race” blog, the stereotypes of Tarzan and Mowgli are not necessarily bad. They both have many redeeming qualities, a noble savage in some sense. Enkidu is man who existed in the animal world until forced out of it. He was unaware of his human qualities until awakened in both the body and mind. His self-awareness and sexual awakening exemplify the human qualities that have been made aware to him and then set him apart from the world of beasts. The importance of the power of mind and the unique capacity of human agency to fuel change and implement control cannot be emphasized enough. These themes prevail through all three of the works.
The literature does romanticize the idea of feral children/people in some ways because after investigating feral children, they usually don’t turn out good at all. They cannot adapt to people and are usually mentally unstable. Besides the romantic notion of a noble savage who is respectful, intelligent, and brave, these stereotypes highlight the essential qualities of being an evolved human and play them against an animalistic environment allowing the human qualities to shine through and allow for the success of our heroes.
Works Cited
Burroughs, Edgar Rice (2008) Tarzan of the Apes. New York: Signet Classics.
"The Epic Of Gilgamesh." Assyrian International News Agency. Electronic document.
<http://www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.htm> Accessed April 24, 2011.
"Feral Children: Living With Beasts." Cogitz. September 3, 2009. Electronic document.
<http://cogitz.com/2009/09/03/feral-children-living-with-beasts/> November 20, 2010.
Kipling, Rudyard (2007) The Jungle Book. New York: Sterling Pub.