Rousseau's Savage Man: Tarzan?

Most of us know the story of Tarzan, a man whose parents is killed and then is found by an ape how raises him as her own. He is essentially the jungle caveman. Tarzan in many ways fits the characteristics of what Rousseau describes as the “Savage man”. He describes that the savage man starts out as no doubt, “terrified by every novelty that presents itself”, which things that are unknown. This is seen when Tarzan hides as he first encounters Jane Porter, her father, and hunter John Clayton. Yet, as Rousseau continues to say because savage man lives among animals, he will, “compare himself with them; and, perceiving that he surpasses them more in adroitness than they surpass him in strength, learns to be no longer

afraid of them.” Think back to the scene where Tarzan wrestles the leopard in order to protect his ape family, and comes our victorious and brave. (Clip One) His adroitness is seen as he grabs the hunting knife and stabs the leopard while being taken down by the clearly bigger and stronger animal. The interaction between savage man and beast is described in depth by Rousseau as a relationship matched by skill and cleverness versus strength. Savage man is not afraid of beast, but still regards him as a threat. Hobbes thoughts that all men are violent and self serving is also disproved, as Tarzan is first seen as an evil beast by Jane Porter and John Clayton, but then they come to realize he is truly innocent and does not 

know enough to use his strength for violence. This shows the idea of evolution, development, and differences between the savage and social man. So why is Tarzan such a perfect fit for what Rousseau thinks of as the savage man.

Clip One-Tarzan fights leopard

This idea of perfectibility.

It is mans’ need to constantly improve and adapt over time. To “perfect” themselves and keep up with advancing society around them. This is the largest distinction between man and beast. Rousseau states that, “a brute is, at the end of a few months, all he will ever be during his whole life.” The idea of perfectibility is fueled by passions that humans hold. The passion to have knowledge and understanding is the reason to improve ourselves. Tarzan begins as a man that lives among apes, unknowing of any other species like himself or any other life or knowledge outside of the jungle. But curiosity leads him to want to learn more. The biggest development is his language. (See Clip 2) Tarzan first meets Jane and greets her with a series of grunts or what Rousseau refers to as, “The simple cry of nature.” Think back to the famous Tarzan cry of, “AAaaaAaAaAaaaa.” But as he begins to interact, he starts to understand language and communication. This intrigues him. His passion becomes his desire to be able to communicate with Jane, whom fascinates him. Jane teaches him what civilized man looks and acts like, and he wants to be like that model. Before, Tarzan had not needed language, as Rousseau describes that, “as there was no communication among men and no need for any, we can neither conceive the necessity of this invention, nor the possibility of it.” Now as there are more humans, the need for communication presents itself to Tarzan.

            Clip Two-Tarzan meets Jane

With communication comes the complex thought process, which allows savage man to further work on perfectibility by enriching the once measly thought process. Without language, even general ideas cannot be formed or understood. Everything is abstract. Rousseau tries to describe it by bringing up an object in nature. To an animal, the sight of an object simply brings back memories of the sensation and emotions they felt by looking at it, no actual words to describe it. Distinction between objects can only be made through the use of words, which is where complex ideas start to form. (See Clip 3) Tarzan begins to want to learn more as he begins to make distinction between what words represent and how they relate to different objects. From there he can begin to communicate emotions and concepts like hate, jealousy, fear, and the biggest, specific to him, love. He has gained the use of rationality and reason through language. After he begins to learn about civilized man and language, his understanding for his love for Jane grows. This love also becomes a passion for his further perfectibility and development.

           Clip Two-Tarzan learns of the civilized man

The largest part of Tarzan’s story is his developing relationship with Jane. Now that he understands language better, he can think complexly and is able to grasp what feelings of love are. Rousseau describes love as physical and moral. The physical being the, “general desire which urges sexes to union with each other”, and the moral is what, “determines and fixes this desire exclusively upon one particular object.” Tarzan, like all of mankind, has lust and craves sex, but his ability to now communicate makes him understand the morals that have always been embedded in him as Rousseau argues, but just simply not understand because there was nothing to define them as. Before, any woman would suit the needs of the savage man and there was no distinction between them, but the understanding of morals and knowledge causes savage man to have feelings for particular women which also creates violence and jealousy. This causes the love between Jane and Tarzan to flourish.

Through Tarzan, the savage man Rousseau describes is better understood instead of remaining just a distant story of what man used to be. Savage and Civilized man obviously differ extremely, but also help to explain the origins of social inequality. Through the interaction of savage man to savage man, inequalities arise, as advancements are made and complex thinking leads men to begin to strive for similar things. This leads them to become vain and self-preserving and compare themselves to each other. This causes jealousy and violence, but is not the ultimate goal of man to kill one another. As Rousseau argues and Tarzan shows through his usually gentle nature, savage man is naturally good and kind.

            Tarzan shows savage man and his development in a more simple view as he finds love and it motivates him to learn language and think in a complex way. Tarzan though just a Disney character and the creation of author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, shows the idea of savage man and the beginnings of social inequality and advancement to the civilized man in society we see today.