Have you ever been put in a position that questioned your courage? Think about all of the things running through your mind. Was fear one of them? Did you try to protect what was the most important to you at the time anyways? Theme is a life lesson or big idea for literary works supported by textual evidence. In the story “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” by Rudyard Kipling, the theme is that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important. For instance, Rikki-tikki and the snakes are somewhat fearful of each other, but they still fight courageously to keep their families safe. Some people may argue of the theme being that accepting challenges leads to positive results. Rikki-tikki takes on the snakes and
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One case that is logical for this theme is when the text states, “but it was impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time, and though Rikki-tikki had never met a live cobra before, his mother fed him on dead ones, and he knew that all grown mongoose’s business in life was to fight and eat snakes.” This example shows readers that while slightly frightened, he was still persistent in protecting the garden. Just another sample of evidence is, “Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water jar, under the curve of it, and as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back against the bulge of the red earthenware to hold down the head.” This statement shows Rikki-tikki’s bravery by him attacking the dangerous antagonist. The most compelling evidence from the climax of the story is, “as she plunged into the rat hole where she and Nag used to live, his little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went down with her, and very few mongooses, however wise and old they be, care to follow a cobra into its hole.” These keypoints portray to readers that Rikki-tikki is being brave, because he knows it’s important to protect the garden while, as proven in the previous paragraph, he is also fearful of the
One case that is logical for this theme is when the text states, “but it was impossible for a mongoose to stay frightened for any length of time, and though Rikki-tikki had never met a live cobra before, his mother fed him on dead ones, and he knew that all grown mongoose’s business in life was to fight and eat snakes.” This example shows readers that while slightly frightened, he was still persistent in protecting the garden. Just another sample of evidence is, “Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water jar, under the curve of it, and as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back against the bulge of the red earthenware to hold down the head.” This statement shows Rikki-tikki’s bravery by him attacking the dangerous antagonist. The most compelling evidence from the climax of the story is, “as she plunged into the rat hole where she and Nag used to live, his little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went down with her, and very few mongooses, however wise and old they be, care to follow a cobra into its hole.” These keypoints portray to readers that Rikki-tikki is being brave, because he knows it’s important to protect the garden while, as proven in the previous paragraph, he is also fearful of the