Rikki Tikk Kipling

More than a few people dream of becoming heroes, but most of those people don’t attempt to fulfill their quests of heroism and glory. They don’t understand that to become a hero, one must act on it. “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” a short story by Rudyard Kipling, is the story of a mongoose who must protect the garden by his bungalow from villainous snakes. He had help from other garden animals, but he was the main lionheart. The mongoose, Rikki-tikki, takes action to make the garden a safer place, and becomes a hero for his efforts. Kipling shows to the reader through point of view and characterization that anybody can be a hero if they take effort to save or make the world a better place.
To start, indirect characterization is one device that the author uses to convey the theme. In this case, actions are used as indirect …show more content…
The story uses third person omniscient, which hints to the overall theme of this short story. For example, the text reads, “‘Well,’ said Rikki-tikki… ‘do you think it is right for you to eat fledglings out of a nest?’ Nag was thinking to himself and watching the least little movement in the grass behind Rikki-tikki… ‘Let us talk,’ he said. ‘You eat eggs. Why should not I eat birds?’... Rikki-tikki knew better than to waste time in staring…” (Kipling, 24-25). In the quote, the point of view is clearly shown. It also proves that anybody can be a hero at the beginning, when Rikki-tikki is questioning Nag for eating baby birds, because he feels it isn’t right for him to do. The rest of the quote shows us that Nag is trying to distract Rikki-tikki for his own benefit, but the wise mongoose won’t fall for it. This proves that anybody can be a hero, because Rikki-tikki stood up to the villainous cobra for what was right. He knew that to make the garden a safe place for everyone, he must get rid of Nag. He takes action later on in the story, and becomes a hero for his courageous