The primary lessons for children that are presented in
Kipling’s The Jungle Book and Gaiman’s
The Graveyard Book are very
different. In The Jungle Book, the
Law of the Jungle clarifies Kipling’s belief that children should be obedient.
This is most evident when at the end of “How Fear Came,” Kipling provides the
reader with a part of the Law of the Jungle that states “Now these are the Laws
of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they / But the head and the hoof of the
Law and the haunch and the hump is – Obey!” (Kipling 244) .
Throughout the novel, each lesson Mowgli learns is part of the Law of the
Jungle, so it is likely that Kipling is using the Law to suggest how children
should behave. As is stated in the earlier quote, the most important law of all
of the Jungle Laws is to be obedient. Therefore, Kipling is claiming that
obedience is the most quality for a child to learn.
In The Graveyard Book,
less importance is placed on children being obedient. In “The Witch’s Headstone,”
many of the ghosts suggest that Bod stay away from the unconsecrated ground. However,
the reader is informed that “Bod was obedient, but curious,” so he traveled to
the unconsecrated ground regardless of the ghosts’ advice (Gaiman 106) . Bod is not punished
for going to the unconsecrated part of the graveyard. This chapter of The Graveyard Book suggests that while
obedience is important, curiosity in children should also be celebrated. The
primary rule in throughout the novel is that Bod cannot leave the graveyard
because the outside world is not safe for him. The only time Silas gets angry
with Bod is when Bod goes to school and draws attention to himself. Silas says
that he is angry because “They can find [Bod]” (193), in reference to the Jacks
of All Trades, who plan to kill Bod. Silas’s anger when Bod leaves is due to
the fact that Bod is putting himself in danger. The lessons in Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book celebrate curiosity
while advising children to consider how safe their decisions are, rather than
simply being obedient as in Kipling’s The
Jungle Book.
I think Kimberlyn is correct in stating that Gaiman celebrates curiosity, while Kipling encourages obedience, however I noticed that they both give punishment the same way. Kimberlyn mention that in The Graveyard Book, Bod is not punished. It is true he is not punished by Silas for going into the unconsecrated graveyard, however, “Mr Owens had, regretfully, that night, done what he saw as his duty, and Bod’s bottom stung like anything” after his curiosity took him into down where he was almost kidnapped (141). Although Silas does not harm Bod for his curiosity, the Owens’, who are more old school, have no problem doing so. They are worried when he gets himself into trouble and reprimand him for that.
ReplyDeleteThe same punishment is given to Mowgli in The Jungle Book – a physical one, to get him to learn. Bagheera comments to Baloo that “[Mowgli’s] face is all bruised to-day by thy – softness,” softness being the “light” taps Mowgli receives from Baloo when he misbehaves (28). Baloo is similar to the Owens’ in that they believe physical punishment is the way a boy will learn. However, Bod’s punishment comes after he puts himself in real danger, unlike Mowgli, who ends up kidnapped after being punished first by Baloo.
I disagree with Lauren that Bod and Mowgli are punished in the same way. When Bod gets beaten by his parents for putting himself in danger at the pawnshop, the narrator describes the event as “Mr. and Mrs. Owens had died several hundred years before it had been decided that beating children was wrong and Mr. Owens had, regretfully, that night, done what he saw as his duty” (The Graveyard Book 140). In this passage, it is clear that the narrator believes that beating children is outdated, and that the event was “regretful.” In fact, “The look of worry on Mrs. Owens’s face had hurt Bod worse than any beating could have done” (140). Bod’s real punishment isn’t being beaten by his parents, it is realizing that he made them and Silas worry for his safety.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do agree that obedience is valued more in The Jungle Book than in The Graveyard Book, and vice versa with curiosity. When Mowgli becomes curious about the monkeys, he needs to be rescued by Kaa, Baloo, and Bagheera, and his curiosity is punished with a beating from Bagheera. In this case, “punishment settles all scores. There is no nagging afterwards” (The Jungle Book 30). In this case, the punishment is not regretful, and does not leave Mowgli able to ask any questions about his experience. This is in contrast with the similar story of Bod and the ghouls. While Miss Lupescu needs to save him, she is only able to because Bod called for help from the Night-Gaunts, and used his quick thinking to cut a hole in the burlap sack. If Bod hadn’t used his curiosity and resourcefulness, he would not have been able to have been saved.