Critical Introduction/Close Reading

Critical Introduction/Close Reading 
 
Packed with adventure while also maintaining a didactic tone, “The Tiger King”/ “The Cross in the Jungle” offers an array of questions for British boys of the 19th century to explore and consider. The choice of the story’s two titles offers an interesting contrast regarding what the reader should expect. While the title “The Tiger King” suggests a more traditional tale about royalty, “The Cross in the Jungle” offers a tone suggestive of mystery and adventure. Wherein the former title focuses on one of the story’s central characters, the latter one emphasizes a symbol that, while only mentioned briefly, takes on a meaning that is greater than that of a mere object, perhaps symbolizing life (as explained by the ancient Egyptians HYPERLINK "https://zimbra-store-4.unet.brandeis.edu/service/extension/convertd/cnv/n3pnz7bbhNNMKD02gqeqMfzBz7c=/" \l "bmk2" 1 ) for the story’s narrator and military heroes. Another interpretation of the symbolism of the cross is in regard to the cross of Christ. In this vein, the cross might symbolize love for fellow humans, or how Christ was sacrificed for people’s sins. The symbol of Christ could parallel Romajee’s apparent penance, yet ultimate, debatably evil act, or even Carlyon’s bravery and kindness toward his fellow officer. 
Regardless of the title, it is clear from the beginning that this story aims to appeal to many boys rather than girls. From the first sentence, the author captures the readers’ attention with the mention of the Black Jungle, which lends itself to mystery and curiosity as to what lies within the jungle’s realms, a rather exotic setting that seems to contrast with the idyllic encampment where the troops are stationed. The usage of imagery, such as “the ruins of an old temple” and “creeping plants” (124), heightens the excitement and paints a picture and avoids bogging down the reader with superfluous details. Additionally, an immediate presentation of conflict and danger builds a sense of suspense that would also appeal to a young male audience. Reference in the second paragraph to “marauders,” some of whom have committed murder, amongst other crimes, establishes the two sides of conflict and suggests that there will be more bloodshed to come. Sure enough, just a few short paragraphs later, a “stiffish conflict” ensues, and the first death is cited. Thus on just the story’s first page, the author establishes intense action to hook its targeted audience. 
It is amongst this background already full of battle that the author introduces the title character. When the Tiger King first arrives on scene, the narrator refers to him ambiguously as “the figure” (124). Though the narrator generally avoids overloading the reader with details, the use of adverbs such as “mysteriously” and “steadily” and adjectives like “curious” create a tone of suspense (124). Even when he seems to explain things, announcing “I come here for redress—for justice!” (125), exactly what kind of justice he is seeking remains unclear until he tells his story. Even then, the narrator leaves unclear what he will do about it, as he states that “[He] was in a most dreadful dilemma,” a simple declaration that establishes there is a problem that he needs to resolve (125). In this way, the author relies on the rhetorical question (“Yet what was to be done?”) to continue building suspense and preserve the reader’s attention (125). The author also builds a quest for revenge, a plot line that would likely foster boys’ competitive nature and aspirations to outdo their opponents. Thus, while all of the readers may not agree with it, they can likely understand Romajee’s desire to see Lieutenant Albury punished. 
Towards the latter part of the story, the author uses foreshadowing, a device that hints at what is to come while simultaneously retaining the interest of the young boys. One such use of this foreshadowing comes when the narrator looks back on his own words, words upon which he still dwells in retrospect: “‘All right old boy… have your own way, but I advise you to be cautious.’ I don’t know what made me say the words, but I often thought of them afterwards, and so did he.” (126). Such a statement serves as a warning for what Albury experiences at the end of the story. The fact that the narrator admits to still thinking about these words cues the reader that they are of great import and evokes questions as to why. The use of this technique refers back to the story’s audience, who as young boys would need hooks like this to hold their attention. 
Yet while the aforementioned characteristics render the story unique in the way in which it delights readers, the tale also possesses qualities that mirror other well-known short stories. One such characteristic is the use of the frame story, as exists in stories such as Arabian Nights and The Decameron. In the case of this particular frame story, it appears that the “first story” is that of Colonel Horace Carlyon, who relates his tale, as based on his military experience, to Mr. Goldacre. Mr. Goldacre then tells the same story, with some new additions, to the club of boys. Even within the military story itself, there are more stories, such as that of Romajee regarding the harm that Lieutenant Albury inflicted upon him, or the story that Albury tells the Colonel in the end about what happened in the Black Jungle. As is the case with other frame stories, the inclusion of the multiple stories makes the readers wary of the complete historical validity at hand, since many voices tell. 
 Though the layering of various frames may make the reader wary of the story’s exact historical truth, the frame also serves to legitimize it and adds a level of personal intimacy. When reading a story in a magazine today, such as The New Yorker for adults, the reader assumes that the author invented the story. Any true personal details the author includes are woven into an overall fictional plot. As opposed to the modern reader who expects an imaginary story, the first story of the series “Story of My Companions and Old Schoolfellows” in the Boy’s Weekly Reader frames the story as if it actually happened. Even if all the details are not perfect, all the elements of the story had been told to someone by someone else, initially recounted by the person who experienced the tale. This framing format gives each component of the story a feeling of intimacy that only a story stemming from a first-hand account could do. In fact, the frame provides the boys reading “The Boy’s Weekly Reader” the feeling that they are actually sitting around the fire listening to the narrator, Mr. Goldacre, tell the story or even hearing the story directly from the main character Carlyon. The frame of a first-hand account also gives the story legitimacy. When young, inquisitive boys read a story, especially one with a moral, it is practically expected that they will be critical. By posing the story as something that actually occurred, the frame gives a young boy a built-in reason to trust the moral that it proposes. 
The moral aspect is another commonality between this tale and other well-known short stories. As Albury, who won the battle over the Tiger King, says, “Since that terrible night in the Black Jungle I have learned to depend not on myself, but to pray for help to Heaven; to respect the weaknesses of others, and think all good men equal” (127). Logistically, the story tells the tale of a man who makes a mistake, is almost killed for it, and learns his lesson. The fact that his mistake was to hurt another human being, and his lesson to never do so, just supports the initial reading that this is a tale with a kind moral at the end. But what moral does the complicated character of Romajee propose? On one level, Romajee shows the story of a man who is too obsessed with revenge and social standing, to the point of killing another man for unjustifiably wounding him. When Romajee introduces himself, he explains “that he had for the last two months been performing some kind of penance” (125), yet also portrays himself as a deadly Tiger King, instilling a sense of fear and respect in his people. This initial portrayal is filled with conflict, as is his general character throughout the story. As mentioned earlier, the reader is filled with a sense of remorse for Romajee when reading about his brutal and undeserved beating from Albury, yet when Romajee proves to be untrustworthy and a potential murderer, his beating and ultimate murder seem far more justified. Romajee is the only “native” portrayed in the story, and the only character that the reader is left seeing as evil. Though the story does not explicitly state any discrimination against the people of Rajapore, the story, at the very least, uses the character of the native as a foil for the bravery and comradeship of the British soldiers. In this way, it appears that one of the morals of the story is that the solidarity and morality of British solders cannot be found in any other nationality. 
The ultimate moral of the story shows a main difference between stories for boys in 1879 and over 130 years later in 2010. In “The Tiger King; Or The Cross In The Jungle,” the author appears to have clear motives for writing the story. Firstly, it is intended to appeal specifically to British boys. Introducing boys to the topic of British colonization in India puts the images of the “good” aspects of being a British solder in India in their heads at an early age. As these boys grow, they may even remember the themes of adventure and bravery that they read in these stories and be influenced to enter the army themselves. The morally just idea of supporting one’s comrade is introduced, but the immoral idea of killing Indian natives is also put in the heads of the reading boys. Nowadays, it seems rarer that any children’s story would glorify military killings in this way, regardless of the reason. In 1879, however, acclimating the young to the ideas of killing natives of opposing nations appears to be a main motive. 
Coupled with the fact that the story achieves its purpose for capturing a certain audience, it also serves as a tale of delightful instruction (an idea Matthew Arnold proposes in Culture and Anarchy of 1869). In other words it satisfies the boys’ interests by appealing to their sense of adventure while simultaneously teaching the three lessons Albury outlines in regards to religious diligence, respect for others, and treating people equally. In this sense, the story merits a republication to continue to delightfully instruct more boys to come. In another sense, though, this story is a relic of an older time, showing morals and values very specific to Britain in the late 18th century, such as glorifying killing in order to stay loyal to one’s country.