Bod & Mowgli

Throughout Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, readers see the main character, Bod, develop into a resourceful, curious young man that lacks obedience to authority at times that he feels restricted from learning. For example, after being warned not to leave the graveyard, Bod goes on a quest to buy a headstone that leads him into trouble (Gaiman 115-125). During this experience, the reader sees that Bod has the knowledge to find information and resources that he needs to succeed in his objectives. On the other hand, it also shows that Bod has not quite matured enough to understand that there are certain things that living people will not be able to comprehend, and that he must accept this fact if he should ever be able to live safely outside of the graveyard.

            Bod decides, by the end of the novel, that he desires to know many people, go many places, and discover new things all around the world.  While talking to Silas about his future, Bod states, “I want everything” (Gaiman 304). However, Bod still shows remorse when it becomes time for him to leave the graveyard until his life is over.  As Bod receives his last words of advice from his mother, he attempts to put his arms around her, “although he might as well have been trying to hold mist, for he was alone on the path” (Gaiman 307). From this gesture, along with others included in his exiting, Bod shows that he does not enjoy having to leave the graveyard for such a long time. Yet, he understands that the time has come for him to enjoy a life of his own, just as the people of the graveyard had enjoyed at some point.

            In comparison, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, shows readers the growth of the main character, Mowgli, as he develops into a resourceful, curious, more obedient, yet more primitive young man that shows deep remorse when forced to leave the jungle. In the youthful years of Mowgli’s learning, readers see instances of his resourcefulness, curiosity, and obedience in his endeavors with the human tribe. During this instance, we see his curiosity lead him to enter the village, his obedience to help save the lady that he believes to be his mother, and the resourcefulness to develop a plan utilizing the cattle to kill Shere Khan for him (Kipling 54-67).  In this manner, Bod and Mowgli are very similar in their general characteristics. 

In contrast, the context of each story allows for the characters’ to differ in their respective attitudes on exiting their childhood home. Bod shows an extraordinary amount of joy when it becomes time for him to leave the island, though he surely will miss the people he leaves behind.  Mowgli, however, becomes very upset at his friends’ decision for him to exit the jungle.  After discovering he must leave the next day, Kaa tells him that, “It is hard to cast the skin,” to which, “Mowgli sobbed and sobbed, with his head on the blind bear’s side and his arms around his neck, while Baloo tried feebly to lick his feet” (Kipling 333).  Mowgli clearly does not wish to leave the jungle, though he understands that he has certain needs that cannot be accustomed by the jungle for his entire life.  There are certain emotions and traits that Mowgli holds that the jungle is simply unable to teach him. Rather than being surrounded with other beings that are people and can communicate with him on tangible facts of life that he will need in society, Mowgli learns the Law of the Jungle.  Due to a much different environment of learning, Mowgli’s relationship with the jungle differs from Bod’s relationship with the Graveyard.  Both share similar desires, characteristics, and a positive relationship with their place of youth, yet Mowgli’s situation places him in a much more foreign environment, thus he was more uncomfortable with leaving than Bod.