How much should we expect from our children?

The Jungle Book and The Graveyard Book both illustrate the "ideal" way children should behave and the virtues children should possess. Even-though the two novels were written more than one hundred years apart, they both value similar traits for children. Both authors show the importance of listening to elders and the importance of being knowledgable of the others around them. While they portray similar desirable behaviors for children, the way in which their guardians go about teaching them differs. Bod lives a much more sheltered life in the graveyard than Mowgli does in the jungle, perhaps inferring that adults today think children should not be exposed to harsh realities early in life.

When observing the different places these boys lived, one can see how Bod was sheltered more than Mowgli. For Mowgli, the dangers of the jungle are very real. He learns from an early age that in his home he must learn the Law of the Jungle for there is nothing "in the jungle too little to be killed" (Rudyard 28). At the age of 10, Mowgli has to defend his spot in the jungle when is seems that "the Pack will turn against him" (17). Mowgli is aware throughout his life that death is a consequence if he is not careful or does not obey the Law of the Jungle. Mowgli even witnesses many deaths throughout his time in the jungle further proving the his awareness of the dangers that surround him. Bod, however, is very safe and secure in the graveyard. With the exception of the ghoul gate, there aren't any dangers in the graveyard for Bod. He never has to defend his position in the graveyard to the other ghosts like Mowgli does with the Pack. Even if a ghost does not like Bod, there is nothing they can do to hurt him. For Bod, the consequences of his actions are a lot less clear to him than they are to Mowgli because Bod does not have nearly as many dangers as Mowgli in his home environment. This may be why Bod makes many mistakes in the living world that put himself in danger while Mowgli is typically more cautious when dealing with other people.

The different teachers the boys have also have different approaches of bringing up the boys. Silas keeps many secrets from Bod about his past and the outside world to keep from scaring Bod. When Bod asks why he can't leave the graveyard, Silas replies that it is because the "outside would not be safe for [him]" and does not elaborate about how Jack is trying to kill Bod (Gaiman 37). For much of Bod's life, he is unaware of the dangers that face him outside of the graveyard and it isn't until the end of the novel that Bod finally learns the truth about everything. Mowgli is exposed to all that is going on around him and nothing is hidden from him. At a young age, Mother Wolf tells Mowgli that "Shere Khan was not a creature to be trusted, and that some day he must kill Shere Khan" (Rudyard 15). Nothing about the jungle is sugar-coated or kept from Mowgli. He knows from a very young age about the dangers around him and learns what he must do to protect himself. When questioned about his teaching methods, Baloo responds that it is better for Mowgli to learn these things now "than that he should come to harm through ignorance" (28). Bod is kept in the dark by Silas for much of his life because it is believed that Bod can not handle or be trusted with the harsh facts of the real world. Mowgli, however, is thrust into the Law of the Jungle and is fully aware of all that goes on around him.

From these examples, it can be concluded that some adults today may not think of children to be as capable of dealing with difficult situations as they were thought to be able to in the late nineteenth-century. In The Graveyard Book, readers see a much more sheltered protagonist with an easier lifestyle than the one portrayed in The Jungle Book.