The consequences of curiosity

In the Jungle Book and The Graveyard book, Mowgli and Bod both exhibit loyalty to their society’s inhabitants but the two characters sometimes disobey due to their curious tendencies. Bod decides to take the brooch in order to help the dead, while Mowgli takes the ankus out of greed. Both characters are threatened, but Mowgli is able to handle the situation independently, while Bod depends on those around him.

 When Mowgli takes the ankus, he knows little of its value. Mowgli refers to the treasure as a “thorn-pointed thing”(Kipling 252) and wants it out of greed, yet he disregards White Hood warnings about its consequences.  Though Mowgli has no reason to believe the warnings and is threatened by White Hood, his instinct to kill out of greediness for ankus reflects Mowgli’s lack of boyish trust. However, Mowgli finally listens to Bagheera’s warnings about the ankus and the death it brings saying “If I had known this, I wouldn’t have taken it.” (Kipling 255). White Hood had already warned Mowgli of the ankus’s tendencies but Mowgli shows loyalty by only disposing of the ankus after talking with Bagheera. Over the course of Mowgli’s interaction with the ankus, six humans die, but Mowgli has no direct punishment. This differs from when Mowgli interacted with the monkeys and received several “love taps” upon his return. The absence of punishment reflects the jungle’s newfound trust in Mowgli’s curiosity and decisions.

In comparison to Mowgli, Bod’s curiosity is more restrained, but Bod disobeys for the good of others. Bod is warned about Potter’s field and a visit would “not be advisable”(Gaiman 106), but when Bod falls into the field, a witch meets him with kindness. When Bod enters the tomb to steal the brooch, Bod, like Mowgli is met with warning, but Bod leaves with his brooch rather than pursue to harm the Sleer. Unlike Mowgli, Bod knows the value of what he is stealing and wishes to use it to buy a tombstone. Bod is not above the advice of others as he takes the card with Jack’s name and exits the pawnshop as Liza advises him. As with Mowgli and White Hood, Bod had no reason to trust Liza, but does so due to her previous kindness and the desperate nature of the situation. Bod is treated in a more childish way than Mowgli, as he receives spankings and is affected by the “look of worry on Mrs. Owen’s face.” (Gaiman 141).  Such punishment shows Bod is still considered a dependent of the graveyard and is still being taught that which is right and wrong.

Bod and Mowgli both disobey by taking things that aren’t theirs, but only Bod is met with direct consequence. Such comparison shows Mowgli is held more accountable for his actions, as he returns the ankus on his own and listens to only a select amount of advice he is given. Bod only exits his situation by trust and still needs help navigating the world around him. While both characters are still loyal to those who raised them, these situations highlight Mowgli has become a master of his surroundings while Bod is still a sheltered dependent.

Who is the Audience

Who is the Audience

                The Jungle Book and The Graveyard Book display two male protagonists who largely differ in their respective response to the law in which they are governed.  Mowgli in the Jungle Book is governed by the strict law of the jungle, a system “As old and as true as the sky,” (p 172), while Bod faces a more lenient law of the graveyard which can often be disregarded with situational necessities.  Both law systems hold large influences on each of the characters’ lives but the actual responses of the characters to the systems reflects the cultural background of each author and convey the values of each authors’ respective countries. 

The responses of each protagonist displays each of the authors’ home country values and allows readers of similar cultural beliefs to aspire to be more like the protagonists used.  Great Britain, the home of The Graveyard Book’s author Neil Gaiman and his protagonist Bod, instills an egalitarian and risk seeking attitude.  Egalitarianism stated simply is the acceptance for one to challenge authority regardless of age, gender, or other factors on the basis that everyone is equal and thus equally able to define authority.  The risk-taking dimension defines failure as an opportunity to learn rather than an unacceptable act.  The mindset of countries such as Great Britain, according to GlobeSmart (an online assessment profile of country cultural dimensions), are strongly egalitarian and accepting towards risk.  Citizens of like countries find rewards in The Graveyard Book towards challenging authority through Bod’s ability to succeed in opposition to the laws.  By disregarding the laws about the Potter’s Field, Bod is able to make a friend in the witch, who in turn is able to leave the graveyard and help Bod in multiple situations throughout the book (both with the men at the pawn shop and with the police).  Furthermore, the punishments for Bod’s breaking of the the law are minimal and often accepting in some form.  For instance Miss Lepescu, after rescuing Bod from the goblins, reprimands Bod orally but then changes to accommodate Bod and begins to recognize his personal needs and cook better food for him.  Cultural values are reinstilled in the Great Britain and the Western Hemisphere audiences who read Gaiman’s book.

The same appeals to audiences exist in The Jungle Book.  India, Kipling’s home country, opposes Great Britain, according to GlobeSmart, in its views of egalitarianism and risk-taking (being hierarchical and risk averse).  Hierarchical means that status is important and disregarding status is highly disrespectful.  With status comes respect and the same is true for authority and law.  Risk aversion consists of the negative view of failure and the humiliation faced when failure is realized.  With these values, it becomes more apparent why Mowgli is reprimanded so harshly at the hands of Baloo when he disobeys the laws.  Also, little to nothing is accomplished when Mowgli breaks the laws.  Instead we see the law of the jungle hold a strong role throughout Mowgli’s life and the life of the other animals.  For instance when an animal, like the crocodile, disobeys the law and harms a human the animal is rightfully punished as the white men come and disrupt the life of the guilty animal.  Furthermore, animals who disregard the law are disregarded themselves.  For instance, almost all of the animals of the jungle ignore the monkeys and refuse to deal with them because they disregard the laws of the jungle; their status is very low.  Citizens of India-like countries see Mowgli as an aspiration because Mowgli achieves much from following the laws and is respected by his status in comparison to all those whom which he interacts.

The intended audience influences the view and the outcome in the interaction of the laws and society presented in each of these works.  The protagonist of each author tries to appeal to the reader and make the reader want to be similar to them through the maintenance of the audience’s values.  This explains why Kipling’s protagonist exemplifies values for hierarchy and aversion and Gaiman’s Bod demonstrates egalitarianism and risk-taking characteristics.  Both of these characteristics define differing cultural boundaries between the two audiences and the countries in which they represent.

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Mowgli and Bod: Circumstantial evidence

Both The Graveyard Book and The Jungle Book, can be interpreted as a behavior manual for children. Each work concentrates on slightly different values however both place a strong emphasis on obedience. The differences between cultures from modern day, and that of Kipling’s time are accentuated, especially in terms of the ways children should act.

Both books stress the importance of a teacher other than their parents. This figure is a respectable role model for the child who acts as both a friend and a mentor for the growing child. Bod learns from Silas who serves as a bridge between the live and the dead which he states himself “I am neither” (Graveyard Book 149). Similarly Bagheera serves as a bridge between the animals and the humans in that he was “born among men” (Jungle Book 16). Because these two mentors are associated with both sides of heritage of the children, they can help Bod and Mowgli understand their place in society.

Both books also stress the importance of obedience. Bod in general is fairly obedient. He stays within his realms within the Graveyard, and learns his lessons without much of a problem. Mowgli similarly memorizes the entire law of the Jungle, which is bolstered with his experiences with the monkeys. Both books utilize a story about breaking the rules, which has negative consequences (Mowgli and the Bandar-Log, and Bod with the Ghouls). Since they didn’t follow the rules, they found out why the rules exist.

However Mowgli and Bod’s personalities seem to differ as both grow older. As Bod grows older he begins to become slightly more independent and have his own ideas. Silas works with Bod’s needs and agrees that “we should do our best to satisfy your interest in stories and book and the world” (Graveyard Book 210). Bod has a need for knowledge, which allows him to grow as an individual to become more accustomed to his own people. However Mowgli, eventually still prefers the jungle, and finds fault with many of the men from the same culture of his origin. Instead of knowledge, Mowgli is thrown into a position of leadership. He has influence over all of the creatures in the jungle however they maintain that he must go back to his people “Akela by the river said it, that Mowgli should drive Mowgli back to the Man-Pack” (Jungle Book 332).

Each of these characters under different circumstances grow up in similar ways, but develop separately in terms of their circumstance.

Using Secrecy to Breed Curiosity

Bagheera the black panther can be equated to Silas in The Graveyard Book due to similarities in personality and respective abilities. Both figures are primarily teachers and protectors of the protagonist in each story, but each adopts a different style of education. Both Silas and Bagheera have considerable clout within their communities due to their respective physical abilities and accumulated reputations. Silas is known as one who can transcend the world of the living and the dead, just as Bagheera straddles the Pack and the Jungle. The defining factor between these two teachers is their use of secrets to educate their pupils; Silas prefers secrecy, while Bagheera remains rather open to prolonged discussion. In either situation, each teacher realizes that they must give their pupil’s the opportunity to experience the world independently if they are to fully develop into adult human beings.

In the story “Mowgli’s Brothers”, Bagheera is described as someone that everyone knows, and no one dares cross his path (Jungle Book 30).  Additionally, it is shown that Bagheera has “eyes and ears everywhere,” granting him access to happenings outside of the protagonist’s immediate sphere of concern (Jungle Book 36). Bagheera has the foresight to warn Mowgli of the danger that lurks in the Jungle in the form of Shere Kahn, and he works to prepare Mowgli for his eventual confrontation with that danger. Bagheera even goes so far as to sacrifice himself physically in an effort to protect Mowgli from the Bandar-Log, and uses the moment as a teaching opportunity to show his pupil the consequences of poor choices (Jungle Book 94). Mowgli sees that his choice to follow the monkeys resulted in the injury of his loved ones, and it spurred him to change his behavior.

Silas mirrors these principles of guardianship in The Graveyard Book when he teaches Bod about the Graveyard and the world of the living. Silas also has access to the world beyond Bod’s reach, just as Bagheera does in The Jungle Book. This is significant because Silas chooses to keep a great many secrets from Bod, in contrast with Bagheera’s decision to share most information with his pupil Mowgli. Throughout Bod’s development in the Graveyard he is left searching for clues to the identity of the things that wish to harm him, because Silas chooses not to fill him in on the details of the danger at hand. This is in stark contrast to Bagheera’s choice to tell tales of Shere Kahn and speak about him openly to Mowgli, as the reader sees in the story “Kaa’s Hunting”. Silas continues to deliberately keep secrets from Bod throughout the story, and simply discontinues conversation when Bod asks about the identity of his hunters (Graveyard Book 210). In the end, both pupils are successful in conquering their respective threats, largely due to the teachings of their guardians, and the secrets shared or kept from them in their lessons. Mowgli uses his knowledge of Shere Khan’s lameness to defeat him (Jungle Book 121), but this victory is largely dependent on Mowgli’s knowledge of the surrounding landscape, just as Bod’s success comes from his familiarity with the Graveyard (Graveyard Book 285). Even though both students learn a great deal from their guardians, it is the knowledge they gain from their independent experiences that allows them to overcome obstacles in their lives.

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.

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.

Comparing Bod and Mowgli

Throughout our discussions of The Jungle Book and The Graveyard Book thus far, the class seems to only want to focus on how Bod and Mowgli differ in their behaviors within their respective habitats. While I would agree that the two are immensely different in how they interact with others around them, the two protagonists demonstrate high degrees of cunning and thus prove to the guardians of the graveyard or the jungle that the two boys will be able to take care of themselves upon leaving their adoptive families
Mowgli shows his courage and bravery many times throughout The Jungle Book, but the most obvious example comes at the defeat of Shere Khan. Throughout Mowgli's time in the jungle, he has always known to be wary of Shere Khan and the tiger's desire to kill him. So, when Mowgli leaves the jungle to become integrated into a nearby human village, Shere Khan decides to make a move for Mowgli as he herds a pasture of cows. Using his cunning, Mowgli used his friends from the Jungle to aid him in luring his cattle to a stampede over Shere Khan, killing the beast.
Bod performs a similar feat in the graveyard when the Jacks of All Trades ambush him in the graveyard in a similar act of malice as Shere Khan. Bod uses cunning, much like Mowgli's, to defeat each member of the organization, using the graveyard and its resources to trap and break the ankle of one Jack, banish another three to the void of ghouls located within a grave, and pull the final Jack into another void "through the (mausoleum) wall, pulled into the rock, being swallowed up by it" (Gaiman 285), all acts boding ill for the organization.
In both situations, the boys had a lot to lose if their plans had gone wrong or not been enacted at all. Clearly, had no action been taken, the boys would have likely been murdered at the hands of their enemies. And if the plans had gone wrong, Mowgli could have lost Akela, his friend, and the herd of cattle to Shere Khan, or Bod could have lost  his friend Scarlett to the man Jack. Through the boys' bravery and cunning, the jungle and the graveyard ended up much safer than when Shere Khan or the man Jack had been on their hunts for the boys.
Through their courage, Mowgli and Bod demonstrate that although the two may have differences in the manner they were raised or how their environment shaped who they would later become, bravery and cunning could be found in both boys and through these traits they positively aided their respective homes.