Tikki Tavi Theme Essay

The Obvious Theme of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”
The theme of a piece of literature is the main idea, lesson, or moral you learn after reading it. It reveals a generalization about people or life. It can be stated directly, but most of the time it is stated indirectly and the reader has to figure it out. In the story, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling, the theme of the story is obviously you must face your fears to become a hero. You would be crazy not to think that! Rikki-tikki has to overcome his fears multiple times throughout the story to become a hero. Rudyard Kipling does an excellent job at presenting this theme. Although I strongly believe that the theme is you must face your fears to become a hero, I could also see where some people might interpret the theme as good versus evil.
Rikki-tikki has to face his fears when he kills Nag in the rising action of this story. The story says, “Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra.” This quote from the story shows that even though Rikki-tikki may act tough

and have courage, he is still frightened inside. After Teddy’s father sees the mongoose, he says to Teddy’s mother, “It’s the mongoose again, Alice; the little chap has saved our lives now.” This shows that Rikki-tikki became a hero.
Rikki-tikki also overcomes his fears when he kills Nagaina.

This part of the story moves towards the resolution and shows that the protagonist, Rikki-tikki, really has to be brave, courageous, and face his fears by saying, “and very few mongoose, however wise and old they may be, care to follow a cobra into its hole. It was dark in the hole; and Rikki-tikki never knew when it might open out and give Nagaina room to turn and strike at him.” Rikki-tikki is as brave as a lion. On the other hand, Nagaina is not very brave or courageous because she sends other people to do her work for her. She says to Nag, “Go in quietly, and remember that the big man who killed Karait is the first one to bite. Then come out and tell me, and we will hunt for Rikki-tikki together.” She does not attempt to face any of her fears like Rikki-tikki. She makes other people do things that she is too terrified to do, which is part of the reason why she never

succeeds.
I strongly believe that the theme of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is you must face your fears to become a hero, but I could also see where some readers might interpret the theme as being good versus evil. Rikki-tikki, the protagonist, would represent good and Nag and Nagaina, the antagonists, would portray evil. Rikki-tikki would represent good because he saves the family numerous times. Teddy’s mother, who was not extremely fond of Rikki-tikki at the beginning of the story, starts to show her appreciation for him at the resolution after he kills Nag. She does this by saying, to Teddy’s father, “He saved our lives and Teddy’s life,” and “Just think he saved all our lives.” Nag and Nagaina would represent evil because Nag killed one of Darzee’s babies. “One of our babies fell out of the nest yesterday and Nag ate him.” Also, because Nagaina sends people to do her work for her and they both tried to kill Teddy, his family, and Rikki-tikki.
The author of this story makes it extremely obvious that the theme of this story is you must face your fears to become a hero. Rudyard Kipling uses this theme to help us learn more about people and life. It shows us that you can accomplish anything if you face your fears and are brave and courageous. Rikki-tikki has to do all of these things to become a hero and save the family. You can achieve great things in life if you do not let fear get in the way. Rudyard Kipling makes it extremely apparent that this is the theme of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”.
By: Zoe Cocagne