Rikki-tikki-tavi's Pride in Rudyard Kipling's Story

Hero or Villain?

The main question is, “Does Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Has a Right To Be Proud of Himself ?” Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a story about the valiant mongoose. Rikki-tikki was introduced to the reader as a protagonist who fought “ single handed” in “great war”(22). He went through the fire fighting the King Cobras. “I am Nag…. Look and be afraid”(24). And why shouldn’t he be proud if he finally accomplished his mission, he saved a life to the family that gave him a new home and called a peace in a garden.

Rikki-tikki proved himself as a patient, tactical, and valiant mongoose. “Rikki-tikki stayed still as death.” until the time came to fight with Nag. He looked at the thickness of the neck below the hood, but that was too much for him; and a bite near the tail would only make Nag savage. ``It must be the head,'' he said at last; ``the head above the hood; and when I am once there, I must not let go.'' So, he first decided what would be the most effective place to bite and only then jumped on his enemy. He was neither afraid of Karait or cobras, he didn’t even get scared of perspective to fight Nagaina in her burrow. “His little white teeth were clenched on her tail, and he went down with her“ The animals in the garden loved Rikki-tikki for his character and of course for the freedom that he was going to give them.

Rikki-tikki also was selfless, and peaceful, however always ready to fight. This story also gets us understanding that Rikki-tikki is ready to sacrifice himself to bring the peace in a garden. ”And very few mongooses, however wise and old they may be, care to follow a cobra into its hole.” According to all above listed Rikki-tikki likes to fight and win, but he also wants peace and safety for himself and other animals which supports this sentence: “and he kept that garden as a mongoose should keep it, with tooth and jump and spring and bit, till never a cobra dared show its head inside the walls.” Brave little mongoose, isn’t this is the perfect guardian for the garden?

All story through author makes you think that Rikki-tikki is a hero, protagonist. As a result, by the end of the story you have a sense that he is. Consequently what it feels like is actually the main thing, at least for me. And in this case, yes, Rikki-tikki-tavi obviously has a right to be proud of himself. He was shown as a kind of a roll model in this story, classical protagonist who is going to fight anyone to protect what he cares about. And obviously he’s going to win. However, as all normal creatures he is not perfect.