Mowgli | Jungle Book, Indian Folklore, Kipling (2024)

Mowgli, fictional character, an Indian boy raised by wolves who is the central figure in Rudyard Kipling’s collection of children’s stories included in The Jungle Book (1894) and its sequel (1895).

A character by the name of Mowgli first appeared in Kipling’s story “In the Rukh” (1892; collected in Many Inventions, 1893). In this story he is an adult who, from time to time, refers to his unusual childhood.

Mowgli | Jungle Book, Indian Folklore, Kipling (2)

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Getting Into Character

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

Mowgli | Jungle Book, Indian Folklore, Kipling (2024)

FAQs

What is the message of the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling? ›

A major theme in the book is abandonment followed by fostering, as in the life of Mowgli, echoing Kipling's own childhood. The theme is echoed in the triumph of protagonists including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal over their enemies, as well as Mowgli's.

What is the summary of Mowgli's Brothers by Rudyard Kipling? ›

"Mowgli's Brothers" is the first story about Mowgli in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. This yarn tells how Mowgli came to the wolves as a baby boy, how Shere Khan the tiger became his enemy, how he was accepted into the Seeonee wolf pack, and how Baloo and Bagheera became his teachers.

What is the moral of the story of Mowgli? ›

Moral of the Story: Jungle Book

The most important life lesson taught by the story “Jungle Book” is not to be a coward. Instead, we need to confidently face our fears and triumph over them. This is shown beautifully in the story of how bravely and confidently Mowgli faces the Tiger - Sher Khan.

Is Kaa good or bad in Mowgli? ›

2016 live-action/CGI hybrid film

This version of Kaa is female and voiced by Scarlett Johansson. As in the 1967 film, Kaa is a villain desiring to hypnotize and eat Mowgli but like the 2003 sequel Kaa has a minor role.

What does Mowgli symbolize in The Jungle Book? ›

Indeed, a classic way of reading the tales is as an allegory for the position of the white colonialist born and raised in India, and Mowgli, the Indian boy who becomes 'Master' of the jungle, is understood to be 'behaving towards the beasts as the British do to the Indians' (as John McLure, author of Kipling and Conrad ...

What happens to Mowgli at the end of the story? ›

Where the original 1967 animated feature ended with Mowgli being seduced into returning to the “man village” by a pair of feminine eyes, Favreau's film sends the boy hero (played by newcomer Neel Sethi) back to his wolf pack in the wake of vanquishing the menacing tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), while his animal pals ...

Who is Mowgli's main enemy in The Jungle Book? ›

Shere Khan (शेर खान شیر خان Śēr Khān, "Tiger King" ("Khan" is a common title of Indian Muslim lordship and royalty); Bengal tiger) – a vicious man-eating Bengal Tiger who is the only recurring animal villain and the archenemy of Mowgli.

What is the most famous book of Rudyard Kipling in which the main character was Mowgli the man's cub was called? ›

The Jungle Book was written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894. It was originally a collection of stories that Kipling wrote while he lived in India. The most famous of the stories were those that Kipling wrote about Mowgli, a man-cub raised by wolves in the jungle.

What is the theme of Mowgli legend of the jungle? ›

Throughout the movie, Mowgli struggles to find his identity and where he belongs. He's just a boy trying to choose between two families who both need him: his family from the jungle and a human village he grows to love. “Mowgli” also brings in the idea of man versus nature through the appearance of a British poacher.

What does Mowgli come to realize at the end of the movie? ›

At the end of the film, Mowgli finally understood what a human is when he met Shanti, a very beautiful girl from the Man Village. He felt instinctually drawn to his own kind and quickly realized that what he feels for another human is something he can never feel for an animal.

Why is Mowgli not afraid of what he must do? ›

Why is Mowgli not afraid of what he must do? Mowgli is not afraid because he has Baloo and Bagheera 11. What does Bagheera reveal to Mowgli about his own past? Bagheera reveals to Mowgli that he was born among a man.

Why did the snake save Mowgli? ›

Initially, Kaa cared nothing about Mowgli and only saved him from the bandar-log because Bagheera lied to him that they insulted the python. However, once he meets Mowgli for the first time, the latter shows his gratitude for saving him. Kaa is surprised by his fearless attitude and begins to respect him for that.

Why did Kaa want to eat Mowgli? ›

While not inherently malevolent, Kaa is still a fairly villainous character. His first attempt to devour Mowgli was a casual and opportunistic means to eat and survive.

What snake was Kaa? ›

Kaa is a species of rock python that, while it isn't as massive as the 2016 film depicts, can grow over 20 feet long. Kaa's scientific name is Python molurus. These snakes live in India as well as Pakistan and southeast Asia.

Who betrayed Mowgli? ›

It was the younger wolves of the Seeonee Pack who betrayed Mowgli, and it was because he was a man and because Shere Khan convinced the younger wolves that no man should run with the pack.

Which identifies the main conflict in Mowgli's brothers? ›

Shere Khan wants to kill Mowgli.

What is the point of view in Mowgli's Brothers? ›

The story uses a third-person-omniscient point of view. It is told by a narrator who is not a character, who uses third-person pronouns to refer to the other characters, and who knows the thoughts of the jackal as well as the wolves.

What is the narrative point of view used in Mowgli's brothers? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

"The third person is predominately used as the narrative point of view throughout this story's chapters. The narrator is not a part of what is happening and is only reporting what they have seen. In a few passages, a third person observer appears to be aware of the characters' presence.

Which sentence from Mowgli's Brothers best describes the resolution? ›

The sentence from "Mowgli's Brothers" that best describes the resolution is: "Now I know thou art a man, and a man's cub no longer." This sentence signifies the resolution because it represents the moment when Mowgli, the main character, is acknowledged as a human and no longer seen as a "man's cub." It marks the end ...

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