Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Summary & Analysis

Kipling starts his story off as a fable. In such stories, animals take on the traits of humans and their actions reflect certain truths about human behavior. Here, Kipling is using the mongoose to embody chivalrous traits like honor and battle-savvy, (and by implication, suggesting that his enemies are vile and unworthy).

The natural world that Rikki-tikki has just departed is harsh and merciless. Kipling’s colonialism shows through here, with a benevolent English family rescuing an Indian mongoose from death and providing him with comfort and protection. This is Rikki-tikki’s first direct taste of the benefits of British civilization. Teddy’s family doesn’t have to do this for him, but they understand the value of mercy. Their presence here asserts order over nature and shows their compassion towards those who are weak and in need of their help.

This section demonstrates a strange synergy between the natural habits of the mongoose and Kipling’s fable-notion that Rikki-tikki is a brave soldier. Rikki-tikki’s innate curiosity allows him to explore his surroundings and become comfortable with them: checking everything out to see if there’s any threats or dangers he doesn’t know about. Furthermore, when Teddy’s father cautions against abusing the animal’s trust, Kipling seems to be telling the British that they cannot abuse “good” Indians like Rikki-tikki. A partnership is implied: fair treatment and respect in exchange for joining the “benevolent” regime of enlightened British rule.

Kipling expands the notions of a benevolent British rule, since Teddy’s father insists that offering protection to this helpless creature will confer benefits to the whole community (such as protection from cobras). Teddy’s father, as a symbol of colonial authority, is shown to be both wise and sensible in this decision, which further reinforces the story’s colonialist overtones. It also demonstrates the benefits of his wisdom: By letting the Indian mongoose “be himself,” rather than trying to change him, they will reap the benefits of dealing with local (Indian) threats from someone who knows the nature of the danger and can respond more effectively than any outsider could hope to. By respecting Rikki-tikki’s Indian identity, he allows everyone to benefit from the unique traits that such an identity brings.

Rikki-tikki appreciates the benefits of living in a big home: nice food that he can eat as he pleases, without having to hunt and kill it. From a colonialist perspective, it also shows that the benefits of British rule can be felt generationally. Since Rikki-tikki’s mother lived in a British house, Rikki-tikki is more open to trusting the British and thus reaping the benefits they provide. That pays off when Rikki-tikki goes from the (civilized) home into the half-wild garden, where Indian “savagery” and the natural world still hold sway. This cements the earlier notion that Britain will be best served by befriending and protecting “good” Indians and allowing them their freedom, enabling them to deal with “wild” native threats in ways that the British never could.

If the garden is a stand-in for India itself (still “wild” in Kipling’s colonialist eyes and full of dangers), then it echoes the natural world and the flood that Rikki-tikki barely survived. The cobra (a “bad” native Indian marked by a symbol of native culture) cannot be trusted to reveal his true feelings, and he demands respect through brute force. Rikki-tikki must help his helpless fellow Indians thwart these dark elements in their own culture and enjoy the benefits of Anglo-Indian civilization.

Facing Nag for the first time, Rikki-tikki draws on both his own direct experience and his instincts as a mongoose to confront his enemy’s wrongdoing. This section demonstrates how the mongoose is becoming a part of two worlds (civilization and nature) while enjoying the benefits of both. He has seen and understands the things that civilization can bring, but he still retains his wild, natural instincts, which prevent him from being afraid of the cobra. He thus gains the best parts of both worlds, suggesting that even though nature (and India) is wild and uncontrolled, it can still provide advantages that would be lost without some measure of freedom.

Rikki-tikki is brave, but he requires the assistance of Darzee to avoid the trap set by the cobras. This demonstrates the value of civilization, and how it can be brought to an ostensibly uncivilized part of the world. In nature (and “native” India, which is assumed to be the same thing in the story), Darzee is weak and therefore useless, since he cannot defend himself against the strong. But because Rikki-tikki doesn’t try to dominate or eat him, he brings the benefit of an extra pair of eyes to the mongoose’s cause. By protecting everyone, the mongoose allows the “weak” Darzee to contribute to Rikki-tikki’s survival, and thus the survival of everyone in the garden.

Kipling contrasts Rikki-tikki’s instincts with his lack of experience. His mongoose nature gives him the psychological weapons to fight the cobras, but because he’s never actually fought them before, he misses opportunities that might otherwise make his work easier. This is an example of building excitement around the narrative. Kipling has established Rikki-tkki’s noble qualities, such as bravery and compassion, as well as the fact that he has numerous innate advantages simply by being a mongoose. By emphasizing his vulnerability, Kipling puts the outcome of the story in doubt.

This passage seems to suggest that Rikki-tikki possesses a certain vanity, since he is proud to have survived the sneak attack from the cobras and proved to himself that his instincts and reflexes can protect him from harm. That runs against the story’s overall portrait of him as a selfless defender of the common good and appears to be a character flaw at first glance, but since Rikki-tikki carefully analyzed the reasons for his success before feeling proud, it’s possible that his pride is his justified reward for a good fight whose flaws and triumphs he thoroughly understands.

Kipling returns to the question of the mongoose’s inexperience here, stating that he doesn’t understand how much more dangerous Karait can be than the larger cobras. Yet unlike Rikki-tikki’s first fight with Nagaina, his lack of experience actually seems to help him. He doesn’t know how fast the baby cobra is, and thus doesn’t stop to think about what might happen if Karait is too fast for him. He simply acts. The passage also emphasizes his courage and swift action (as well as his selfless defense of Teddy), further cementing his image as a brave and noble soldier fighting for the common good of the whole household.

Rikki-tikki demonstrates wisdom here in conserving energy: so long as the cobras remain a threat, Rikki-tikki remains vigilant about preserving his strength and speed. At the same time, Teddy’s father is shown as being foolish and over-cautious because he wastes energy pounding on the baby cobra’s body. From a colonialist perspective, it shows how the ruling British often waste their strength in useless displays of force and suggests that marshalling their resources more effectively can help them “tame” the “savage” native culture they currently rule.

It’s telling that the mongoose is quite exasperated with Chuchundra’s fearful whimpering, and yet concedes that the muskrat is right: speaking to Chua the rat would have been a good idea. This further emphasizes the notion of the common good, and how protecting everyone pays dividends that are not immediately apparent. Chuchundra is like Darzee: small and weak, without the ability to fight back against dangers. But as with Darzee, he demonstrates an ability to contribute to community safety by helping Rikki-tikki spot the cobra. By sharing that information, he contributes to the cobras’ defeat, and reminds Rikki-tikki that even a fighter so marvelous as the mongoose needs the help of the whole community to earn victory.

Armed with the valuable knowledge from Chuchundra, Rikki-tikki has a chance to observe the cobras unseen and perhaps strike back against them. The cobras represent a danger not just to the native animals, but to the human family, as well. Returning to the notion of colonialism, the passage suggests that if the British were to be chased out of India, the country would return to tyrannical rule through fear: just as the garden would be without Teddy’s family protecting it. Rikki-tikki is thus defending more than just colonial rule: he’s protecting India’s supposed “advance” from savagery into civilization. This is a very controversial theme from modern eyes, since India itself has a much different view of British occupation.

Rikki-tikki demonstrates patience in waiting for the exact moment to strike, then tenacity as he hangs on for dear life. Kipling suggests that these are indicative of a noble spirit, with the intelligence to strategize and the boldness to follow through on his actions. More importantly, it defines honor as more important to the mongoose than even his life. He’s accepted the reality that he might die, but if he is killed, he wants his jaws to be found locked in place: presumably so that Teddy’s family will know that he died in their defense. The mongoose specifically maintains that he wants to be found with his teeth locked “for the honor of his family.” Interestingly enough, however, Kipling never stipulates whether that family is his mongoose parents or his adopted human parents; it may even be that he no longer differentiates between the two.

Again, pride in one’s accomplishments is shown as a valid reward for a well-fought battle. Rikki-tikki is allowed to indulge in needed activities like sleep, but also to feel confident and pleased. So again, Kipling allows his hero some justification in feelings that might otherwise be considered vain. He further justifies this pride by demonstrating how it hasn’t blunted Rikki-tikki’s resolve. Nagaina is still out there and while the mongoose is pleased with himself, he hasn’t let his pride deter him from the battles still to be fought. His pride helps his confidence, which he may need, but the mongoose doesn’t allow it to go beyond that.

Though Darzee was helpful earlier in the conflict, his inability to see the bigger picture makes him a hindrance here. It contrasts with Rikki-tikki’s practicality and level-headedness: understanding that the celebration is premature and perhaps even blunting his sense of coming danger. Darzee’s foolishness is compounded by his inability to differentiate between his eggs and the cobras’. From a colonialist perspective, it serves as a quiet criticism of “good” Indians who want to bargain or excuse the actions of “bad” Indians. It doesn’t make him a traitor or a villain, but it does make him a liability, and the story is clear to chide him for such perceived foolishness.

This is another example of the more helpless animals lending aid to Rikki-tikki, making them worthy of saving (as in a civilized society) instead of being abandoned to the strong because they are weak (as in nature). The common good is worth protecting, and that sometimes means taking risks. Darzee’s wife understands that in ways her husband doesn’t, and so she is able to help in ways he can’t. Kipling draws a direct comparison between Darzee’s foolishness and the foolishness of human men (as opposed to women, who are far wiser and more sensible), ensuring that readers don’t miss the point.

This passage demonstrates Kipling’s comparatively flexible morality, and how seemingly negative qualities in his hero are justified for the greater good. Rikki-tikki is destroying unborn eggs, which differs little on the surface from Nag eating the tailorbird’s baby. But while Nag’s actions are purely selfish, Rikki-tikki is acting for the protection of everyone. What could be a case of moral double standards is thus justified because of the ultimate aims of each, making the mongoose’s cunning, deception, and destruction of the eggs chivalrous qualities used for the greater good of all.

Rikki-tikki saves the final egg because he understands its value as a bargaining chip. However, he also can’t let any of the cobras live, and Nagaina has a powerful piece of leverage herself in her ability to kill Teddy or his family with one bite. This forces Rikki-tikki into a difficult tactical calculation about how best to win.

Rikki-tikki has been portrayed as a sound tactician and military strategist, in keeping with his “soldier’s” identity. He’s thus able to game out the cobra’s possible actions and play off of them to get her to do what he needs her to do instead of inflicting harm on anyone else. In addition, Rikki-tikki has morality on his side: the mongoose has consistently worked for the good of everyone instead of his own personal gain. That means he has an ally to turn to in the form of Teddy’s father, whereas Nagaina’s self-interest leaves her alone.

With the stand-off broken and Teddy’s father going for his gun, Nagaina has only one option: make a run for it. Kipling is careful to demonstrate that even this carries dangers, since if Nagaina escapes, she will return. The threat helps emphasize Rikki-tikki’s military prowess along with his courage. He takes a risk by following her into the hole, but he understands that he should face a daunting battle rather than backing down.

Kipling heightens the drama by letting the reader contemplate a terrible fate for Rikki-tikki. By not showing what happens in the hole, Kipling emphasizes how alone Rikki-tikki is in this final battle: none of his allies are there, and his opponent is cornered with nowhere else to go, making her especially dangerous.

With the danger finally over, the triumphant hero gets to enjoy his well-earned rewards. In fact, the whole garden celebrates the benefits he brings: civilization integrating with the wild for the good of all. And yet even here, Kipling emphasizes that these benefits must be constantly defended. Rikki-tikki can’t grow complacent, lest he lose the abilities that allowed him to triumph in the first place and some new threat arises to menace everything he fought to achieve.