The Return of Tarzan

In Short

This novel is a classic adventure that tracks the evolution of its protagonist from a man of raw, animal instinct to a figure navigating the complex moral landscapes of the civilized world and the hidden, brutal mysteries of Africa. It follows a relentless pursuit across oceans and deserts, fueled by revenge, kidnapping, and the enduring pull of a deep, primal love. Its lasting appeal lies in the stark contrast between the sophisticated artifice of human society and the uncompromising, exhilarating reality of the wild.

The Story

The story opens on an ocean liner, where the protagonist, Tarzan, happens upon a scene of distress involving the Countess de Coude and two Russian scoundrels, Rokoff and Paulvitch. His intervention earns him the lifelong enmity of the pair, setting off a series of traps and duels in Paris. Tarzan is eventually exonerated through the efforts of his friend, Lieutenant D’Arnot, who reveals the ape-man’s extraordinary upbringing to the French authorities. Despite this, Tarzan remains troubled by the knowledge that the woman he loves, Jane Porter, is bound for marriage to another man.

Driven by a restless spirit, Tarzan sets out for Africa, but his ship is wrecked. He survives, only to find himself once again in the primeval forest. He soon encounters the Waziri, a tribe of warriors, and quickly earns their respect by leading them in a successful campaign against Arab ivory raiders. During his time with them, he hears rumors of Opar, a legendary city of gold, and discovers its location. In Opar, he is captured by a cult of sun-worshippers led by the priestess La, who intends to sacrifice him to their deity. He escapes, but his path soon crosses with that of Jane Porter, who is traveling on a yacht that has suffered a string of harrowing disasters.

The yacht’s passengers, including Jane and her fiancé, Clayton, are castaways in the same harsh territory where Tarzan operates. As they struggle to survive starvation and madness, the narrative tension tightens. Jane is abducted by a band of savage, ape-like men who carry her deep into the wilderness. Tarzan, having returned to Opar to recover gold, learns of her peril and launches a desperate, singular rescue mission. He navigates the city’s labyrinthine tunnels, eventually saving Jane from the brink of death. In the aftermath, the survivors are rescued by a French cruiser. The book concludes with the couple returning to the site of Tarzan’s birth—the jungle cabin where his parents died—to be married in a ceremony that unites his two worlds, while his loyal Waziri warriors cheer from the shore.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Tarzan foils a plot against a countess on a passenger liner, inadvertently triggering a vendetta that follows him from the sea to the streets of Paris. He must use his wits and physical prowess to dismantle the schemes of his enemies while wrestling with his own unrefined nature.

The duel in the dark An entanglement with the law in Paris serves as a turning point, allowing the protagonist to gain legitimacy through the testimony of his only true friend. He manages to secure his freedom, but the unresolved ache of his romantic loss propels him away from civilization.

Back to the primitive Shipwrecked and stripped of his modern identity, he sheds his clothes and his social pretenses to return to the jungle. He finds a new home among the Waziri, becoming their chief and mastering the arts of tribal warfare against brutal raiders.

The city of gold The discovery of the lost city of Opar introduces a new, mystical threat characterized by human sacrifice and ancient treasure. Tarzan faces imprisonment and death, only to be drawn back into the struggle for survival when his past love appears in the jungle.

The rescue The final movement centers on the reunion of the castaways and the protagonist’s ultimate trial. He must infiltrate the heart of Opar once more to save Jane from the savage captors who have brought her to the brink of ruin.

The People

Tarzan serves as the anchor of the narrative, a man struggling to reconcile the "superhuman strength" of his animal upbringing with the moral codes of the men he meets. He seeks a sense of belonging that he only finds once he accepts both his savage past and his potential for nobility. Jane Porter acts as his moral compass; her transition from a sheltered girl to a survivor in the wilderness parallels his own growth. She is the object of his devotion, and her presence transforms his aimless wanderings into a focused mission of protection. Rokoff, the primary antagonist, serves as the antithesis to Tarzan; he is a man of low cunning and malice whose jealousy acts as the engine for much of the early conflict. Lieutenant D’Arnot remains the steady, intellectual ally who provides the bridge between the wild and the civilized world, grounding Tarzan when his instincts threaten to overwhelm him.

In Its Own Voice

“To you,” he continued, turning to Rokoff, “and this includes your accomplice, I may say that from now on to the end of the voyage I shall take it upon myself to keep an eye on you, and should there chance to come to my notice any act of either one of you that might even remotely annoy this young woman you shall be called to account for it directly to me.”

Tarzan issues this ultimatum to the villains who are harassing a woman on the ship, establishing his role as a protector.

“It is no disgrace to fall beneath the superhuman strength of Tarzan of the Apes.”

D’Arnot explains to the police officers why they should not feel humiliated by their defeat at the hands of the jungle-bred man.

“Wild beasts are supposed to be devoid of sentiment,” he said, “but nevertheless I should like to be married in the cabin where I was born, beside the graves of my mother and my father, and surrounded by the savage jungle that always has been my home.”

Tarzan expresses his desire to ground his marriage in the only place that truly defines his identity.

What It's Really About

The central argument concerns the tension between nature and nurture. The protagonist is physically a man of the modern world, yet his psyche is forged by the merciless, objective morality of the jungle. The book probes whether an individual can truly belong to "civilization" when their fundamental responses are dictated by the survival of the fittest. It also explores the concept of the "primitive"—not as a term of derision, but as a state of being that emphasizes honesty, physical capability, and a lack of social hypocrisy. Ultimately, the story suggests that one's true home is not determined by lineage or geography, but by the ability to reconcile the beast within with the heart’s capacity for love.

Why Read It Today

This book is for those who enjoy high-stakes adventure and a sense of wonder, where the pace is unrelenting and the settings range from the glittering salons of Paris to the dark, oppressive depths of an African jungle. It is a quintessential piece of early 20th-century fantasy, offering a window into a different era of storytelling that favored sweeping arcs over internal psychological navel-gazing. Readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes regarding colonial Africa and the portrayal of indigenous people, which are firmly rooted in the time of its writing. While some of the dialogue and social dynamics may feel stiff or archaic, the pure, visceral joy of the action sequences—the traps, the escapes, and the fights—remains remarkably effective. It is an ideal read for anyone who wants to escape into a world where a hero’s worth is measured not by his status, but by his endurance and his capacity to protect those he holds dear. It lingers in the mind as a reminder of the raw, unadorned power of the mythic hero, leaving the reader with the image of a man who, despite his immense power, finds his greatest peace in the simple, quiet corners of his own history.