"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a short story set in India during the colonial era. The story is told in the third person through a narrator. In this story, a family with a small child named Teddy adopts a mongoose and names him Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Rikki loves the family for saving his life after a monsoon washed him from his family burrow. He protects the family and garden animals from the cobras, Nag and Nagaina, who threaten the garden animals and want to kill Teddy and his family so they can take over the bungalow. Rikki battles the cobras and wins, saving the family and the garden.
Rikki and Nag
The story was written by Rudyard Kipling. Although a renowned writer, Kipling had very colonialist and racist viewpoints, which occasionally made their way into his stories. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is unfortunately one of those tales.
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" Characters
The main characters of "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" are:
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: The protagonist of the story. A protagonist is usually the main character or hero of a story and is responsible for driving the plot forward. Rikki is a small, brave mongoose who lives with Teddy's family and protects the garden wildlife, Teddy, and Teddy's family. As the protagonist, Rikki personifies bravery, confidence, and loyalty. He is brave and full of confidence when he battles the cobra's Nag and Nagaina. He is loyal to Darzee, Darzee's wife, and his human family, and he stands up to Nag and Nagaina.
Nag and Nagaina: The male and female cobras who rule the garden of the family's home are the antagonists of this hero's journey-styled plot. Antagonists are often the villains of a story and usually represent an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome and defeat to reach a goal. Nag and Nagaina have different reactions when the story reaches the climax and Nagaina faces losing her eggs. She pleads with Rikki to spare her children, which shows her softer side. Ultimately, Rikki outwits and defeats the villains.
Teddy: The young British boy who saves Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and befriends him. When Teddy is attacked by the cobras, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi saves him, just as Teddy once saved Rikki. The young boy is innocent and appeals to the reader's memory of the purity and safety of childhood.
Teddy's mother: Alice is a sweet, kind, empathetic woman.
Teddy's father: He is a British soldier and a protective father. He acknowledges Rikki's bravery in saving Teddy, Alice, and him from the cobra Nag. Nagaina believes Teddy's father killed Nag and seeks vengeance by attacking Teddy.
Chuchundra: The muskrat in the garden who is afraid of the cobras and wants to avoid confrontation.
Karait: A snake in the garden (and antagonist) who tries to bite Teddy early in the story. Rikki kills Karait to protect Teddy.
Darzee: A tailorbird who lives in the garden with his wife and family. He is afraid of Nag and Nagaina, so he rarely leaves his nest. He is a silly character who sings and provides commentary but offers little help against the threat of the cobras.
Darzee's wife: She is an active character who is angry at Nag for eating one of her babies. She helps Rikki win the battle against the cobras by pretending to be wounded and providing a distraction.