The Son of Tarzan

The Son of Tarzan is an adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first serialized in 1915–16 and published in book form in 1917. It is the fourth Tarzan novel and shifts much of the action to Jack Clayton, the young son of Tarzan and Jane, who has grown up in England knowing little of his father's early life.

Jack is fascinated by Ajax, a trained ape who is really Tarzan's old companion Akut. The animal has been brought to London by the vengeful Alexis Paulvitch; when the scheme collapses, Jack and Akut flee together to Africa and leave civilization behind.

In the jungle Jack grows into Korak the Killer, repeating and altering his father's passage between human and ape worlds. He rescues Meriem from an abusive camp, and their companionship matures as danger and separation test their bond.

Burroughs uses the generational parallel to ask what in Tarzan's identity can be inherited and what must be learned anew. The novel combines pursuit and rescue with the coming of age of a second jungle hero, giving Meriem an equally important struggle for freedom and identity.

"The long boat of the Marjorie W. was floating down the broad Ugambi with ebb tide and current. Her crew were lazily enjoying this respite from the arduous labor of rowing up stream. Three miles below them lay the Marjorie W. herself, quite ready to sail so soon as they should have clambered aboard and swung the long boat to its davits."