He Conquered the Jungle: A Celebration of the Indefatigable Human Spirit

Abstract

This paper celebrates the indefatigable human spirit of the protagonist in Kesava Reddy’s novel He Conquered the Jungle. In every part of the story, his courage, determination and endurance for survival is expressed. He sets the best example to the younger generation who lacks in these qualities. The story spins around just for a night, but the experience of the protagonist from dusk to dawn is compared with the lifespan of humankind from birth to death. One will certainly admire this 70 year old protagonist who bravely faces all his hardships when he tries to save his sow and the piglets in the jungle. Though he suffers the greatest misfortunes and endures countless blows of ill luck, he says that is not the last day of his life. When he feels he is defeated, he stands up like a real hero and says he has other responsibilities to do, so he has to live. This optimistic view of life should be strongly inculcated in the young minds. To be a hero, one need not bring only success. A person who can face the problems confidently is also a hero. He/she is also a conqueror. Like the old man, who has conquered the jungle, everyone will be a conqueror if he/she has the indefatigable spirit within him/her.