Abstract

Abstract: Ever since the British colonists blessed tiger hunting as the cardinal "royal" sport of the Haut monde , a surge of interest took place among the leisure class to travel to the British Raj in order to re-practice their ancestral fox hunting on foreign hunting grounds—this time with a more fearsome quarry. Since tigers were considered exotic and fierce creatures, overpowering these beasts secured a certain cachet for the victor, signifying his virility and manliness. As a result, the encounter between man and the tiger—both in the metaphoric and non-metaphoric sense—provided a literary trope for the twentieth-century writers who associated the animal with the erotic hunger of the male protagonists. By studying the traditional beliefs surrounding these mystical creatures, the present article reads some of the notable literary fictions of the twentieth century that use the tiger as a central animal motif— The Beast in the Jungle (1903), Death in Venice (1912), and The Remains of the Day (1989)—in light of each other.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.