Question

How does Rikki-tikki’s decision to destroy Nagaina’s eggs contribute to the story?

Accepted Answer

Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy Nagaina's eggs contributes to the story by driving the action forward towards the main conflict and ensuring that there will be no more cobras in the garden, at least in the immediate future. The destruction of the eggs leads to the final conflict between Rikki-tikki and Nagaina.

Answer

Rikki-tikki realizes that if Nag and Nagaina's eggs are allowed to hatch, then cobras will continue their reign of terror in this part of the world. As Rikki-tikki is determined to protect his human family at all costs, he simply cannot allow this to happen. To this end, killing Nag and Nagaina won't be enough; the next generation of cobras must be destroyed.
Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy the cobra's eggs raises the stakes, making the story a good deal more dramatic than it otherwise would've been. Now Nag and Nagaina are not just involved in an epic struggle for survival; they're also embroiled in a fight that will determine whether or not cobras will continue to live in the forest. Nothing less than the survival of the species—at least in this part of the world—is as stake.
The stage is then set for an epic showdown between Rikki-tikki, who's determined to ensure that no more cobras will live in the forest, and Nag and Nagaina, who are equally determined that the species will live on. The forest is their home, and they'll be damned if any creature, least of all a little mongoose, is going to drive them and their descendants from it.

Answer

Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy Nagaina's eggs drives the plot of the story towards the final conflict, contributes to the characterization of the animals in the story, and proves his dedication to protecting Teddy's family. Although Rikki-tikki successfully killed the menacing Nag, he must also fight Nagaina in order to ensure the bungalow's safety and conclude the story.
Kipling uses Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy Nagaina's eggs to drive the plot forward towards their final battle and enhance the suspense of the story. Rikki-tikki recognizes that Nagaina's eggs mean there will be more threatening cobras in the future. By destroying her eggs, Rikki-tikki exercises forethought, which contributes to his characterization as an intelligent, clever mongoose, who is dedicated to protecting Teddy's family.
 
Darzee's refusal to distract Nagaina characterizes him as a thoughtless, sensitive bird, while his wife is portrayed as a helpful, courageous individual. Nagaina's reaction to having her eggs destroyed also creates sympathy for her character and depicts her emotional depth. She is horrified when she discovers that Rikki-tikki has destroyed every egg but one and immediately focuses her attention on saving her final egg. By destroying the majority of Nagaina's eggs, Rikki-tikki is able to use her final egg to his advantage, prove his dedication to protecting Teddy's family, and prevent future cobras from inhabiting the garden.

Answer

Rikki-tikki’s decision contributes to the story by driving the action forward towards the main conflict, which plays out between Rikki and Nagaina. Rikki is acutely aware that while it’s all well and good that he has successfully killed Nagaina’s husband, Nag, the presence of cobra eggs means more cobras to worry about in the not-too-distant future. His decision to destroy the eggs shows us not only the depth of his hatred for the cobras, but also the extent of his determination to protect Teddy and his family.
The decision to destroy Nagaina’s eggs makes Darzee’s wife a more prominent character in the story. I would argue that she takes on the role of deuteragonist by pretending that her wing is broken to distract Nagaina, giving Rikki the time he needs to destroy the eggs.
The fact that Rikki is distracted by the task of destroying the eggs contributes to the story by giving Nagaina an opportunity to attack Teddy and his family unhindered. However, her plan to kill them is thwarted by Darzee’s wife, who warns Rikki about what Nagaina is up to.
His decision to destroy the eggs—as well as the existing snakes—results in him being made a permanent part of Teddy’s family.

Answer

Rikki-tikki's decision points the story toward its climatic battle between Rikki and Nagaina. Even though Nagaina's husband, Nag, has been killed, Rikki realizes that he must destroy her eggs to prevent more cobras in the garden. Darzee, a helpful bird, tells Rikki the location of Nagaina's eggs, then lures her away from them by pretending to have a crippled wing.
While Rikki-tikki is destroying the eggs, however, Nagaina stops chasing Darzee and instead corners Teddy to exact revenge for Teddy's father shooting Nag. Rikki saves one egg, then rushes over and taunts Nagaina, distracting her just long enough for Teddy's father to yank his son out of reach.
After saving Teddy's life, Rikki-tikki chases Nagaina into her hole, then emerges victorious a few minutes later. His heroic actions endear him to the family, whom he represents in the "man vs. nature" conflict against the snakes. His decision to destroy the eggs symbolized his devotion to Teddy, who had found him unconscious after a flood and nursed him back to health, and Teddy's family.

Answer

Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy Nagaina's eggs is significant because he is able to get her attention while she stares down Teddy in the bungalow. Rikki-tikki wisely destroys twenty-four of Nagaina's twenty-five eggs and carries the last remaining egg with him into the bungalow, where Nagaina is focused on killing Teddy. Rikki-tikki is able to get Nagaina's attention by mentioning her eggs. As soon as Nagaina turns her head to look at her nest, Teddy's father grabs his son and pulls him to safety. Rikki-tikki holds onto Nagaina's last remaining egg as he begins dancing around her in circles. If Rikki-tikki had not destroyed twenty-four of Nagaina's twenty-five eggs, he would not have been able to get her attention while she prepared to strike Teddy. Rikki-tikki's decision to destroy Nagaina's eggs saves Teddy's life and allows Rikki-tikki to take the offensive in their conflict.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

How does Rikki-tikki’s decision to destroy Nagaina’s eggs contribute to the story?

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