Student Question

In "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," are Rikki Tikki's actions of destroying Nag and Nagaina's eggs justified or hypocritical?

Quick answer:

Rikki-Tikki's destruction of Nag and Nagaina's eggs can be viewed as either justified or hypocritical. Some argue it is hypocritical since Rikki criticizes Nag for eating Darzee's baby, yet he destroys snake eggs. However, others argue Rikki's actions are justified as self-defense, as Nag and Nagaina first attempted to kill Rikki and the human family. Thus, Rikki's actions may be seen as a necessary response to protect himself and the family.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The answer to this really depends on your own personal opinion. You can argue Rikki Tikki is hypocritical in the story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," but you can also argue he only attacks the snakes and their eggs in self-defense.

It is certainly possible to say Rikki Tikki is hypocritical. He asks Nag why Nag thinks he should be allowed to eat Darzee’s baby. This implies it is bad to kill the children of other animals. He then goes and kills Nag and Nagaina’s babies that are soon to hatch from their eggs, which for the animals is the moral equivalent of Nag killing Darzee’s baby. It is also hypocritical—or at least silly—to be angry at a snake for eating a baby bird since cobras are carnivores and will eat some living creature no matter what. It is silly to be mad at Nag for doing what his instinct calls him to do.

On the other hand, we can say Rikki Tikki is not being hypocritical. He does not destroy Nag’s children without provocation the way Nag eats Darzee’s child. When Nag first meets Rikki Tikki, he and his wife try to kill the mongoose in cold blood. Later, they try to kill the English family that lives in the bungalow in order to make Rikki Tikki leave. It is only after they do this that Rikki Tikki kills Nag and destroys the eggs. Therefore, we can argue that Rikki Tikki acted in self-defense while Nag did not, making their actions morally different.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial