What are the Biblical allusions in Tarzan of the Apes?

Answer 1

The obvious answer is the Garden of Eden. There was a religious element in one of the television episodes , where the Ape Man came to the aid of Missionary Nuns- who were played by none other than Diana Ross and The Supremes-= a change of habit indeed! In the novel there were more explicit religious angles- such as his auto-circumcision with a hunting knife- not for tv obviously- it was never entirely explained why he did this, a most un-natural action.(from an evolutionary point of view).

Answer 2

While showcasing and test-casing evolution- and in human form Lord Greystoke was of the nobililty- there is also a strong Biblical allusion to the Garden Of Eden, which is in some ways quite different than a hostile jungle environment. There may well be a religious component to Tarzan in the novels more than the films- Tarzan, for no explained reason, as a child, does a (do it yourself) circumcision with a hunting knife- this may well be his ever-trusted Bowie. By the way Bowie knives originated with James Bowie in Texas ante- l836- he died at the battle of the Alamo- in l836.