Maternal Love Overcomes Hatred and Forges Tarzan’s Identity The story asks what part a mother plays in a boy’s transformation into a man, answering through Kala, a grieving mother who hears a distant cry, plunges into danger, and rescues Tarzan from the jaguar’s aftermath. Though he is not her child nor even her species, she defends him fiercely and defies the tribe leader Kirchak, whose brief rage cannot withstand her enduring love. As Tarzan grows and makes mistakes, Kirchak’s contempt convinces him he can never belong, sowing self-hatred that might have turned him into the very monster feared. Kala counters with a different fire, teaching him to feel beyond appearances and to see flaws and failures as part of shared humanity, renewing his faith and turning it back toward the tribe.
Letting Go With Love Reveals Motherhood’s Human Strength When Tarzan must choose between the gorillas and civilization, Kala reveals his origins and promises to support whatever he decides, bearing the unbearable pain of letting go. Her love is measured not by ease but by the difficulty of honoring that promise, even as his return in human clothing makes clear he chose a path she did not expect and it stings like personal loss. Believing he no longer needs her, she turns away, and he answers her pain by assuring she will always be his mother and he will always carry her in his heart, offering the same unconditional love she once used to heal him. More compelling than his later reconciliation with Kirchak is this arc that exposes the vulnerable human beneath heroism, showing that motherhood requires inner strength, not just instinct, and asking us to grow up alongside Tarzan by loving her more for her humanity.