The Beast in the Jungle

Protagonist John Marcher, whose consciousness is the subject of The Beast in the Jungle, is consumed by an obsessive anticipation of a momentous event that he believes will define his life. He lives under the shadow of what he describes as the “Beast in the Jungle,” an image that externalizes and exoticizes his sense of self. This notion shapes his entire being and dictates his interactions, leading him to avoid close relationships under the guise of protecting others from the weight of his secret. It inhibits his ability to form attachments and memories; in his meeting with May Bartram, Marcher misremembers the date and location of their previous encounter and almost immediately fantasizes about a more exciting past that would have lived up to his standards of an “event.”

Marcher desires to appear as an ordinary man, yet in his imagination he is extraordinary, set apart by his destiny. He convinces himself that his avoidance of close bonds is a selfless act, despite the contradiction this belief creates. His dealings with May expose his true nature; he relies on her for support without offering genuine intimacy or marriage in return, making her merely an observer of his life. His egoism extends to his conviction that avoiding marriage is a moral choice, aimed at protecting a potential wife from the repercussions of his “dramatic fate.” He views simple gestures, such as taking May to the opera, as adequate thanks for her devotion, showcasing his skewed view of their relationship. Marcher’s selfish fear of losing May, the person who affirms his supposed destiny, deepens with the revelation of her illness; his grief is focused less on losing her, but instead around her absence during the arrival of the Beast. Moreover, the possibility that his significant event might never transpire amplifies his distress, leading him to prefer a catastrophic destiny over none at all.

The story culminates with Marcher’s realization that May had understood his destiny and that it had been fulfilled without his noticing. Nonetheless, he remains willfully ignorant of May’s love until finally recognizing that the greatest tragedy of his life was squandering it; May had loved him all along, and his failure to return her love was his Beast. Marcher discovers this unpleasant truth too late: He is an ordinary man with the same yearning for love as everyone else. Thus, he is left to grapple with the consequences of his egocentrism. May Bartram, through her death, leaves Marcher with an irreplaceable void, ending his futile quest for a grand destiny, replaced by the painful realization of what he never had.