Hero or villain? Hero or villain? that is the question when considering the character of the mongoose in Rudyard Kipling's short story "Rikki-tikki-tavi". In the story, Rikki-Tikki the mongoose takes great measures to protect his human family from fatal attacks by a family of king cobras. Rikki is first introduced as the main character who fought “alone” in the “great war” (22). Furthermore, Kipling concludes the telling of the story with the following statement: "Rikki-tikki had a right to be proud of himself, but he did not become too proud..." (34) While Rikki honorably protected his family from cobras, he did not he should be proud of his actions due to the fact that he was ruthless in his dealings and even bragged about his killings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Rikki's actions reveal a heartless and cruel heart. First of all, Rikki does not hesitate to kill all the baby snakes that were yet to be born. “He bit off the tops of the eggs as fast as he could, taking care to crush the young cobras… at least there were only three eggs left, and Rikki-tikki began to giggle to himself,” (30). While Rikki may have considered killing the snake eggs to protect his human family a necessary evil, his cackle conveys a twisted enjoyment of this mission that leaves his character in question. When Nagaina learns from Rikki-Tikki that all but one of her eggs were destroyed by Rikki-Tikki, she begs Rikki-Tikki to let her take the only egg and promises to leave and never return. Rikki Tikki refuses. “Yes, you will leave and never come back; for you will go to the rubbish heap with Nag. fight the widow…”(31) perhaps Rikki Tikki doubts his sincerity, but he doesn't give this appeal even a second's consideration. In light of these events, Rikki's strength seems to lie in heartlessness and cruelty. Rikki-tikki killed cobras who just wanted to get a good home for their family, moreover, he gloried in his killings. "Quick Chuchundra or I'll bite you." (27) This shows that Rikki-tikki can only be friendly to creatures that are on his side. Not even with neutral characters. And obviously not with his enemies. He also doesn't feel sorry for not having solved a problem without or at least with fewer deaths. He didn't even try to move the snakes. Not even Rikki-tikki listened to Nagaina when she asked him to let her go to save her and the baby's life. So maybe he wanted to kill as many enemies as he could. Or kill anyone who gives him a reason. “The boy is safe, and it was I…I…I who caught Nag by the hood last night in the bathroom.” Then he began to jump up and down, with all four feet together, with his head close to the floor. “He threw me back and forth, but couldn't shake me off. He was dead before the big man blew him in two. I did it! (31) All of this leads to the conclusion that Rikki-tikki enjoyed killing others and wanted everyone to recognize him for it. Perhaps he wanted to let others know that he rules in this garden, and you had better not argue with him, otherwise you will go the same way as Nag and Nagaina. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, Rikki-Tikki has more reasons to be ashamed of himself than to be proud. He was ruthless in his dealings with the snake eggs, and he was ruthless in not allowing Nagaina to leave with her last egg, the only family she had left. For Rikki-tikki, his..