Tarzan of the Apes · Character

Kala

The she-ape who claimed an orphaned white infant as her own and defied her husband, her king, and the whole tribe to raise him as a son.

supporting

Also known as V The White Ape Tenderly Kala

First appearance: V: The White Ape

As a supporting figure in Tarzan of the Apes, Kala is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The ape who adopts the infant Tarzan after his parents die.

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See Kala in Tarzan of the Apes Book page

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Kala is Tarzan's ape mother, a fine young female who found the infant Lord Greystoke and refused every demand to abandon him. Against her husband Tublat's insistence that the slow, hairless child is a burden, and against Kerchak's authority, she threatens to leave the tribe rather than give him up. Her fierce, unshakable devotion gives Tarzan the only family he knows and the safety in which his extraordinary mind and body can develop — and her patient care is the reason the jungle ever has a Tarzan at all.

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The fuller portrait of Kala sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Kala in V: The White Ape

Character Web

11 connections

A slice of how Kala sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Ape Tribe and Family
Protagonist
Jungle Threats and Victims
Castaways and Rescuers

+6 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional peak of relief and reunion after the pro…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Tarzan
family · positive
Kala is Tarzan's adoptive ape mother, who rescues him as an infant and raises him with… How this plays out →
Kerchak
family · ambivalent
Tarzan
family · positive
Kala is Tarzan's adoptive ape mother, who rescues him as an infant and raises him with… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Kala in V: The White Ape

In the story

Kala appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Tarzan of the Apes
The ape who adopts the infant Tarzan after his parents die.
IV: The Apes
Ape mother who loses her own child and adopts the human infant.
V: The White Ape
Tenderly nurses and protects Tarzan, defending him from Tublat and Kerchak's demands to abandon him; threatens to leave the tribe to keep him.
VI: Jungle Battles
Devotedly nurses Tarzan back to health after his battle with the gorilla.
VII: The Light of Knowledge
Tarzan's foster mother; pursued by Tublat during the Dum-Dum, but saved by Tarzan.
VIII: The Treetop Hunter
Dances for joy and pride after Tarzan recounts his adventure.
Man and Man
Killed by Kulonga; Tarzan mourns her deeply.
XI: King of the Apes
Mentioned as part of the tribe; Tarzan returns to the tribe of Kerchak.
XII: Man's Reason
Mentioned as Tarzan's deceased adoptive mother; her absence leaves Tarzan without a close companion.
XX: Heredity
Mentioned as Tarzan's adoptive mother who comforted him when he was frightened.
The Outpost of the World
Tarzan recalls her as his ape mother; her inability to plan ahead is contrasted with human reasoning.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Kala unlock in the free preview.

See Kala in V: The White Ape

See Kala in Tarzan of the Apes