Rikki-tikki-tavi
By Rudyard Kipling
Before Reading:
Build Background
• Title the next available page of your literature notebook,
“Rikki-tikki-tavi.”
• Read the Build Background section on page 121 in your
literature book.
• In your literature notebook, record at least 3 predictions about
the story based only on the background information given.
Before Reading:
Build Background
• Britain first became interested in India in the 1500s, after the
Portuguese ad established a thriving spice trade. They
recognized the profitability of this trade and wanted to
compete with the Portuguese.
• East India Company was established in 1599 by a group of
London merchants. It had a charter from the British
government that granted it exclusive trading rights in the East
Indies and power to maintain an army and navy, declare war,
and govern new territories.
• Indians rebelled against the East India Company in 1857. The
British government stepped in and took control of India.
• India remained a British colony until 1947, when it gained its
independence after a century-long struggle with the British
government.
Before Reading:
Understand Vocabulary
• Context Clues and Synonyms
• Number from 1-5 in your LNb.
• Use context clues to determine a 1 word synonym for each
underlined word. Record and be ready to share.
• He cunningly planned a surprise attack.
• Teddy received consolation from his mother after his frightening
experience.
• The muskrat wasted no time as he scuttled into his hole.
• Timid creatures cowered in fear when the cobras appeared.
• After Chuchumdra collapsed in fear, it took the other animals several
minutes to revive him and get him back on his feet.
Reading 1:
Understand Personification
• Write your own personal definition of
personification in your LNb.
• Briefly write about two stories or movies you
have read or seen that included personification.
• What effect did it have on the stories/films?
• How do you feel about personification?
• Be prepared to share with your partner and the
class.
Group Discussion Questions
• What do Nagaina, Darzee’s wife, and Teddy’s mother all
have in common?
• Why do Nag and Nagaina plan to kill Teddy and his
parents?
• What human characteristics does Darzee display? Think
about his thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• Why does Rikki-tikki-tavi risk his life to protect the
people who live in the house?
• Why isn’t Rikki-tikki sympathetic to Nagaina’s plea to
spare her last egg and let them “go away and never come
back”?
Reading 2:
Understanding Point of View
• 1st Person: The narrator is a character in the story (usually the
main character). Narrator uses the words I and me throughout
the text.
• 3rd Person, Objective: The narrator is only an observer and
tells readers only about the action and dialogue that takes
place. The narrator does not talk about the thoughts and
feelings of the characters; readers draw conclusions by their
own inferences.
• 3rd Person, Limited Omniscient: The narrator is not involved in
the story and tells what one character thinks, feels, and
observes.
• The reader does not learn about the experiences of the other
characters.
Reading 2:
Understanding Point of View
• 3rd Person Omniscient: The narrator is not involved in the
story but is omniscient, or all-knowing.
• The narrator knows and can explain the thoughts of all of the
story’s characters and can even add information that none of the
characters know.
• 2nd Person: The narrator steps out of the action of the story to
speak directly to the readers. Includes how-to pieces.
• Can be recognized by the use of the pronoun, you.
• This occurs twice in “Rikki-tikki-tavi.” Work with a partner to find
the two examples.
Reading 3:
Reviewing Conflict
• Conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces.
• External conflicts occur between a character and some outside
force.
• Character v. Character
• Character v. Nature
• Character v. Society
• Internal conflicts are invisible, occurring within a character’s
mind.
• Character v. Self
• Create a chart like the one on the next page and complete it
with a partner:
Reading 3:
Reviewing Conflict
Type of Conflict
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Self
Example from
“Rikki-tikki-tavi”
After Reading:
Comparing the Text to Film
• Fill out the Viewing Activity worksheet while watching “RikkiTikki-Tavi.”
• You may want to take notes in your LNb and then use those to
answer the questions on the worksheet.