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Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
A courageous young mongoose who functions as the story’s protagonist. When the story opens, Rikki-tikki is swept away in a thunderstorm and deposited in a bungalow garden. The rest of the tale is dedicated to his adventure in his new home as he defends the bungalow owners from a pair of vicious snakes.
Read an in-depth analysis of Rikki-tikki-tavi.
Nag
Nagaina’s husband and one of the bloodthirsty snakes Rikki-tikki encounters in the bungalow garden. Nag is one of the story’s antagonists, over whom Rikki-tikki-tavi ultimately triumphs.
Read an in-depth analysis of Nag.
Nagaina
Nag’s wife and one of the bloodthirsty snakes that Rikki-tikki encounters in the bungalow garden. Rikki-tikki ultimately defeats Nagaina after battling her in her underground lair.
Read an in-depth analysis of Nagaina.
Teddy
The young English child who first discovers Rikki-tikki after the mongoose is swept away by the storm. Teddy’s parents welcome Rikki-tikki into their home in the hopes that the mongoose will protect their son from dangerous snakes.
Teddy’s Father
An unnamed British military man who welcomes Rikki-tikki into his home in the hopes that the mongoose will protect his son from dangerous snakes. Teddy’s father helps Rikki-tikki defeat Nag, representing Britain imperialism in India.
Alice
Teddy’s mother and the wife of Teddy’s unnamed father. Alice is a delicate and easily distressed young woman who defers to her husband at all times. She is emblematic of the ideal Victorian housewife popularized in many works of nineteenth-century century fiction.
Darzee
A tailorbird who, along with his wife, is terrified of snakes because Nag and Nagaina ate one of their fledglings. He is insensible and prone to dramatic outbursts, which makes him an unsuitable ally for Rikki-tikki’s fight with Nagaina.
Darzee’s Wife
A “sensible” bird (unlike her husband) who helps Rikki-tikki fight Nagaina by pretending to be injured, to lure Nagaina away from her eggs so that Rikki-tikki can destroy them.
Karait
A small snake that Rikki-tikki battles at the start of the story. Rikki-tikki’s triumph over Karait gives him the confidence to take on Nag and Nagaina.
Chuchundra
A timid muskrat who, like the rest of the creatures who live on Teddy’s family’s estate, is terrified of the cobras. Chuchundra’s cowardliness is contrasted with Rikki-tikki’s heroism.
