DaRosa 1

Ceceli DaRosa
Ms. Figueroa
World Literature- Block B
April 26, 2013
Jane Goodall
In the Shadow of a Man
By Jane Goodall
In the Shadow of a Man is about the author, Jane Goodalls experience in Gombe. As a
young child, she decided she wanted to go to Africa and live with wild animals. After Jane
finished high school, she took a job as secretary. She met a man, Louis Leakey who introduced
her to the idea of researching a group of chimpanzees that lived on Lake Tanganyika in Africa.
Jane was very interested and she took the job and went to Africa with her mother in 1960. They
set up their camp at the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve.
The first week, Jane was able to hear the chimpanzees, but not get a close look.
Sometimes, she only saw an arm. She found a peak which became the peak where she could
watch the chimps by using her binoculars. The advantage to the peak was a magnificent view in
all directions (Goodall 27).
As weeks passed on, the chimps became less afraid of Jane. Also, she was able to
distinguish many individuals. Some of the chimps she distinguished were Mr. McGregor, Flo,
Fifi, Figan, Olly, William, David Graybeard, and Goliath. Early on, she made two discoveries;
chimps eating meat and making tools. She saw David Graybeard stick a blade of grass down a
termite hill, attracting termites to retrieve food.
In December, Jane left for a short period of time to go study at Cambridge University and
work to receive her Ph.D. in Ethology. She came back to Africa around spring time, and she
worried that the chimpanzees would forget who she was. But she did not have to worry because
they were more tolerant of my presence than before (Goodall 64).
Sometimes the chimps would come to Jane's camp. Jane would offer the chimps bananas
and they would take it from her, eat near her, and allow her to groom them. Flo, a female chimp
was very sexually active, and Jane explains how all the male chimps would come to her and
mate. Flo had a baby chimp named Flint. His older sister Fifi was very protective over her. In the
group of chimps, there was always a hierarchy. Mike, a chimp, was considered the high ranked
because of his tool making with the cans.
While Jane would do her research, she would work to improve the growth of the research
center. She said, "there would be ten or more students not only studying different aspects of
chimpanzee behavior but also observing baboons and red colobus monkeys" (Goodall 129). She
collected new information on the chimpanzees every day.
Jane Goodall explains the stages of the chimps life. She starts off by describing an
infants characteristics, especially with its mother. Then she goes on giving details about how a
child chimp interacts with other child chimps and gets to know the new world. Next she explains
the adolescent stage of life, or the teenage stage. This is where the chimps go through puberty,
and it is especially worse for males. "Adolescent males are usually nervous about joining in adult

DaRosa 2
grooming sessions" (Goodall 174). Once chimps reach adult age, they begin to go through
relationships. And finally, there is death. One of the baby chimpanzees, Olly died of paralytic
disease.
Jane compares humans to chimpanzees explaining how we are all somewhat alike in the
characteristics we have. Like humans, chimps are meat eaters and toolmakers. She also uses
figurative language explaining that the shadow of man is spreading over the chimps. Humans are
taking away the trees where chimps stay, and when humans settle in an area, they bring diseases,
which chimps can contract. She emphasizes that there are some people in this world who look
out for these dangers and want to help. Jane ends In the Shadow of a Man with, "Sometimes I
feel that the only way in which we might affect an improvement in the condition of most
laboratory chimpanzees would be to take those responsible for their upkeep to see the
chimpanzees of Gombe" (Goodall 252).

DaRosa 3
Review
I really enjoyed reading In the Shadow of a Man. I found it very intelligent and very
informative. It focuses on Jane's journey and experiences with the chimpanzees in Gombe. The
way Jane Goodall describes her experience in Gombe and with the chimpanzees always kept me
on the edge of my seat. I think it is the imagery and the language she uses. I enjoyed learning
about her experiences with the chimpanzees and how they are a lot like us in many ways. Such
as, how they make tools, just like us, to help in our daily lives. The chimpanzees are so funny
and smart, and they each have their own characteristic traits. On the cover of In the Shadow of a
Man Jane is reaching out to a little baby chimpanzee and it is so touching. I think the cover is an
attention grabber, and attracts more people to read this book.
Another interesting part I enjoyed were the stages of life a chimp goes through. It was
fascinating learning about what they go through when they reach a certain age. They are just like
us, and they go through some of the same things we go through. One of my favorite parts was the
way Fifi was protective over her younger brother Flint. That is sometimes how I feel with my
little sister because I always worry about her to make sure she is okay.
An additional part I also liked was seeing how the chimpanzees got to know Jane Goodall.
At first, they were scared of her and wanted nothing to do with her. Then gradually, as time
passed and they got to see her more, they were not as afraid. They came closer but not too close.
Then eventually they allowed her to groom them and they soon became friends.
I really liked the pictures of her interactions with the chimpanzees, it gave me a vivid
picture that I imagined while reading. I also liked the pictures because it would give me a short
break from reading. I also found the appendixes helpful. It has a chart explaining the stages of
development, facial expressions and calls, weapons and tool use, diet, and chimpanzee and
human behavior. The one that was most fascinating to read was the facial expressions and calls.
It was very exciting to read about the chimpanzees facial expressions and what they mean and
why they do it. Although, I have to say when chapters did not involve the chimps and her
interacting with them, I found it not as exciting. Besides that, it is a wonderful book to read. I did
find the book on a bit of the longer side, but it is a book filled with imagery and great
information. I would recommend this book to high school students. It is very interesting to hear
firsthand from Jane Goodall what she experienced in Gombe and what she learned.

DaRosa 4
1. What is their occupation? What are they known for?
Jane Goodall works with chimpanzees and for the protection and animal health matters.
She is a primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and a UN Messenger of Peace ("Jane
Goodall" par 1). Primatology is the study of primates. "Primatologists study both living
and extinct primates in their natural habitats and in laboratories by conducting field
studies and experiments in order to understand aspects of their evolution and behavior
("Primatology" par 1). Ethology is the study of animal behavior. Ethology puts emphasis
on an animals behavior in their natural environment. Behaviorism, a different scientific
study, concentrates on "behavioral response studies in a laboratory setting" ("Ethology"
par 1). Jane Goodall did her research on the chimpanzees in Gombe rather in a laboratory.
Anthropology is the science of humanity. "It has origins in the humanities, the natural
sciences, and the social sciences." The word anthropology, in Greek, means "humankind
or humanity" ("Anthropology" par 1). She is known for her study of the chimpanzees,
conservation, and animal welfare ("Jane Goodall" introduction).

2. What are their cultural origins? (where were they born and family ancestry)

Jane Goodall was born in London, United Kingdom. Her parents were Mortimer Herbert
Morris-Goodall and Margaret Myfanwe Joseph. Jane's father was a businessman and her
mother was a novelist; her penname was Vanne Morris-Goodall. Jane has a sister named
Judith. They were born four years apart and have the same birthday. "As a child she was
given a lifelike chimpanzee toy named Jubilee by her father; her fondness for the toy
started her early love of animals" ("Jane Goodall" par 2). Jane lived in London, United
Kingdom, which was a major city in the early 1900s. "The population of London's urban
area reached its all-time peak of about 8.6 million in 1939" ("History of London 19001939 par 11).

3. What is their personal history? (brief background; including career, marriage and death)
Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934. She went to the Uplands private school in
London. In 1950, she earned her school certificate, and in 1952 she received a more
advanced one. When she was eighteen years old, she left school and got a job as a
secretary at Oxford University. "In her spare time, she worked at a London-based
documentary film company to finance a long-anticipated trip to Africa." While on the
trip, she went to South Kinagop, Kenya. She also met Louis Leakey who gave her a job
as his secretary and "invited her to participate in an anthropological dig at the now
famous Olduvai Gorge" ("Jane Goodall Biography" par 3).

DaRosa 5

Louis Leaky had a thought of studying animal behavior of primates for a long period of
time. He had a certain curiosity for studying chimpanzees. "Leakey believed that Goodall
had the proper temperament to endure long-term isolation in the wild." Jane Goodall said
yes to this research study. Although, many experts disagreed with Leakey's choice of Jane
because she was inexperienced and she did not have her college degree ("Jane
Goodall.Biography" par 4).
On July 16, 1960, Jane, her mother, and an African cook went to Africa and stayed on the
shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Gombe Stream Reserve. When Jane tried to get a closer
look at a pack of chimpanzees they ran away and she was only 500 yards away (Jane
Goodall.Biography par 5). So Jane found a different group to follow and approached
them differently. She would "appear at the same time every morning on high ground near
a feeding area along the Kakaombe Stream valley." By doing this she created a
nonthreatening pattern, even though it took her a year just to be 30 feet away. "After two
years of seeing her every day, they showed no fear and often came to her in search of
bananas ("Jane Goodall.Biography" par 6).
Jane Goodall has been married two times in her life. She first married Baron Hugo van
Lawick, who was a wildlife photographer, in 1964. They had a son named Hugo Eric
Louis in 1967. The couple divorced in 1974. The next year, Jane fell in love with and
married Derek Bryceson, "a member of Tanzania's parliament and the director of the
country's national parks." Derek Bryceson's occupation and position helped keep Jane
Goodall's work and research at Gombe. Sadly, he passed away in 1980 because of cancer
("Jane Goodall" par 6).
Jane Goodall lives in both England and Tanzania. She does not spend much time in
Africa anymore; rather, she gives speeches throughout the world and spends as many as
three hundred days a year traveling (Jane Goodall Biography par 14). Jane is in her
seventies and still seeks for more years to come. Goodall struggles with the handicap of
prosopagnosia, a condition that makes it very difficult (sometimes impossible) to
recognize the faces of those one has already met. The good thing though, this condition,
also known as face blindness, did not prevent her from recognizing the chimpanzees she
studied. The apparent reason: chimpanzees do not change their hairstyles, change
outfits, or suddenly appear wearing a hat and sunglasses. Their appearance remains
steady over time, and thus Goodall was able to tell one from the other with greater ease
than she could distinguish fellow humans (Jane Goodall par 10).
4. What is the history of their country? (during their lifetime) How did the history impact
their success or failure?
During her lifetime, her country was involved with World War II in 1939. The United
Kingdom had been at war with the Germans for more than two years before the Pearl
Harbor attack by the Japanese. Winston Churchill led the United Kingdom in fighting
Germany and Italy alone for a year. "The war had caused the British armed forces to
focus on the immediate problem of the European war, leaving their Pacific possessions

DaRosa 6
without enough soldiers, aircraft, tanks, guns, warships or training" (United Kingdom in
World War II par 1).
Jane Goodall's father, Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall, was an engineer in World War
II, so he was not a part of Jane Goodall's life for a while. Jane and her mother moved in
with her grandmother who lived in Bournemouth, England (Jane Goodall par 2).
Janes family had to build a bomb shelter and rush into it whenever there was an air raid.
Like everyone, they had to ration food, gasoline and other goods. When the war was
over, Jane Goodall's parents divorced. Jane continued to live with her mother,
grandmother, aunts, and uncle, although she also spent time with her father who lived in
London (Study Corner- Biography par 7). "When Jane graduated from high school in
1952, she could not afford to go to university." The reason she probably could not attend
a university was because she did not have enough income since her parents divorced.
Although, her not going to college did help her in her career. She became a secretary and
used that job to her advantage later on in her life ("Biographical Timeline" par 5).
5. What group is associated with them?
Jane Goodall is associated with many groups. One of the main groups she is associated
with is Primatology. Primatology is the study of primates. Primates consist of mammals
that are in the same family as chimpanzees. It is a diverse discipline and researchers can
be found in academic departments of anatomy, anthropology, biology, medicine,
psychology, veterinary sciences and zoology, as well as in animal sanctuaries, biomedical
research facilities, museums and zoos (Primatology par 1). Jane Goodall used her
primatology skills in Gombe with the chimpanzees. She watched and researched their
behaviors and what they did in their life (Jane Goodall par 8).
6. What are the practices/traditions of the group associated with them?
By being a primatologist, she was able to go to Africa and study chimpanzees. While at
Gombe, Jane Goodall created the "banana club." The "banana club" was "a daily
systematic feeding method she used to gain trust and to obtain a more thorough
understanding of everyday chimpanzee behavior." By doing this, she got to know more
than half of the chimpanzees there. She mocked their mannerisms, spent a majority of her
time in trees, and ate what they ate. She discovered so many interesting things by
spending time with them closely. For example, chimps have their own language or
communicating system, which has more than 20 single sounds. (Jane
Goodall.Biography par 7). Also, she was the first to record that chimpanzees eat meat
and make tools and use them to their advantage. She witnessed chimpanzees in the act of
cannibalism; "they eat large insects, birds, and some bigger animals including baby
baboons." In order to get the termites out of the termite hills, they stick a blade of grass
into the hill to attract worker or soldier termites. They created a tool and used it towards
their advantage (Jane Goodall.Biography par 8). "She also noted that chimpanzees
throw stones as weapons, use touch and embraces to comfort one another, and develop
long-term familial bonds." Another discovery was the male is not very active in the
family, but is very active in the group of chimps. Some male chimps are more dominant

DaRosa 7
than others. "The male's rank is often related to the intensity of his entrance performance
at feedings and other gatherings" (Jane Goodall.Biography par 7).
7. Do they practice a religion, philosophy, other belief system or other devotion?
When asked if she believed in God, Goodall said in September 2010: "I don't have any
idea of who or what God is. But I do believe in some great spiritual power. I feel it
particularly when Im out in nature. Its just something that's bigger and stronger than
what I am or what anybody is. I feel it. And it's enough for me" ("Jane Goodall" par 7).
Although, she does have a philosophy. She is an animal advocate and is devoted to the
environment. "We have a responsibility toward the other life-forms of our planet whose
continued existence is threatened by the thoughtless behavior of our own human
species. . . . Environmental responsibility for if there is no God, then, obviously, it is up
to us to put things right" ("Jane Goodall Quotes").
Jane Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute which is an international wildlife and
environment conservation organization. In the Jane Goodall Institute, they have five core
beliefs. The first belief is they "strive to respect, nourish and protect all living things;
people, animals and the environment are all interconnected." The second belief is they
"believe that knowledge leads to understanding, and that understanding will encourage us
to take action." The third thing the Jane Goodall Institute believes is that "every
individual has the ability to make a positive difference." The fourth belief is they "believe
that flexibility and open-mindedness are essential to enable us to respond to a changing
world." The final belief is they "require integrity and compassion in all that we do and
say" ("About JGI" par 2).
8. What impact have they had on the world?
Jane Goodall has impacted the world today. She has provided information about
chimpanzees and has been a great example of animal advocacy. Jane Goodall is very
dedicated to what she does, and travels more than three hundred days a year. "On any
given day, she could be speaking to a group of students, meeting with government
officials to discuss conservation issues, sitting before television cameras being
interviewed, or meeting with donors to raise money for JGI." When Jane Goodall holds
public lectures, she talks about her years in Gombe, chimpanzees today, the JGI, and
"each individual's power to effect positive change." Jane Goodall "is in great demand and
known as an inspirational speaker who often moves her audiences to tears. Some people
say their lives have been changed by Janes message and her example" ("Jane Today" par
1).
Jane Goodall also has a unique relationship with a young generation. "They respond not
only to her passion for and curiosity about animals, but to her courage and hope for a
better world Jane hears firsthand the voices of young people speaking of the need for
change, their hopes, and their determination to make a better world. She carries their
message to audiences all over the world" ("Jane Today" par 4). Although Jane is
sometimes tired and exhausted, she always is determined to work to protect the

DaRosa 8
chimpanzees and enable people "to do what they can for a better world" ("Jane Today"
par 5).
9. Would you be interested in meeting them? Why?
I would be very interested in meeting Jane Goodall. She is a role model. When she was
little, she had the dream of working with chimpanzees and she accomplished that dream.
It did take a while before the chimpanzees felt comfortable enough to interact with her
and it took many weeks before she could even sit close to them, but one thing she never
did was give up in times like this. Eventually, the chimpanzees became comfortable
around her and she interacted with them. Also, she was very dedicated to her job. Her job
was to do research in the jungle of Gombe, so there were restless and cold nights. But she
overcame those nights and she brought knowledge of chimpanzees into the world. She
just started out watching and researching chimpanzees and became an important part in
wildlife research and in animal advocacy. Jane Goodall is a very important person in the
world.

DaRosa 9

Works Cited
"About JGI." The Jane Goodall Institute. Jane Goodall Institute, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.janegoodall.org/about-jgi>.
"Biographical Timeline." The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
<http://janegoodall.ca/goodall-bio-timeline.php>.
Goodall, Jane. In the Shadow of a Man. Mariner Books, 1988.
"Interview: Jane Goodall The Great Conservationist." Jane Goodall Interview. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Apr. 2013. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/printmember/goo1int-1>.
"Jane Goodall." N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
<http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/goodall.html>.
"Jane Goodall." Jane Goodall. Soylent Communications, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.nndb.com/people/796/000023727/>.
"Jane Goodall Biography." N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Goodall-Jane.html#ixzz2RLsnBzNd>.
"Jane Goodall.Biography." Jane Goodall Biography" The Biography Channel Website, n.d.
Web. 19 Apr. 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/jane-goodall-9542363>.
"Jane Goodall Quotes." Jane Goodall Quotes (Author of In the Shadow of Man). Good Reads,
n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. <http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/18163.Jane_Goodall>
"Jane Today." The Jane Goodall Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.janegoodall.org/jane-around-world>.

DaRosa 10
"Study Corner - Biography." The Jane Goodall Institute |. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.janegoodall.org/study-corner-biography>.

"United Kingdom in World War II." The World War II Multimedia Database. MFA Productions
LLC, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/uk.htm>.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Anthropology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology>
Wikipedia Contributors. "Ethologist." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethologist>
Wikipedia Contributors. "History of London 1900-1939." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation,
n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London_19001939>
Wikipedia Contributors. "Jane Goodall." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall>
Wikipedia Contributors. "Jane Goodall Institute." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web.
19 Apr. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall_Institute>
Wikipedia Contributors. "Primatology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primatology>