In the Shadow of Man

Relationships between female chimps and their offspring are an important aspect of Goodall’s work, given that mothers play a crucial role in chimps’ physical and behavioral development. Goodall develops this theme through detailed observations of several mother-child pairs, sometimes spanning generations. The author doesn’t romanticize the mother-child bond in chimps but instead emphasizes how it can differ among individuals. For example, she explains, “Flo was a far more easygoing and tolerant mother than Olly. When Fifi begged for food, whimpering and holding out her hand, Flo nearly always let the child take a banana” (82). She contrasts this with Olly’s treatment of young Gilka, writing, “Gilka would never have dared to try such a thing [...] Olly often rushed up and wrenched the fruit away from her daughter” (82). These comparisons paint a nuanced portrait of the variety of mother-child relationships in chimp groups.

Goodall reports that in chimp groups, paternal parentage of the young is unknown, and aside from tolerating or punishing the mischief of the young chimps, males play no part in raising them. By analyzing this family structure, Goodall underlines the importance of mothers as the primary influence on growing chimps. She highlights mothers’ importance by making connections between their parenting and their offspring’s health and behavior.