A 'mucker' is made into a gallant gentleman. This is one of ERB's most sought after story and he had high hope the Billy Byrne would be one of his most popular characters - alas - it did not turn out so. Interesting to compare the first Tarzan story and see the contrasts and parallels between Billy Byrne and Tarzan and their character developements into gentlemen. Burroughs gives apes ('Kala') more humane traits than men of the inner cities and slums. Despite being an adventure story, ERB's book seems to make some indictment of the men of 'world' of the inner city and slums of the era. I wonder if he was influenced by 'muckracker' writers that started in the 1880's and continued into the 1920's.
Fred Smooty’s book reviews