《泰山的初恋》讲述了泰山对雌猩猩提卡的追求以失败告终，因为提卡的心意转向了他们的共同朋友，雄猩猩陶格。泰山在自己的人性与猩猩本性之间挣扎。故事中对特洛伊的海伦的暗示，使得泰山与陶格为了提卡的争斗具有了象征意义。斯坦·加洛韦评论道，巴勒斯通过将海伦作为提卡的象征，期待着字面和情感上的联系同时发生。最终，泰山的宣言——“泰山是一个人。他将独自前行。”——呼应了亚当在伊甸园中的困境。 "Tarzan's First Love". Tarzan's courtship of the female ape Teeka ends in failure when her preference turns to their mutual friend, the male ape Taug. Tarzan wrestles with his humanness versus his ape-ness. The allusion to Helen of Troy enriches the story, making Tarzan and Taug's fight over Teeka take on symbolic proportions. Stan Galloway writes: "when Burroughs chooses to name Helen as an objective correlative for Teeka, he expects both literal and emotional connections to occur." Tarzan's final claim of the story - "Tarzan is a man. He will go alone." - echoes the plight of Adam in the Garden of Eden.