A Report to an Academy and Selections from Diaries, 1911-1923 Summary

The narrator addresses the academy, giving an account of the life he lived as an ape. He can't tell them as much as they want to know, since he was an ape five years ago. The first thing he learned was to give a handshake. He was captured and wounded during a hunting expedition on the Gold Coast. He passed out, and later regained consciousness aboard a steamer. For the first time in his life, he found himself trapped with no way out. The ship's crew, however, was very kind and kept him calm, so he didn't try to escape. He began to imitate the crew, smoking a pipe and spitting and drinking. Once he gets better at drinking, he shows off to the crew...