Protagonist John Marcher, whose consciousness is the subject of The Beast in the Jungle, is consumed by an obsessive anticipation of a momentous event that he believes will define his life. He lives under the shadow of what he describes as the “Beast in the Jungle,” an image that externalizes and exoticizes his sense of self. This notion shapes his entire being and dictates his interactions, leading him to avoid close relationships under the guise of protecting others from the weight of his secret. It inhibits his ability to form attachments and memories; in his meeting with May Bartram, Marcher misremembers the date and location of their previous encounter and almost immediately fantasizes about a more exciting past that would have lived up to his standards of an “event.”

Marcher desires to appear as an ordinary man, yet in his imagination he is extraordinary, set apart by his destiny. He convinces himself that his avoidance of close bonds is a selfless act, despite the contradiction this belief creates. His dealings with May expose his true nature; he relies on her for support without offering genuine intimacy or marriage in return, making her merely an observer of his life.