Bad Monkey

More than just the titular character in Bad Monkey, Driggs is a multifaceted symbol that illustrates the novel’s critique of human interference in nature, thematically highlighting The Impact of Greed and Corruption on the Community and the Environment. Driggs is a white-faced capuchin monkey born into a lineage of performing animals, and his background and behavior demonstrate a perversion of natural instincts due to human exploitation. From his early days as an unremarkable, ill-tempered performer to his brief, unsuccessful role in Pirates of the Caribbean, Driggs’s failures in the human world expose the absurdity of imposing human expectations on wild animals, highlighting the consequences of disregarding natural roles and instincts.

When Driggs ends up in Neville’s hands after a chance domino game, Neville’s well-meaning but misguided care further compounds Driggs’ misfortune. Feeding him deep-fried foods and relegating him to diapers due to his defiance of housebreaking, Neville’s treatment of Driggs erodes the monkey’s physical health and dignity. Driggs’ infamous bad temper (which manifests in biting and throwing feces) earns him the title of “bad monkey,” a label that is meaningful only in the context of human expectations. Driggs’ temperament and cunning would likely be survival assets in the wild but in human environments are liabilities.