Imperialism as a historical fact has left quite contradictory traces in the memories of thousands of people. For many of them Empire was the key to glory and wealth that brought Britain many significant benefits and positively changed the economic landscape of the Indian subcontinent as well. It “had developed the largest railway system in Asia …, restored old irrigation systems and developed new ones. There were hydroelectric dams, harbourworks and bridges. There was also a considerable development of system of higher education …. [F]amines were diminished and agriculture tended to be commercialised.” Imperialism had also its passionate critics for whom Empire was the scandal that “produced ethnic violence, religious exclusion, political weakness, civilizational embarrassment, and national extremism.” For Rudyard Kipling Empire was a philosophy that assumed the superiority of British civilization and therefore its moral responsibility to bring law and enlightenment to “sullen peoples” of the world. Kipling is generally recognized as the apostle of Empire, “a spokesman for his age, with its sense of imperial destiny, [the] age is one about which many Britons ... now feel an exaggerated sense of guilt.” The Imperial Idea is seen by many literary critics as the inspiration for the most of his writings. His novel Kim, which appeared at a time historically recognized as “the turning point in Britain’s imperial connections, the start of England’s self-perception as ‘the weary Titan’” , is an excellent example of a pro-imperialist work which celebrates the authority and benevolence of British rule in India.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Western attitude toward colonial India
3. West versus East
3.1. Discourse of Orientalism
3.2. Ideas of British predominance
4. The dream of united colonialism and imperialism
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines how Rudyard Kipling’s novel Kim functions as a literary endorsement of British imperialism. By analyzing the narrative's construction of racial hierarchy, Orientalist discourse, and the idealized relationship between the colonizer and the colonized, the study seeks to answer how the text justifies British presence in India and promotes the fantasy of a harmonious, unified imperial project.
- The role of racial hierarchy and white superiority in Kim.
- The application of Orientalist tropes and stereotypes in the depiction of India.
- The symbolic contrast between Western modernity and Eastern tradition.
- The critique of Kipling's vision of "the white man's burden."
- The exploration of the "Great Game" and its function in justifying imperial authority.
Excerpt from the Book
3. West versus East
Race plays a crucial role in the novel and is the focus of its main motif. "The division between white and nonwhite ... was absolute and is alluded to throughout Kim: a Sahib is a Sahib, and no amount of friendship or camaraderie can change the rudiments of racial difference."
On a textual level, subtle patterns of racial hierarchy are intricately woven in the imagery of the novel. One can retrace racial hierarchy through the generally promoted stereotypical portrayals of the Indian folk as weak, immoral, and incapable of independent advancement. Kipling carefully differentiates religious and national background of every person Kim encounters on his journey and makes his authorial narrator celebrate the discourse of Orientalism through the collective voice of stereotypical thinking. The whole book is pervaded by the expressions like “great gray, formless India”, “Asiatic disorder”, “huckster instinct of the East”, “lie like an Oriental”, which are indicative of the British attitude to the East. Robert Moss states, that “[m]uch of the disparity between two cultures seems to arise from the Indian attitude toward time.” Such phrases as “even an Oriental, with an Oriental’s views on the value of time”, “all hours of the twenty-four are alike to Orientals”, “swiftly, - as Orientals understand speed” prove the Indian society to be unconscious of the passage of time, disorganized and inefficient and therefore stress the necessity of the imperial control and guidance.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the thesis that Kipling's Kim is a pro-imperialist work, establishing the historical context of Britain's influence in India and the novel's role in reflecting imperial ideology.
2. Western attitude toward colonial India: This section explores how the novel creates an absolute division between white and non-white characters, utilizing symbols like the gun Zam-Zammah to assert British dominance and the necessity of white rule.
3. West versus East: This chapter analyzes the racial hierarchy in the novel, focusing on how Orientalist discourse characterizes Indian society as irrational and ineffectual, thereby justifying the need for British protection and guidance.
4. The dream of united colonialism and imperialism: This section investigates how the novel constructs a utopian vision where Indian characters willingly accept and benefit from British colonial rule, effectively silencing internal conflicts and resistance.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes how the novel celebrates an idealized, benevolent image of imperialism, ultimately presenting the union of East and West as a necessary and harmonious project for global progress.
Keywords
Rudyard Kipling, Kim, British Imperialism, Colonial India, Orientalism, Racial Hierarchy, The White Man’s Burden, British Raj, Cultural Superiority, Great Game, Colonial Discourse, Imperial Ideology, East versus West, Narrative Strategy, Colonialism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper primarily examines Rudyard Kipling’s novel Kim as a literary manifestation of pro-imperialist ideology, investigating how it supports the British colonial presence in India.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the construction of racial hierarchy, the use of Orientalist stereotypes, the depiction of British moral responsibility, and the fantasy of an idealized, conflict-free imperial society.
What is the author's primary research question?
The study aims to determine how Kim functions as a novel that endorses British imperialism through its picaresque dimension, character portrayals, and the symbolic representation of the relationship between colonizer and colonized.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The research relies on a close reading of the novel Kim, combined with an analysis of established post-colonial literary criticism and historical context regarding the British Raj.
What does the main body of the paper address?
The main body focuses on the division between Western and Eastern portrayals, specifically examining the discourse of Orientalism, the assertion of British supremacy, and the exclusion of historical colonial unrest from the narrative.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
The most relevant keywords include Imperialism, Orientalism, Racial Hierarchy, British Raj, Colonial Discourse, and Kim (Rudyard Kipling).
How does the author interpret the relationship between Kim and the Lama?
The author interprets their friendship as a "fable of the ideal relationship" between the British and the Indians, symbolizing the reliance of the "world of contemplation" (the East) on the "world of action" (the West).
How is the concept of the "Great Game" utilized in the novel?
The author argues that the "Great Game" is used to draw attention away from internal conflicts in India and instead frame the British presence as a necessary, protective mission against external threats like Russia.
- Quote paper
- Katja Klass (Author), 2010, The Imperial Message in Rudyard Kipling’s Novel "Kim", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/168290
