I must say, now that I am getting more into this novel, I am enjoying it more. I think it took a while for me to get adjusted to the language differences and unknown locations that Kipling throws at us, but now that I am the book is much more pleasurable.
One of the issues we talked about in class on Thursday was racism. There are a lot of hidden (and some not so hidden) racist remarks in this text, especially since Kim is an Irish boy who looks like and was raised like an Indian. One of theses blatantly obvious remarks happens when Kim first meets Father Victor and Reverend Bennett at their camp. He walks in because the prophecy told him to go toward the Red Bull on the green field and that is the flag flying in their military camp. Well when he is first discovered roaming around this camp the soldiers take him back to their headquarters where Father Victor and Bennett were to get him sorted out. Because he is dressed, and speaks like, a low caste Indian boy, Kim is immediately accused of stealing. Once he gets out in his garbled English that he only came to the camp because of their flag, and it is revealed that he is (perhaps) the son of the famous Kimball O'Hara, the effect is instantaneous. As soon as this information is revealed, Bennett thinks that perhaps he has been too harsh on the boy.
"It is possible I have done the boy an injustice. He is certainly white, though evidently neglected. I am sure I must have bruised him." (Kipling 134)
Clearly the same boy who he could have cared less about when he thought he was Indian is suddenly the primary concern of Bennett's, all because Kim has revealed himself to actually be white. This was the example that stood out most strongly in my mind, though there are others littered through the text. I am looking forward to finishing this book and I hope the ending is as good as the middle!
Hello Sarah!
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it, that scene is a lot more insidious than I originally perceived it to be. I mean, I noticed the fact that the demeanors of the two men instantly switched upon learning that particular detail about Kim's heritage, but I completely glossed over them calling him a thief. There numerous other instances in which Kim is judged based on his (apparent) race, such as the farmer, in chapter three, I think, who calls Kim and the Lama beggars solely because of their appearances. In fact, the duo is called beggars and tramps quite a few times throughout the novel. The sad thing is, is that we do this today just as frequently. The last statistic I remember reading is that we are judged in the first thirty seconds of someone meeting us.
Thanks!
- Shelby.