Sophie Ryan
Professor Bump
Victorian Literature
6 March 2008
P2
Kipling: An Equivocator?
Much of what Rudyard Kipling wrote, and that for which he is most famous, documents or is inspired by his Indian experience. Kipling’s works reveal a great deal of love for India’s beauty and tranquility, as well as his inner love of its inhabitants. But, Kipling is also regarded by many as an ethno centrist promoter of England’s imperialist reign over India. He saw the English’s place as more of a care-taker position; the English represented guardians who brought the Indian people into civilization. Kipling’s stories are relatively free of English superiority airs of which Kipling is so often associated. However, some of his other works offer a more direct assertion of British imperial superiority. Kipling was a truly great writer, today his legacy is received with mixed emotions across the globe; he is labeled a creative genius on one spectrum and an authoritarian jingoist on the other. I believe him to be a product of his environment; he loved his Indian home while he also felt strong ties to his British heritage. As a result, he must filter his feelings through his social paradigm, resulting in many of his controversial or criticized works.
Kipling’s life began in India in 1865 when he was born to British, mildly affluent parents, who were Anglo-Indian. But at six years old he left India for England only to return eleven years later. As was the custom in ex-patriot families, the children were sent of to live with foster parents back in England. Kipling remained in the home for five years, which he horrifyingly details in Baa Baa, Black Sheep. He recalls his foster Mother, pseudo-named “Aunty Rosa,” declaring “That means two beatings. One at school and one here. That one will hurt most.”
Simulation of child abuse at home Aunty Rosa’s punishment was given after three days of captivity in his bedroom. Kipling then finished his stay in Britain at a low-grade, inexpensive boarding school. There he experienced continued teasing and physical harassment. Keeping in mind Kipling’s childhood British memories it becomes hard to understand why this man so ferociously pronounced his British roots, often implying that the English experience surpassed that of its Indian counterpart. Especially interesting, is the fact that his stays in India were the most memorable and enjoyable times of his life. Seymour-Smith argues in his account of Kipling’s life that Kipling’s mistreatment by the English institution may have made him yearn for its acceptance which left him “no alternative but to adapt to these [British imperialistic] ways.”
Again the irony in Kipling’s “assumption that Indians are generally inferior [to white Englishmen]” becomes apparent upon reading his description of the return to India in his memoir. “After these [three or four days], my English years fell away, nor ever, I think, came back in full strength.” This segway demonstrates Kipling’s love and appreciation for India and his deep personal connection for this country while also displaying his displaced attitude towards his heritage, or perhaps his confusion thereof. 
Wood engraving of Bombay. He dubs Bombay the “queen of cities” in the 19th C. Kipling’s young adult life developed in this country during his seven years as a journalist. He became intertwined with India’s culture and fell in love with her beautiful countryside. He documents his favorite country getaway Simla describing it as “pure joy – every golden hour was counted.” His second Indian sojourn also marked the beginning of his fame as a writer. He published several short stories and upon his return to England, was already being applauded as a genius author.
These positive feelings and praise of India again become marred by his ethno centrist leanings. Just after exemplifying the jewels of India at Simla, he recounts his unfortunate trip back to town. His servant, whom he derogatorily refers to as a “coolie,” becomes involved in a tiff with several other “coolies” and, to remedy the matter, Kipling “did not wish to be haled before any little Hill Rajah, knowing that the coolies would unitedly [sic] swear that I had directed the outrage.” Additionally, some of Kipling’s most well-known poems appear haughtily imperialistic such as “Recessional” and “The White Man’s Burden.” The former acts as a prayer to God, asking him to never forget the sacrifices made by imperialists whose countries sacrificed so much to improve the lot of another. Many would argue, quite justly, that Britain did not seek to colonize India on moral grounds, but for profit. “The White Man’s Burden” carries this same theme of the sacrifice of colonization. This second poem does acknowledge the profit involved stating “to seek another’s profit, and work another’s gain.” The poem continues on to underscore the sacrifices and accomplishments of the “white man colonizer” such as ending wars and fighting famines. This second poem is especially controversial because it directly and clearly defines the British imperial takeover as The White Man’s Burden, definitely hot-button words today. 
Modern interpretation on Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” When interpreting Kipling’s take on India, it is important to remember his social environment and the standards of the time as well. Political correctness was inexistent, and many of his comments which may seem unsympathetic and appalling today, could have been commonly accepted in upper-class Anglo-Indian circles. Additionally, many of his popular tales such as The Jungle Books depict India as an exciting land where anything can happen. Mowgli, a lost boy, is compassionately taken in by a family of wolves. Perhaps this tale reveals Kipling’s inner, although ironic, appreciation for the Indian culture. The Disney remake may be a tad cheesy, but it directly expresses The Jungle Book’s thematic aim – to show India’s friendly, compassionate side. The following clip clearly demonstrates this sentiment. 13 A video revealing what friends are for in The Jungle Book movie
Kipling’s modern-day depiction is not as positive as the preceding movie may seem. He is often criticized as a Britain-obsessed jingoist. Public distaste towards his expansionist visions increased after World War Two, and in today’s world, where each word a person utters is scanned for political correctness, some of Kipling’s writings surely do not sit well with many people. The following clip clearly displays the negative attitudes associated with Kipling’s legacy and counter-reactions towards it. A rapper performance This performance reveals exactly how many people feel about colonization: guilty. The rapper describes his heritage as a burden, rather than a privilege, as being white was in Kipling’s Africa. Society has shifted racial paradigms upside down since the Victorian Era. Now, minorities are encouraged to celebrate their diversity, and speak about their past burdens, such as slavery or oppression by a foreign power, such as the case of India. Kipling does the same thing in his poems; he celebrates his Anglo heritage and speaks about his own personal burden. Do not read me wrong, I am not defending his position, but simply trying to sympathize with is view point. This dramatic change in the social race perspective makes it extremely difficult for the modern reader to interpret writers such as Kipling because we cannot understand the cultural norms of his era.
Converse to modern reactions towards Kipling, he immediately became a well-known writer during his day. Many esteem that upon Lord Tennyson’s death, Kipling took his place in the public skyline of writers. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, becoming the first Brit and youngest recipient of the award. Surely such an honor would not be bestowed upon an unworthy candidate. In India he is still extremely disliked although tides are changing. India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, remarked that Kim was his all-time favorite book and Kipling’s birth place was turned into a museum which hi-lights his works.
Kipling’s treatment of India and its inhabitants paint a conflicting story. The man does not consider India his home, or the origin of his heritage but still retains a love so deep for this country that it appears to trump the importance of England at times. He describes it magnificently in books yet often decries its inhabitants for their lack of civility which he believes England restores to this country of heathens. Are his criticisms of India and his praise of Britain’s imperialistic presence simply the ruminations of an ethno centrist? Or does he legitimately believe that the Indians benefit from British presence? These questions are difficult to answer and are still in open debate today. Seymour-Smith concisely addresses this dilemma saying “His belief that Indians were inferior was undermined by his belief that they were not, and his belief that they were not was undermined by his belief that they were.” It appears to me that Kipling’s imperialistic mindset was simply a product of his generation, and that he truly sided with the Indian culture. He was born into an imperialistic society, yet he managed to shy away from complete rejection and degradation of India, which might have been easy considering his environment. Instead he created beautiful literature which underscored much of the positive that India had/has to offer. It also appears to me that he truly felt that his country’s involvement in colonization was a positive event. He fell in love with India and became a world-renowned writer by sharing his love for this country with the entire world.
Word Count
Count w/ quotes: 1, 544
Count w/o quotes: 1, 417
URL: http://sophievlit.blogspot.com/
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