Exploring Kim's Cultural Identity in Rudyard Kipling's Novel
How does Kim's heritage shape his relationships and views towards the British in India?
In Rudyard Kipling's novel "Kim," the protagonist Kim's heritage plays a significant role in shaping his relationships with the people he encounters, including his friends. Kim was born in Europe, which gives him a different genetic background from the people in India. However, having lived in India for many years, Kim has a deep understanding of the culture and customs of the Indian people.
Kim's interactions with the British in India are complex. While he considers himself English due to his birth, he also displays traits of the Indian culture. He holds a belief in the superiority of the British, as shown in his actions and thoughts. For example, when Kim kicks Lala Dinanath's boy off the trunnions, he justifies it by stating that "the English held the Punjab and Kim was English."
Despite his European heritage, Kim is more comfortable and identifies more with the Indian people. He understands their perspective and reasons for being reluctant towards the British. This understanding leads Kim to develop a stronger bond with the natives of India compared to the British residents in the country.
Kim's identity is a blend of his European birth and his immersion in Indian culture, making his relationships and views towards the British in India complex and nuanced.
Kim's heritage influences his relationships with the people he encounters, including his friends in that he was born in Europe, so he has different genes than the people from India, so his personality is different. However, he has been living in India for many years and he understands the culture of this territory that, in those years, was ruled by the British government. He knows how to relate with the people from India and the people from Britain, although he has always believed that the English people are superior.
The contradiction is that he has differences with the British who live in India because he knows so well the native men and women from India. He knows what the Indians think of the white British and why they are reluctant towards the British. So, he developed traits that make him more fond of the Indians than the British.
Kim's identity is particularly complicated. He is European by birth, but he has been immersed in the culture of India his whole life. Kim displays the traits of both the British and the Indians, but he considers the British superior to the natives. However, Kim is not comfortable with the idea of interacting with Europeans, partly because of the kind of life he leads.
Kim avoids British men and women who live in India. Since he has grown up with the natives, he shares their mistrust of the Europeans.