Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Colonialism

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Rudyard Kipling's Kim are in essence descriptions of what happens when Europeans attempt to force their cultural values on other countries. oth have something important and valid to say. !hey place their characters as the speakers" #ut the authors' voiced are also heard in these pieces. Rudyard Kipling's #ook is much milder and less cautionary than Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Kipling's Kim is a character that takes on many characteristics of #oth sides" the ritish and the $ndian. !he reader sees the result of what happens when cultures can #lend. !herefore" the reader understands the downside of colonialism #ut also the fact that Kipling views this colonialism as %right.% &n the other hand" Kurt' in Heart of Darkness a#solutely shows the reader the horrors and evils that colonialism inflicts on the coloni'ed. However" #oth of these authors have something important to say a#out colonialism. Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim presents two sides of colonialism in the ritish rule of $ndia" #ut the ritish side is presumed right as much as Kipling did not want to #e la#eled racist. $n this novel" the white man has the #urden of ruling the dark and therefore inferior races. Kipling wrote this novel at a time when ritish rule was" in fact" #eing (uestioned. )s *istry says in a criti(ue" %!hese characters ena#le Kipling to e+plore the way colonialism defined its own social #oundaries and Kipling uses this to show how native mentality and ritish supremacy often came into confrontation. ,*istry-. !hese two forces are in conflict as Kipling writes the #ook. Kim is a little of #oth" ritish and $ndian. Kim is a white #oy who has grown up with $ndian ways. )t the #eginning of the #ook he sees himself as almost e+clusively $ndian and yet the reader sees him sitting on a cannon in a game of %king of the castle% $n this game he stops other #oys ,*uslim and Hindu- from ousting him from his position of superiority. He has already taken on the superior attitude of the ritish in many ways. He also sees himself as the rightful owner of the lama. %!he lama was his trove" and he proposed to take possession% ,Kipling ./-. !he idea of one country taking possession over another is shown in this simple children's game. )nother possi#le danger of colonialism is lack of identity. Kim (uestions his own identity in %&h" *ah#u# )li" #ut am $ a Hindu0 ,Kipling .1- or from Chapter 23 %$ am Kim. $ am Kim. )nd what is Kim0 His soul repeated it again and again% ,442-. He feels that he should identify with one group or the other. $s he ritish or is he $ndian0 Kim is Kipling's attempt at trying to warn the world of the power of the $ndian people" and the fact that they do want to reclaim their country. Kim em#odies the #elief that it was %right% fro the ritish to rule in $ndia. !his is not (uestioned in Kipling's mind. )s seen in Chapter three when the soldier makes a coment on the 5reat *utiny of 2631" his claim is dismissed as %madness.% %) madness ate into all the army" and they turned against their officers ,Kipling 2//- !his is Kipling's own feeling inter7ected here as is %the Curator smiled at the mi+ture of

old8world piety and modern progress that is the note of $ndia today ,39-. !his is not to say that Kipling does not have great love for $ndia #ased on personal e+perience" it is 7ust that like many of his contemporaries" he never (uestioned the rightness of the ritish rule of $ndia. Kipling does present the ritish for criticism as well. :or e+ample in Chapter 3 when Kim finds %;ine hundred first8class devil" whose 5od was a Red ull on a green field"% Kim is captured #y the soldiers. Kipling uses this scene to show the $ndian viewpoint as opposed to the ritish. Kipling ridicules Christian ministers as %ministers of the creed that lumps nine8 tenths of the world under the title of heathen ,Kipling 24.-. Reverend ennett shows the worst kind of leader of the white man's #urden when he says %<ou will #e what you're told to #e"% said ennett= %and you should #e grateful that we're going to help you% ,Kipling 2>2-. He does show ignorance and racism in these coloni'ers. %!he distinction Kipling is actually making is #etween those Europeans" such as Creighton" and Kim himself" who have #een in $ndia a long time and know the country well" and those 'uncurried donkeys' ,Ch.3 p.24.- who have recently arrived" knowing nothing a#out the country" #ringing with them all that was worst in the ritish mentality. ,?aid!here are also parts of the novel that seem to #e a mi+ of #oth the ritish and the $ndian. $n the chapter called !he !wo8?ided *an" Kim is a#le to use his skills from #oth worlds. @hen Aurgan attempts to %#rainwash% him" he is a#le to resist this #y repeating mathematical ta#les he learned. ?o while Kim is attracted to the unregimented $ndian ways" he is a#le to use the regimentation of the ritish to outsmart Aurgan. !his might #e descri#ed as the hy#rid that ritish $ndia would #ecome. ?o Kim changes in that he uses #oth sides of himself to create a #etter mi+ 7ust as colonialism itself would have to adapt. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a much harsher condemnation of the terror and oppression that result from domination" particularly European domination of )frica. Conrad" like Kipling had personal knowledge of his su#7ect matter. He had #een to the Congo in the 269/s and presents the view through *arlow" who must see this horri#le truth that he is forced to witness in the Congo. %?hocked #y his e+periences in the 269/s" Conrad views colonialism as a moral vice and a cultural #ully of the Europeans" clearly elucidating the vices of western culture in )frica% ,!eisch-. Conrad tells the reader over and over again that imposing the structure of western culture on )frica is useless much as the railway truck that is sitting on its #ack and is descri#ed as an animal carcass. Kurt' #ecomes totally corrupted #y the power that he has" as is representative of the people who coloni'e. %Kurt' serves as the em#odiment of man's potential for evil" a sym#ol of the

European colonist in Conrad's eyes% ,!eisch-. !he reader is left with the futility of forcing our #eliefs on other cultures. *arlow shows us that anyone can #e drawn into the we# of colonialism. Kurt' has #een completely drawn into the lust for power and greed and has turned into a monster. *arlowe can at least understand Kurt' a little" which is what makes his character so distur#ing. !his (uote shows show easy it might #e to #e drawn into this we#. %...$n some inland post feel the savagery" the utter savagery" had closed round him88all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest" in the 7ungles" in the hearts of wild men. !here's no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensi#le" which is detesta#le. )nd it has a fascination" too" which goes to work upon him. !he fascination of the a#omination88you know. $magine the growing regrets" the longing to escape" the powerless disgust" the surrender" the hate.% Bart 2" pg. > in the end" the greed for profit takes over. !he need for ivory #ecame more important to Kurt' than the mission to civili'e the natives88he #egan using violence and power to get more ivory and hence more money. )nd in fact" he civili'es them not at all. !he view of colonialism itself is seen in this (uoteC %!he old river in its #road reach rested unruffled at the decline of day" after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its #anks" spread out in the tran(uil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth... Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame" they all had gone out on that stream" #earing the sword" and often the torch" messengers of the might within the land" #earers of a spark from the sacred fire. @hat greatness had not floated on the e## of that river into the mystery of an unknown earthD...!he dreams of men" the seed of commonwealth" the germs of empires% ,Conrad E-. !his is the reader's opening view of colonialism as seen through the eyes of Conrad. !his old river and these people are e+ploited #y %hunters of gold% or %pursuers of fame.% !his is what colonialism will eventually lead to. *arlow discusses some of the dangers in this (uoteC %!he con(uest of the earth" which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different comple+ion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves" is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much% ,Conrad >-. !hat really sums up Conrad's view of colonialism as a taking away from a society" as an e+ploitation. !he rulers dislike the native people and have no pro#lem e+ploiting or even killing them. %!he danger of colonialism is seen againC %'@hen one has got to make correct entries" one comes to hate those savages88hate them to the death% ,Conrad 23-. $n colonialism" it is very easy to get caught up in the greed for power and profit" which is shown #y Kurt'. @hen *arlow asks another character why he has come to the Congo" the

greed is shown in his answer. %$ couldn't help asking him once what he meant #y coming here at all. '!o make money" of course. @hat do you think0' he said scornfully.% ,Conrad 2.-. and in one very #old statement without even trying to hide greed a little. 'He declared he would shoot me unless $ gave him the ivory and then cleared out of the country" #ecause he could do so" and had a fancy for it" and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he 7olly well pleased.% ,Conrad 3/-. !he reader can clearly see what can happen to people with no one to stop them. :or this reason alone" colonialism is very dangerous. !he dangers of corruption are seen here as wellC %Everything #elonged to him88#ut that was a trifle. !he thing to know was what he #elonged to" how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. !hat was the reflection that made you creepy all over. $t was impossi#le88not good for one either88trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land88$ mean literally. <ou can't understand88how could you0% ,Conrad >4-. the direct #oldness of this statement is unimagina#le and is e+actly what Conrad is cautioning the reader a#out. !he theme of darkness also plays a part throughout the novel along with the title itself. !hese things e+press Conrad's thoughts a#out colonialism as a %dark% venture. !he closer the reader gets to Kurt'" the farther into the native culture" the scarier it gets. !he reader knows that Kurt' has overe+tended his power and only #ecause he can. !here is no#ody there to stop him and the natives #oth revere and fear him. %!he reaches opened #efore us and closed #ehind" as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to #ar the way for our return. @e penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.% ,Conrad 4/-. Fuote E.C !he reader is shown again the darkness of this colonialism and the darkness of the men involved in it. $t is good for no one" according to Conrad. %$ raised my head. !he offing was #arred #y a #lack #ank of clouds" and the tran(uil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed som#er under an overcast sky88seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.% ,Conrad .9-. Bro#a#ly the scariest part of the #ook is the fact that people like *arlow can #e drawn into this power and greed. ;ot that *arlow agreed with Kurt' at all" #ut the reader understands how this travesty may have happened. *arlowe shows this when he says"% $ turned to the wilderness really" not to *r. Kurt'" who" $ was ready to admit" was as good as #uried. )nd for a moment it seemed to me as if $ also was #uried in a vast grave full of unspeaka#le secrets. $ felt an intolera#le weight oppressing my #reast" the smell of the damp earth" the unseen presence of victorious corruption" the darkness of an impenetra#le night% ,Conrad 33-.