Kim Group

Question:

sarangij
sarangij
Teacher
College - Senior

 Can "Kim" be considered as a racial text?

Rate question:

Posted by sarangij on Saturday September 20, 2008 at 7:11 AM and tagged with kim, racism.

Answers:


  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    Absolutely. In fact, from a contemporary point of view, it is impossible to dodge the racial implications of the book. Kipling may have intended this as entertainment, and as political. However, while Kim's heritage may have been pure, the fact that he passes for members of different elements of society makes him a useful metaphor for how racial definitions shift and blur. "Kim" shows race as a construct.

     

    Some also see "Kim" as a racist text, due to descriptions of character, like this one: "His face was yellow and wrinkled, like that of Fook Shing, the Chinese bootmaker in the bazar. His eyes turned up at the corners and looked like little slits of onyx."

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/kim

    Rate answer:

    Posted by gbeatty on Sunday September 21, 2008 at 11:47 AM

  2. cloverset
    cloverset Student
    Graduate School

    Race is clearly a major theme, but racism (hostility or hate toward a particular race) is another thing.  I haven't finished the book yet, but I am struck by Kipling's love and fascination for many races, cultures and religions as expressed by his character, Kim.  He uses Kim's naive and shamelessly accurate eye to poke, prod, stroke, mock and blast every social group, even (or especially) sub-groups within a particular race.  But he highlights and defends the strengths he sees in every group with the same clarity.  

    Rate answer:

    Posted by cloverset on Wednesday August 12, 2009 at 5:27 PM