ALI SODAGAR MAZHAR
BS (HONS) English Literature
(8th semester)
POST COLONIAL
LITERATURE:
 Post colonialism:
The historical period or
state of affairs
representing the
aftermath of western
Colonialism.
 Key Terms:
 Language
 Ambivalence
 Alterity
 Colonial education
 Diaspora
 Essentialism etc.
RUDYARD KIPLING(JOSEPH
RUDYARD KIPLING)
 Birth: 30
December 1865 , Malabar Hill
, British India.
 Works:
 The jungle Book(1894)
 The God of the copybook
headings(1919)
 The White man’s Burden(1899)
 Mandalay(1890)
 Parents:

John Kipling (teacher, illustrator)

Alice Kipling (Poet, writer)
 Awards:
Noble prize(1907)
 Death: 18 January 1936, London
England.
KIM
 Picaresque Novel:
“Novel in which a roguish but
appealing person of lower class
is portrayed as protagonist”
 Written: 1900
 Published: 1901
 3rd person omniscient
 Setting: 1893-1898,
British Raj, India.
The novel is notable for its
detailed portrait of the
people, culture, and varied
religions of India
THE GREAT GAME(1856-1907)
The term Great Game describes the Rivalry between Great
Russia as their
Britian and
sphere of influence on Mughal India, Turkestan and Persia
moved the two superpowers in South-Central Asia.
STYLE
EPIGRAPH;
 A peace of the writing
that is used at the
beginning of a work to
set the tone of that work
or to highlight thematic
elements.
 Each element of the
chapter opens with an
epigraph.
 Kipling prefaces each
chapter with an excerpt of
verse e.g. chapter 5; Kim
reunited with father.
MAJOR
CHARACTERS:
1) Kimbrall
O’Hara:
 Protagonist.
 Irish lad
 Parents dies in
poverty
Lives as an Orphan in
India(before partition).
 A British ,culturally
Indian.
2) TESHOO LAMA
 Tibetan Monk ,
Served as Master
in Himalayas.
 He left that role to
attain
enlightenment
 Visits plain fields
in search of
“River of Arrow”
3) MAHBUB ALI
 A famous “Ghilzai
Pashtun” from
Afghanistan.
 A devout Muslim,
Merchant of
horses.
 Works as spy for
the British.
4)COLONEL
CREIGHTON
 Englishman.
 Ethnologist ,
Working for the
ethnical survey.
 Ethnology(
study of different
races and cultures)
5)HURREE
CHANDAR
 Known as
“Babu”
 Intelligence
operator.
 Works for
the British.
MINOR CHARACTERS
 Kimball O’Hara Sr.: (Father of Kim, an Irish Soldier.)
 Lurgan Sahib: (A Shimla gem trader and spy.)
 The Kulu Woman:(The Sahiba , an old hill
Rajput noble lady)
 Father Victor: (The Roman Catholic Chaplain of
Mavericks)
 Old soldier:( Sikh Risaldar ,
A native officer)
Lispeth , The opium den keeper, The
Russian spy etc.
 PLOT:
 Kim brought up by a local woman, works for Mehbub
Ali.
 One day, meets Tibet Lama (Quest to free himself from
wheel of things)
 Kim’s father’s regimental Chaplain identifies , sends him
to an English school, training by Lurgan sahib.
 Kim receives a Govt. appointment, rejoins Lama , Trip
to Himalayas.
 Lama into unwittingly conflict with Russian
intelligence agents.
 Realizes Search for river should be in plains
 Kim delivers Document, Lama finds river, achieves the
Enlightenment.
SYMBOLISM, ALLEGORY
AND MOTIFS:
 Irish Identity:
The protagonist is Irish by ethnicity , leading to a symbolic
dilemma of identity.
 The Orphan Allegory:
Kim, potentially parent less subjecting himself to various
influences, symbolic.
 The Symbolic Removal:
Lamas quest for real location , removal from one state in India
into another where he becomes spy for British.
 The Russian Intelligence:
Kim ironically symbolized through successful retrieval of Russian
intelligence.
THEMES:
1)IMPERIALISM
‘Policy of extending a
country’s power and
influence through
Colonization , use of
military force or by other
means”
 The portrayal of native
and sahib, British a
(governing class) Indians
as (governed).
 However Kipling presents
Imperialist present in
India as unquestionably
Positive.
2)ORIENTALISM
 Edward Said
 The representation of
Asia in a stereotyped
way that is regarded
as embodying a
colonialist attitude.
 Kipling portrayal of
British Culture as more
advanced, e.g. Lurgan
Sahib tries to
hypnotize Kim recites
tables learnt from
English
school(symbolizing
advancement)
3)EQUALITY AND
UNITY
 Buddhist teaching’s of
Teshoo lama.
 He tells Kim, “To those
who follows the way
there is neither black
nor white, Hind nor
Bhotiyal. We all be souls
seeking to escape”
 Lama carrying
diagram(symbol of
equality)
 All characters involving
in The Great Game.
4)IDENTITY:
 Character of Kim is
placed in a
predicament of
identity, grows in
Lahore , India. Adapts
to culture and
language of India.
 Once a Sahib and , by
virtue of his
upbringing becomes
part of the colonized
society
 Known as “friend
all the worlds”
of
5)RELIGION:
 One of the major plotlines is
the quest for
Enlightenment by Teshoo
Lama, and the novel is
threaded with Lama’s
Buddhist spirituality and
teachings.
 The validation of Buddhism
in Kim is a censure of
Christianity , by Father
victor and Reverend
Bennett.
 The symbolic defeat of
Christianity can be seen
as evidence of Kipling’s
lifelong loathing of
Christianity and
missionary worked in
India.