Kim’s Self-Identity

On page 101 of Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, we see Kim think about his identity for the first time throughout the entire novel. He realizes that it is a great big world and he is only a little boy and questions what that means as far as self-identity goes. A couple different topics, skin color and Kim’s wild behavior, have played a role in his dispute with other Sahibs (whites) in India. This is due to the fact that Sahibs, who can easily be identified by their white skin, seemingly have a specific way they are to ‘properly’ behave. Kim, a Sahib, doesn’t necessarily abide by these culturally accepted guidelines.

Objectively speaking, Englishmen have a much lighter skin complexion than do Indians. During the time of British imperialism, however, some British children were born in India and grew up around other Indian children. This was the case for Kim. He grew up outside playing with the other children in India where he lived. Because of this, Kim’s skin complexion was darker than that of a normal British boy. This allowed him to scheme money out of people as well as interact with the locals much more easily as he could easily fit in as a native. In fact, late in chapter 7, Kim meets a prostitute who furthers this seemingly natural disguise by having her help him dress as a Hindu boy. This impedes his relationship to other British people in India though. People in the regiment, especially the drummer boy in the early writings of chapter 6, pair a specific type of well mannered, rule following type behavior with the Sahib (whites). Kim clearly doesn’t fit such a schema and this causes confusion amongst the people in the regiment who look after Kim. He is almost viewed as this half-and-half creature, or as Father Victor puts it “lusus naturae,” Latin for “freak of nature.”

Kim’s wildly outgoing and cunning behavior is another piece of identity that clashes against the culturally accepted view of the English. Kim has been with regiment for a short time when Kipling first describes Kim’s feelings towards living as a Sahib by saying “Life as a Sahib was amusing so far; but he touched it with a cautious hand.” Kim knew a life of which he made his way by bending/breaking ethical boundaries and using his street smarts to get what he wanted. In other words, Kim was one to push his limits. We see this when he is being over watched by the drummer boy of the regiment and was given specific instructions to stay within specific boundaries to remain in. Kim hovers around a tree that is on the border of these boundaries until he is able to relay a message to a passing sweeper to take to a letter writer. I find this scene symbolic to Kim’s character as a whole. The boundaries symbolize the culturally accepted roles and attitudes of the Sahibs. Kim intentionally placing himself on the border of these boundaries is symbolic of his previous and ongoing behavior. Behavior that pushes the ‘boundaries’ the Sahib title places on him and at times even acting out of character. An example of this behavior is when Kim is with the lama and uses his street knowledge to scheme someone for money for a train ticket knowing he already had enough to pay for it himself. This is contradictory to what we have previously read about the British feeling ‘morally superior’ to their colonies.

In conclusion, we have looked at how Kim’s skin color and wild behavior has shaped his character over the course of the novel. He is still learning who he is and I fully expect him to have further identity questions as his role with the regiment develops.

 

 

 

References

Kipling, R. (2002). Kim. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.