A Search for the True Self
On the surface, Rudyard Kipling’s Kim is a blend of religious story and spy novel. However, I would argue that the novel is, in essence, a bildungsroman. Both the lama’s search for the sacred river and Kim’s adventure as a spy in India, ultimately serve to reveal the core of the story—Kim’s continuous search for his true identity.
Kim’s search begins with seeking “a red bull on a green field” (15) in his father’s last words. At the beginning, he may not realize his childish search indicates his deepest desire to figure out his true self, and the search seems to subordinate to the lama’s religious search. Nevertheless, the result of his search— “a red bull on a green field” turns out to be the image on his father’s …show more content…
He is mistreated and discriminated by the English drummer boy who always elevates himself in front of Kim, and the English keep dissociating Kim from his oriental identity. Under such pressure, Kim’s consciousness of his true self is awakened, and for the first time, he questions his own identity in a direct way, as Kipling writes,
“‘Hai mai! I go from one place to another as it might be a kick-ball. It is my kismet. No man can escape his kismet. But I am to pray to Bibi Miriam and I am a Sahib’—he looked at his boots ruefully. ‘No; I am Kim. This is the great world and I am only Kim. Who is Kim?’ He considered his own identity, a thing he had never done before, till his head swam. He was one insignificant person in all this roaring whirl of India, going southward to he knew not what fate.” (106)
The confrontation of the English and Oriental identity causes Kim to feel at a loss, and such division continues in Kim’s new adventure without the company of the lama. In St. Xavier school he takes notes that “one must never forget that one is a Sahib and that some day, when examinations are passed, one will command natives” (112). Meanwhile, he regards “this great and beautiful land (India)” as “his People” (122). The search for his true self becomes a hidden but urgent problem for Kim to solve, as Kipling indicates in the epigraph of Chapter …show more content…
His bewilderment even strengthens when Kim juggles being the lama’s disciple and playing the Game. He becomes aware of his isolation from “either side of his head”, although he keeps receiving kindness and care from a group of people like the lama, Mahbub Ali, Creighton Sahib and Mr. Lurgan. Kim ponders, “I owe to the lama here. Also to Mahbub Ali—also to Creighton Sahib, but chiefly to the Holy One. He is right—a great and a wonderful world—and I am Kim—Kim—Kim—alone—one person—in the middle of it all” (203). The repetition of “I am Kim” in his reflection is quite similar to his former expression, “I am Kim. This is the great world and I am only Kim. Who is Kim?” (106). The reaffirmation of his own existence without any social factor in it is astonishing, and it reminds me of another similar expression by the lama. When Kim asks the lama, “Thou didst not say I was a Sahib,” the lama replied, “What need? I have told thee many times we be but two souls seeking escape” (206). Free from the race and social status, Kim is just an independent soul wandering on the land of India. After Kim recovers from tiredness, the similar expression appears once more. “‘I am Kim. I am Kim. And what is Kim?’ His soul repeated it again and again” (254). Although it is an open ending, the lama finally offers Kim a possible answer for Kim’s philosophical question about his identity, when the
On the surface, Rudyard Kipling’s Kim is a blend of religious story and spy novel. However, I would argue that the novel is, in essence, a bildungsroman. Both the lama’s search for the sacred river and Kim’s adventure as a spy in India, ultimately serve to reveal the core of the story—Kim’s continuous search for his true identity.
Kim’s search begins with seeking “a red bull on a green field” (15) in his father’s last words. At the beginning, he may not realize his childish search indicates his deepest desire to figure out his true self, and the search seems to subordinate to the lama’s religious search. Nevertheless, the result of his search— “a red bull on a green field” turns out to be the image on his father’s …show more content…
He is mistreated and discriminated by the English drummer boy who always elevates himself in front of Kim, and the English keep dissociating Kim from his oriental identity. Under such pressure, Kim’s consciousness of his true self is awakened, and for the first time, he questions his own identity in a direct way, as Kipling writes,
“‘Hai mai! I go from one place to another as it might be a kick-ball. It is my kismet. No man can escape his kismet. But I am to pray to Bibi Miriam and I am a Sahib’—he looked at his boots ruefully. ‘No; I am Kim. This is the great world and I am only Kim. Who is Kim?’ He considered his own identity, a thing he had never done before, till his head swam. He was one insignificant person in all this roaring whirl of India, going southward to he knew not what fate.” (106)
The confrontation of the English and Oriental identity causes Kim to feel at a loss, and such division continues in Kim’s new adventure without the company of the lama. In St. Xavier school he takes notes that “one must never forget that one is a Sahib and that some day, when examinations are passed, one will command natives” (112). Meanwhile, he regards “this great and beautiful land (India)” as “his People” (122). The search for his true self becomes a hidden but urgent problem for Kim to solve, as Kipling indicates in the epigraph of Chapter …show more content…
His bewilderment even strengthens when Kim juggles being the lama’s disciple and playing the Game. He becomes aware of his isolation from “either side of his head”, although he keeps receiving kindness and care from a group of people like the lama, Mahbub Ali, Creighton Sahib and Mr. Lurgan. Kim ponders, “I owe to the lama here. Also to Mahbub Ali—also to Creighton Sahib, but chiefly to the Holy One. He is right—a great and a wonderful world—and I am Kim—Kim—Kim—alone—one person—in the middle of it all” (203). The repetition of “I am Kim” in his reflection is quite similar to his former expression, “I am Kim. This is the great world and I am only Kim. Who is Kim?” (106). The reaffirmation of his own existence without any social factor in it is astonishing, and it reminds me of another similar expression by the lama. When Kim asks the lama, “Thou didst not say I was a Sahib,” the lama replied, “What need? I have told thee many times we be but two souls seeking escape” (206). Free from the race and social status, Kim is just an independent soul wandering on the land of India. After Kim recovers from tiredness, the similar expression appears once more. “‘I am Kim. I am Kim. And what is Kim?’ His soul repeated it again and again” (254). Although it is an open ending, the lama finally offers Kim a possible answer for Kim’s philosophical question about his identity, when the