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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Imperial Power

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They try to stir up instability in India if only Kim didn 't find out first. They try to get the Lama 's drawing of the Wheel of Life. They got rejected by the Lama so they brutally beat the Lama up. This outrages the villagers so they have to flee. Kim later finds out the letters to 5 kings to stir up instability as the proof to their ill intentions. Kipling shows both sides of the Imperial power: the good and the bad. The good things about the Imperial power seem to be the advantages and the advancement being brought to India while the bad deteriorates the power towards domination and blind their own people from seeing true values of things. Creighton and Lurgan voluntarily learn to integrate themselves with the locals which proven to be a good thing for their position of power whereas the ill treatment that the bad characters are giving to the natives will not help them to integrate into the society peacefully. Thus, it is merely a suggestion that an attempt to understand the locals ' cultures and traditions will help the Imperial power to maintain their power. It should not be exercised only with fear and force but it should be gradually integrating through respect and understanding of the colonized perspectives and other …show more content…

Kim is also an example of how the British Empire comes into play and eventually helps improving his life. The British characters are portrayed as the good influences in India that will eventually lead the country to the greater condition. The characters that disrespect the natives and view India as inferior simply are the bad influences also used as another instrument to prove that the Imperial power or the British Empire in India is a positive and beneficial to the country. Kipling viewed both of them as the dichotomy of good and bad. He also viewed India as positively good but still very much flawed which can be seen in stereotypes of Indians as barbaric, rude, liars, worthless, etc. The British Empire can help alleviate this harshness due to its civilized progression. The divergence of ethnic groups in India ultimately is under the ruling of the British Empire in this novel. The 'Smiling River of Life ' portrays this difference particularly. Ultimately, Kim - a symbol for India- disguised himself as a Hindu boy for half of his life to immerse with the rest of the society. Due to the British help of Creighton and Lurgan, Kim 's life has improved significantly. His life becomes more important and momentous. Kipling 's appliance of Kim as a symbol for India is to prove that the Imperial power in this particular country bring India to improvements and developments. Thus, it can be simply put as a novel that praises the Imperial power by Rudyard Kipling. It is a classic children 's literature that ultimately unfolds itself as a subtle Imperial propaganda to enhance its false reputation of being nurturing and helpful to the

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