This novel is the best novel about British India, and one of the most breathtaking stories of espionage, Rudyard Kipling’s Kim published in 1901. Kim became the symbol of the "Great Game", that curious era of shadow boxing between Britain and Russia played out on the North West Frontier, Afghanistan, Persia, and Central Asia. The prosper of Russian territorial annexation and gains in Central Asia during the nineteenth century was spectacular and unbelievable, and a brief look at the map will confirm how close they came to Chitral in the north west of India, now Pakistan. Further to the west the long Baluchistan border seemed almost equally feeble and vulnerable. So the threat was very real, but it led to a controversial debate in British …show more content…
Given six months, to go with his friend, and resume their impossible, strange, quest. The lama visits numerous, Buddhist shrines, waiting for Kim, many unlikely incidents happen, on the road, even arriving near, the mighty Himalayas. Greatly helped by a rich, cantankerous, kindly woman, the Sahiba, as they go and see this unique land, spies are everywhere here, unknown dangers, but the real story of this book, is India as Kim asks; who is Kim, Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Jains, Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, British or Indian.kim talks to himself: " I am Kim. I am Kim. And what is Kim? His soul repeated it again and again . . . tears trickled down his nose and with an almost audible click he felt the wheels of his being lock up anew on the world without". (Rudyard Kipling's kim. p.331). That question can be answered very easily, it is the diversity of India's ethnic groups and characters. Kim is now a sociable man, who loves India. Rudyard Kipling breathes the air of India for his formative years. He is an Englishman, who never doubts the superiority of the British way of life, or of the British person. And yet, Kim is infused with the opposite, the native's good-humored willingness to go along with the Sahib because after all, the poor white man needs to think himself