Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Kim, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mentorship and Parenthood
Race, Identity, and Colonialism
Connection vs. Detachment
Misogyny
Summary
Analysis
The soldier introduces Kim and the lama to his son, detailing Kim’s prophecy of war. The son mocks Kim for his profit-oriented ways, but the old soldier rebukes him, having him pay Kim upon their departure. At the gates of the Grand Trunk Road, a Punjabi constable demands four anees but Kim, recognizing the scam, mocks the constable and does not pay. The lama celebrates Kim’s abilities as a protector, but expresses playful uncertainty whether or not he is an “evil imp.” On the road, the lama meditates while Kim revels in the landscape and passersby.
Though appreciative of Kim’s abilities as a “protector,” the lama shows he is becoming increasingly wise to his questionable tactics, playfully questioning whether Kim is an “evil imp.” This marks a new stage in Kim and the lama’s relationship, one of greater transparency and mutual understanding. Though the lama may disapprove of some of Kim’s behavior, he now seems to accept it as a condition of their partnership and Kim’s continued protection of him.
Themes
Kim and the lama arrive at a parao, or resting place. The narrator describes the dramatic setting of the sun over the picturesque landscape. Kim embraces the “happy Asiatic disorder” of the parao, boldly building a fire next to the cart of a wealthy, high-spirited widow. One of the men, a hillman, orders Kim to move farther away, and Kim mocks him, eliciting laughter from the widow. The hillman makes to attack Kim, but stops at the sight of the lama, apologizing to Kim. He returns shortly after, asking for the lama to speak to the widow; Kim obliges, but requests food for the lama.
Kim illustrates his social precociousness, boldly building a fire next to the cart of a wealthy widow. Though such boldness is in part a personality trait of Kim’s, it also reflects his newfound confidence in his status as chela: with the lama at his side, Kim can get away with being rude without fear of reprimand. This underscores the social power of holy men in the novel’s depiction of India, as well as the benefits reaped by Kim by virtue of his new position.
Themes
Calling him to her cart, the widow criticizes Kim for attaching himself to the lama for personal gain, not believing him to be a true chela. Kim does not deny this, but distracts her with a bold insult against her people, insinuating their complicity in slave-trading. Kim continues to poke at her, begetting her wrath but also amusing her. Eventually, she gives Kim money, recognizing that if she wishes to speak to the lama, she needs to win Kim’s favor, being the “eyes and ears” of the lama. When the lama awakes surrounded by food, he calls Kim to his side, expressing his affection for him and hypothesizing that he rendered Kim service in a former life.
The widow proves to be a perceptive reader of people, immediately recognizing Kim as a fraud. His flippant charm wins her over, however, and the two eventually come to a mutual understanding. Recognizing Kim as the only access point to the lama, she obliges his request for money and food, illustrating Kim’s coercive prowess as a negotiator, as well as the widow’s shrewd practicality. Kim may not be a real chela, but his influence over the lama is unquestionable.
Themes
At Kim’s request, the lama goes to speak with the widow. Kim watches from afar, wishing he could overhear, and when the lama returns Kim inquires after their conversation. The lama reports the widow to be a woman of wisdom and integrity, though admits many of her problems are foolish and superstitious. He explains that she invited them to join her on her journey, and suggests they comply; she only asks that the lama pray for her son and that joining her does not inhibit his quest for the River. Kim is amused, and the lama goes to bed, but not before making a joke about talkative women.
Here, the lama exhibits his characteristic hypocrisy, criticizing the widow for her superficiality but ultimately deciding to travel with her on the Grand Trunk Road. Though he tries to cover it with misogynistic jokes about women, the lama clearly enjoys the company of the widow, a sentiment betrayed by his choice to travel with her. As exposed earlier by the old soldier, the lama is not as immune to the pleasures of the material world as he would like people to think.
Themes
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In the morning, Kim revels in the plethora of sights and sounds of the newly awoken India, seeing in them “the world in real truth.” He happily reflects on his new station as the disciple of a holy man “annexed by a strong-willed lady,” and observes with amusement the widow’s ordering around of her servants as they make ready to leave. Once on the road, Kim fills with pride at his place in the impressive procession and watches as an Englishman playfully chastises the widow. Afterward, the widow discusses religion with the lama while Kim speaks with the Oorya escorts. At noon, the widow tells a story about local Gods while they eat.
Here, Kim reveals his vision of truth, describing the material world—in all its dynamism and imperfection— as the “world in real truth.” This contrasts dramatically with the lama’s worldview, in which the material world is merely an illusion, suggesting that ideological differences need not necessarily prohibit companionship. In fact, it is this very contrast that makes Kim and the lama so compatible, complementing each other’s skillsets and knowledge.
Themes
