Mentorship and Parenthood
Because Kim is an orphan, his mentors play a pivotal role in his upbringing. Although Kim provides for his own basic needs, like food and shelter, there are notable gaps in his development, and his mentors frequently assume responsibilities typically taken on by parents. This includes sending him to school, rewarding his accomplishments, teaching him essential life skills, and nurturing his emotional and spiritual development. Though Kim strictly maintains his independence from his mentors, at…
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Race, Identity, and Colonialism
Throughout the novel, Kim often grapples with the nature of his identity. The son of a deceased Irish soldier and nursemaid, Kim is technically white, but his dark complexion, Indian accent, and native upbringing mean he is often mistaken as an “Asiatic.” At the start of the novel, Kim revels in such ambiguity, embracing his ability to socialize with, befriend, and manipulate anyone around him, white or black. Not bound to any single race, creed…
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Connection vs. Detachment
At the outset of the novel, Kim and the lama embody opposing worldviews. While the lama espouses the value of earthly detachment, criticizing the superficiality of bodily passions and desires (i.e., The Wheel of Things), Kim embraces the vitality of the physical world, reveling in the diversity of its pleasures and peoples. These contrasting perspectives prove mutually beneficial on the road during their travels, with the lama enjoying the fruit of Kim’s thrifty worldliness—without…
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Misogyny
In Kim, women are frequently depicted as perilous or, at the very least, distracting to men. Though such portrayals are often delivered humorously—take, for instance, the lama’s quip that “the husbands of the talkative have a great reward hereafter”—such jests often harbor real complaints. Repeatedly, both Kim and the lama (and often Mahbub too) lament the superficial and hazardous influences of women, often holding them responsible for diverting their focus from their goals. For…
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