The mood of “The Man Who Would Be King” is simultaneously suspenseful and lighthearted. The suspense emerges from the fact that Carnehan is relaying a dramatic adventure tale for most of the story. Readers also know from the beginning of his story that Dravot does not survive, and they keep reading in order to learn what happened to the other man. The following passage captures the theatrical nature of Carnehan’s story and resulting suspenseful mood:
I am telling you as straight as I can, but my head isn’t as good as it might be. They drove nails through it to make me hear better how Dravot died. The country was mountaineous and the mules were most contrary, and the inhabitants was dispersed and solitary […] [I] was imploring of Dravot not to sing and whistle so loud, for fear of bringing down the tremenjus avalanches.
This passage contains many different suspenseful elements. First, Carnehan flippantly mentions that the people of Kafiristan “drove nails” through his head “to make [him] hear better how Dravot died”—a story that readers have not yet heard, as this is just at the start of his tale. Next, he describes the harsh conditions of Kafiristan, including mountains, “contrary” mules, “dispersed and solitary” people, plus the potential for avalanches. Not only that, but Dravot is clearly not someone who cares about his own safety, or that of others (as evidenced by his singing and whistling). This suggests to readers that Dravot will make poor decisions during his time in Kafiristan that will lead to trouble (which proves to be the case).
While the mood is suspenseful throughout Carenhan’s telling of his tale, it is also lighthearted, as Kipling is clearly positioning both Carnehan and Dravot as silly, bumbling con artists who don’t know what they’ve gotten themselves into. Much of the harm that comes to them, for example, is due to their own poor decision-making or Dravot’s greed and hunger for power. For this reason, even the most potentially emotional scenes—such as Dravot’s death—come across as somewhat silly and lighthearted as the men are forced to deal with the consequences of their actions.
