Books of Literature by Nobel Prize Winning Authors: 2020 Challenge discussion
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
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Second week of reading: ch 5-8
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Tracey
(last edited Aug 17, 2016 08:02PM)
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Aug 17, 2016 07:45PM
I am a little behind with my reading due to family issues but please post here as you read and I will post questions and thoughts shortly.
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I read this chapters quickly because the action has really picked up. I am glad that he was sent to St. Xavier's school instead of the other one. He really did not like the red school uniforms. There is no stopping Kim. He still has his wits about him and I like that he thinks about the old lama.
1. What was the mutiny (the plague, the Black Year) spoken of in chapter 3 and how is knowing about it relevant to the story? https://www.britannica.com/event/Indi...
The Mutiny was an uprising by the Sepoy soldiers against the British conquerors in which many people of all backgrounds died. The British certainly wanted to prevent a further rebellion. The spy network, The Game, was an intelligence gathering service and Kim, with his talent for disguises and knowledge of the country was very good at it. It also gave him the freedom he needed.I really enjoyed his "escape" from his vacation. Being cooped up in a camp was not his idea of fun- or mine either, for that matter. I can just imagine the food.
Didn't Kim at one point comment about the food at the military school?
Rosemarie wrote: "The Mutiny was an uprising by the Sepoy soldiers against the British conquerors in which many people of all backgrounds died. The British certainly wanted to prevent a further rebellion. The spy ne..."The food was not the same as the rich savoury food Kim was used to eating as a native of the rich and varied land of India.
Holding the Khyber Pass between Afghanistan and what is now Pakistan was very important to the British to maintain their hold on a good portion of the Indian subcontinent. Knowing the political and military background of the region and time is central in the story. Kim straddles the two sides; being born and raised in India whilst also being the son of an Irish soldier fighting for the British Empire. He is in part serving the British Government whilst loving the native culture and peoples; his relationship with the Lama being an example, a relationship of mutual affection and loyalty.The 'Great Game' or British Intelligence, was very important and necessary to keep Russia from obtaining the Khyber pass and also to maintaining stability in this part of the then British Empire.
If you look at what happened in Afghanistan in the 20 th century( the Russian invasion), the British had a reason to be wary of that country.
I just picked this up from the library so I will be starting today :)
