Final Thoughts

First off: If you are reading this you may want to start at the beginning (The bottom of the page.)

I think in my first "thought" post I called the book boring, which I must say it was for the first maybe 2 chapters, at least to me. I did have a hard time getting into it for awhile but we went on a four hour road-trip and I made myself read. Kim definitely picks up after the first chapters. He starts meeting people and going on his journey and the story really starts.

Overall I liked the book, I'm not sure if I will read it again but, I would definitely consider it. I thought it would be one of those lame school books that Id just skimmed through and write a little paper about but, it wasn't. I even started researching it when I wasn't doing homework!

Id definitely suggest reading it because it is a classic and it is very well written. Id also say read it because I think there are a lot of misconceptions about it that you should form opinions on for yourself.

I don't know if I could pick out a favorite part, I just liked how all the characters are so different and written about so well. I loved "meeting" them or reading about Kim meeting them. All the characters are so different and yet Rudyard writes about them so seamlessly that it all flows together and it doesn't sound fake I guess. There are definitely some memorable quotes in the book, as just yesterday I quoted a part of the book to my friend. I think that it would appeal to teenagers specifically because it is a soul-searching, path-finding book.

I had fun with reading Kim and fun with writing this blog.

Who should read Kim?

Honestly, it may sound cheesy, but everyone should. I enjoyed reading it and I found it to be entertaining.

I think that boys would like the book more then girls, in general. Kim is not a love story..and doesn't even mention many females.. its a story of a boy growing up and becoming a man. Its the story of a spies and thieves and seems to targeted towards a male reader. But, like I said I read it and liked it and got a lot out of reading it.

I think that if you are interested in history you will like the book. It has a lot of history poured into it here and there. I think I have said it before but, I had just been studying the religions and customs of India when I started reading the book so that definitely helped in the understanding of some of the words used.

Most of the copies of "Kim" come with a glossary in the back. My advise to you would be: USE IT! You will definitively understand the book better if you understand what they are saying! :)

Read it if you like: thrillers, history, Rudyard Kipling, or stories of overcoming boundaries.

British History in Kim

First off, I was surprised on how much of a hold the British had on India, I think that reading about someone who lives their and runs into British soldiers really puts that into perspective. It is clear that the British saw them as almost "second class citizens" and that they didn't think that they had the right to revolt. India alone was a huge part of Britain and a large part of Britain's wealth.

I also found it interesting that Rudyard was born in British India and lived there for only six years. Reading this book, you would think he had lived there his entire life since he has such an understanding of India. He must either have a really good memory or be a very convincing writer. (I am sure he is both)

Something that happened to Rudyard Kipling in history is winning the Nobel Prize in 1907 which was a turning point for English Writers.

Reviews of Kiplings Kim

I had a hard time at first finding some well written reviews so here are some that I came across in my research.

http://writeronwriter.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/kim-rudyard-kipling/

She has good points, both positive and negative in this review.


Below is a very informative review:

http://www.lsj.org/web/literature/kipling.php

My favorite quote

"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."

This is said in the final chapter of the book, he is still searching and I think realizes that who he is will always be changing, he will always be learning and growing and becoming a better person.

Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

The Importance of Mentors

I found the roles of Kim's mentors to be huge!

He didn't have the stability of a father or guidance of a mother to help him discover who he was and where he belonged. But, he found this in mentors throughout the book.

Teshoo Lama
Colonel Creighton
Mahbub Ali
Lurgan Sahib
Father Victor
Mookerjee

They all have a hand in teaching Kim many things, from trying to get Kim educated to teaching him to spy.

You can be a mentor to anyone and anyone can be a mentor to you. Life is full of mentors and opportunity to learn, you just have to be willing to listen.

Everyone has had a mentor and whether you like it or not someone is looking up to you as a mentor.

Racism

I was shocked to see this on a website while I was researching for my blog:
9 Racist Books for Children
Native American's picture
Submitted by Native American on March 10, 2011 - 00:15

Culture

9 Racist Books for Children

Little Black Sambo
Little Blue and Little Yellow ?
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Three Golliwogs
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
Tintin in Congo
The Story of Babar: the Little Elephant
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
The Little House on the Prairie

I mean really? The Chronicles of Narnia? Little House on The Prairie?

Reading Kim I never once thought of it as racist. But, I guess if you thought that the caste system was something that just came out of nowhere then you might?! I really don't get it.

I think that all books have to be viewed in the time period they were written in (or when the story being written takes place)I used to watch little house on the prairie with my sisters and mom, and I their is an African American lady who is the cook. Is that racist? I don't think so.

In the book Kim race and caste play a big part, just like it did in India at the time. To me Rudyard seems to respect the religions and races throughout the book. In parts of the books Kim may mock a race but, Rudyard has also wrote to defend it every time.

If there is "racism" it is not the racism we are used to.

Kim- The Movie

Kim by Rudyard Kipling was made into a movie in 1950.

The plot summary listed on the "Internet Movie Database" describes the movie: Kim, a young boy living on his own on the streets of India, is actually the son of a British officer. He meets a lama, a holy man, and devotes himself to his tending. But when British administrators discover his birthright, he is placed in a British school. His nature, however, is opposed to the regimentation expected for the son of a British soldier, and he rebels. His familiarity with Indian life and his ability to pass as an Indian child allows him to function as a spy for the British as they attempt to thwart revolution and invasion of India. Rejoining his holy man, Kim (with the help of daring adventurer Mahbub Ali) takes on a dangerous mission

Cast:
Errol Flynn . Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard
Dean Stockwell ... Kim
Paul Lukas ....... Lama
Robert Douglas ... Colonel Creighton

The Tagline for the movie was: Famed Spectacular Adventure Story Filmed Against Authentic Backgrounds in Mystic India The Greatest Spy Thriller of Them All!

I think that what was a "spy thriller" has changed alot since then.

It was filmed on location in India and also in California.

Interesting filming mistakes:

When Kim is being pulled back up from the cliff ledge, safety wire is visible.

Continuity: Near the end, Kim's string of beads alternates between being tucked
inside his jacket in full shots and hanging outside the coat, draped over his lapels, in close-ups

Continuity: Kim shouts for the driver to stop and the cart comes to a skidding halt. The camera cuts away for dialogue between Kim and his schoolmate and then back to the cart stopped on the street. The horse manure that was beneath the cart when they stopped is suddenly gone and the street is clean.

Below are bits and pieces of the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5hqKsMyPsk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uVKSK818bI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jswl5eElLf4

A video

I will be the first to say that this video seems a little weird, but he does have a few good points. So here is a video for all of you who like listening, instead of reading :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3dmtA1xLk

He has good insight on how Kim relates back to English history

More on Kipling

Rudyard Kipling- Here is where you can learn more about the author:

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/kipling_ind

http://www.google.com/search?q=Rudyard+Kipling&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Fq4&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnsbo&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=TsDpTe6lCYPUtQOAu4n6DQ&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=18&ved=0CJABEOcCMBE

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/kipling/rkbio2.html

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Kipling-Rudyard.html

About the Author

Rudyard Kipling, he really needs no introduction. Rudyard is a writing genius whose work has captivated thousands.
His most famous writing comes in the form of a bear named Baloo, and a little boy named Mowgli. The Jungle Book, his most famous work, has fans from the age of 2 to 92. The Jungle Book is written on the subject that most of his writings are about, a child (more often male) and the outdoors.

Writing was Kipling's escape. He wrote to escape a bad living situation. From what I have learned this term, trouble, sickness, and loneliness are often what starts an author writing. Writing is a way to escape the world you are living in for a few minutes, or hours and go to a whole new world, a whole new frame of thought. It is said that Kipling wrote about the hot jungle where Mowgli (The Jungle Book) lived when he was snowed in, longing for warmth.

The height of his writing career came in 1907 when he was awarded a Nobel Prize, Kipling being the first ever English author to do so.

Kipling found much inspiration from his childhood home, India. He wrote often about it, including the book Kim. Like I said earlier, he found inspiration in the outdoors, and you can clearly see that in his writings, he writes of England, India, and Africa. (all of which he traveled to)

Kipling wrote up until the 1930s.

Kipling died of an ulcer on January 18th 1936. He was cremated and buried at Westminster abbey in Poets Corner.

How does Kim relate to me, personally?

Well, this probably isn't all I am going to say on the subject of how "Kim" relates to me, it is one of my first things that I noticed. Kim's an orphan. You learn it in the first chapter of the book, he is being raised by a half caste woman who used to know Kim's mother. This fact that Kim is an orphan really stays with me when I read the book, I can't forget about it. The reason behind this being that my family is currently in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, my soon-to-be siblings are considered orphans and it kills me to think of any child being raised on the streets without even the comfort of having a mother or father.

Another thing that stood out to me to is that in this book Kim is on the mission to become a man. I see this in my little brother, who is 11, at the time. He wants to have fun and play, but he also wants to try knew things and meet new people, and make his own decisions, and well.. grow up.

I also see Kim as a boy who is striving for the approval of the people around him. And, well I am a teenager, so it definitely relates to me personally. Kim seems to always be looking for a father figure to look up to and a man to be proud of him. I am lucky enough to say that I don't relate to this; I have the most amazing, most crazy dad ever and I know that he will always love me no matter what stupid things I say or do. But, I do have many friends who relate, friends whose fathers have left their families or merely don't care enough to be considered a father figure.

Have you read "Kim" yet? If so, how did it relate to you as the reader?

My description of Kim.

I thought that this might be something fun to try: Describe Kim (the character) in 20 words

So here is my attempt:
Urchin
Poor
Orphan
Adventurous
Irish
Mature
Focused
Creative
Traveler
Curious
Friendly
Smart
Skilled
Independent
Ambitious
Creative
Learner
Talented
Intelligent
Outgoing

Is there anything you would add or do not agree with?

Side Note: Blog Looks

So when I started this project and decided to do a blog I though I would use beautiful Indian fabrics, and dancers to make my blog "pretty". But, then I though about it and that it not what "Kim" grew up in. He was indeed the "poorest of the poor" so I decided to use a slum, which is what I picture to be what Kim lived in. The bright colors are because when I think of India, I think vibrant and bright colors.

Vocabulary

One thing that really stopped me from enjoying the book as much as I could have was not knowing what I was reading. Below, I am going to give you a few definitions that will help you in understanding this book.

lamasteries: monasteries for lamas

Kim's Horn: I found out that this is a Masonic Symbol.
Joss: An idol
Bu'ts: religious images, like a painting of Jesus, Buddha or a goddess
Lala and Mian: is pretty much saying Sir or Mam, it is a sign of respect, Lala is used for Hindus and Mian is used for Muslims. Used for nobles.

The Bodhi Tree: For someone who has not studied religions, this is where it is said that Buddha gained enlightenment.


the Wheel of Things: this is the cycle of death and reincarnations that Buddhists try to escape
Yogi: Someone who is good at or does a lot of yoga
crotons: plants with large leaves
Urdu: A language that used to be used between Muslims and Hindus in India.
stupas: Monuments that are specifically Buddhist
The Sirkar: The Government of India
Marking of the dead: In wars in India that bodies of deceased soldiers where often badly mutilated
naik: is the equivalent rank to Corporal in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army
nol-kol: a pumpkin
Flux:Diarrhea or dysentery
cowrie: A shell that could be used as money in coastline cities

Caste: Each of the hereditary classes of Hindu society, distinguished by relative degrees of ritual purity or pollution and of social status. Pretty much, if you were of a low caste you would be a cleaner and high caste you could be a governor etc
Shaitan: satan; the devil
screws: cheap, badly trained horses
dry washings: purification before prayer

I was going to use OED definitions but I don't have access to their website. These are compiled from Websters dictionary, google, and the short definitions in one of the copies of Kim I checked out from the library.

First Reactions.

Written May 13, 2011

Honestly my first reactions was that this book started off a bit boring. It starts off slow but the first chapter is vital in understanding the book. I started to get a little more intrigued as it started talking about the "Punjab" as I have been studying Sikhism in my religions class and the Punjab is the main region where Sikhs live.

I am one who likes hearing about peoples pasts and this is where you get to hear about Kim's parents, and his heritage. Kim's father was a soldier, a drunkard, and died when he was young. He never really knew his mother. He is orphaned. He is also Irish but "is burnt so black" that he blends right in. He may be Irish by blood but he blends in and lives like an Indian. Kim is poor, really poor.

He seems to be on a search for new parents, or new role models. In the first chapter he meets a Tebeten Lama in Punjab. He is intrigued by the Lamas clothing and can tell that the man is not from around there, so he calls him over to talk to him, and that is where his storyline really begins.

One thing that I have found a little bit confusing is the words they use like: Khitai, dewas, but-parasts, etc.

I plan on doing a post of all the words that I have now learned the meaning of next.

So far I like it, but, its definitely not one that I would choose to read in my free time.
It seems more to be targeted towards boys who are interested in the adventure and problem solving. We will see if my opinion on this changes as I read on.