Make sure to check your reading assignments! You have some primaries this week.
Blog Response (Due 4/25). Read Kipling's White Man's Burden. How do you interpret his poem? What does it reflect of 19th century attitudes? How does Kipling view the subject? Be sure to use specific evidence in support of your response. Were such ideas unique to Europeans? (If you haven't read Letter to Queen Victoria, I suggest you do so!)
Imperialism Primary
Source Exercise
Use SOAPSTone to analyze and take notes on the documents you have received. Once you have completed this, discuss your
findings/analysis with those in your group.
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What did you find most important?
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Did you find any information particularly
surprising or interesting?
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Do your interpretations differ from others in
your group?
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If so, how?
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Did others focus on aspects you may have missed?
Written Response
Analyze the relationship between Europeans and their
colonial subjects.
You must develop a thesis statement and answer the question
in a short essay (page) that relies on the primary source documents to support
your arguments.
YOU MAY NOT WRITE ON
THE DOCUMENTS!!!!
You will have 15
minutes document before you must switch folders.
47 comments:
"The White Man's Burden," by Kipling symbolizes and signifies his support with The United States imperialising the Phillipines after the Spanish-American War. However it also represents imperialsim from other Eurpean "White Countries" and proclaims how the imperialised countries need to pick up the slack and fend for themselves. It can be easily read that Kipling is extremely eurocentric and looks down on other ethnic and racial groups as inferior. An example in his poem is the quote "Take up the White Man's burden Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child." As can be seen he sees and believes the Philipinos are nothing more than children and are not capable of running their own coutnry with out the white mans help.
This view that the Philipinos were inferior was indeed a common attitude of European powerhouses that imperialised other nations. This attitude was also reflected in Queen Victorias letter of 1839. IN this letter she also utilizes language that would instigate that she has a eurocentric attitude as well. She refers to China in her passage as a "unruly and wild country." Due to this belief that the Chinese are indeed inferior to herself and ones country she refers to herself as goddess of some sort or all powerful emperor among others. She also uses a directive tone when adressing the Chinese people and demands that they comply with their regulations and constraints. One demand she makes is for China to terminate their trade of opium and that any users or dealers will be excuted as a result of this trade.
Overall both passages do hint that during this imperialistic time period non European countries and non white people were looked down on. They were seen as incapable animals or children that could not possibly take care of themselves or run their own countries. As a result they believed they were inferior and came up with the phrase the white mans burden or obligation to help those that are incapable.
Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, The White Man’s Burden, written at the end of the nineteenth century, provides a perfect summary of the imperial and superior attitudes of Europeans throughout the age of imperialism. Describing the white, or European, man’s struggles to improve the lives of their “new-caught, sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child.” European colonial powers viewed the holdings they gained over the nineteenth century in Africa and Asia as wildernesses full of backward, heathen, primitive people, who could only benefit from the knowledge and civilization of their new European masters.
Such attitudes are exemplified by Britain’s dealings with their territory in India. Discussions by British officials about the best way to govern India show an attitude remarkably racist, but garbed in only the best of intentions. Calling for English to be taught in order to expose Indians to a superior culture, or for British influence to be used against cultural traditions considered barbaric (such as the ritual burning of widows with their husbands), it is apparent how Europeans wielded a “knife of sugar” against their colonies; cutting their colonists’ lives to their liking while proclaiming the humanistic and almost saintly cause they were pursuing by doing so.
British dealings with India even reflect Kipling’s lament at the resistance of foreign cultures against European influence: “Take up the White Man's burden– / And reap his old reward: / The blame of those ye better, / The hate of those ye guard.” The arguments among British officials about attempts to end the ritual burning of widows pitted European morality against the fear of retaliation at their interference. These two concepts were the predominant factors in dealing with colonies in Britain and across Europe.
This is not to say that Europeans were the only ones convinced of their own cultural superiority. China is a prime example. In a letter to queen Victoria protesting opium sales by British merchants into China, the Chinese Commissioner in Canton described all Europeans as barbarians, unenlightened and evil men. His depiction of Chinese exports as essential to Europe’s survival, as opposed to the toys and trinkets imported in return, paints Chinese foreign relations as just as ethnocentric and superior as in Europe, if not more so. Across the world, powerful nations saw themselves as the beacons of civilization in a barbaric world, pursuing their duty to lesser peoples by working “To seek another's profit, / And work another's gain.” The control and transformation of foreign cultures to fit the European mold was viewed as a responsibility, if not a holy duty, and European powers pursued such ends with all the pride and glory captured in Kipling’s poem.
"The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling is symbolic of imperialism by white Europeans and the United states and how people felt that white people were helping the world by going and educating people from other countries. According to Kipling's poem, the "burden" that the “white man” has to face is going out to other countries to educate and modernize the people living there. He feels as if people living in these other countries like the Philippines are incapable of supporting themselves and white people are superior to them. For this reason Kipling believes that they should go and take over these areas in order to provide a better society for other countries such as the Philippines.
This poem by Kipling reflects the racist attitudes that were present during the 1800’s. It portrays white people as being more superior than all other people by saying that it is their responsibility to modernize the world.
Based off of the blatant racist innuendos in his poem he views white people as superior to all others. Throughout the poem he continues to say how the conquered people will be provided with medical care and food and basically improve the societies of these people. Through these Eurocentric views it is evident that Kipling views many other races and cultures as being very inferior to those of Europeans.
Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” is an interesting view into the minds of imperial Europe near the dawning of the twentieth century. Although it does not necessarily come across as overly racist, I feel as though one of the most well defined features of the poem lies in its somewhat satiric stereotypes. Throughout the few stanzas of the poem, Kipling continuously repeats that the West needs to take up the White Man’s Burden. Although Kipling sounds as though he’s calling the western world to arms to take over those who are “inferior”, he remains critical towards the rapid expansionist principles of the white man. Kipling mocks such imperialists by making them out to be over the top, and ridiculous in their quest to civilize the “demons” of the developing world: especially when he writes such lines as
The savage wars of peace/
Fill full the mouth of Famine/
And bid the sickness cease/.
This thought process that Kipling includes in his poem emphasizes the rash and brazen nature of those in favor of imperializing the developing world. Prompted to enter Africa and Asia, the Europeans were rapidly using their Christian culture to justify their invasion of foreign lands. Using would be purposes of good will, the Europeans convinced the public to exploit these lands for their unharnessed natural resources to feed their own industrial revolution.
However, despite being primarily a work of satire, Kipling’s stereotype of the imperialists was not very far from the truth. Queen Victoria for instance exemplified many of the qualities expressed by Kipling in his poem regarding the “White Man’s Burden”. After the death of Prince Albert, her once peaceful rule was brutally replaced with one of violence and imperialism as described in Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden”. After the Sepoy Rebellion for instance, control of India was seized from the East India Company and bestowed upon the crown. From then to the end of her reign, Victoria participated in the Scramble for Africa, and created spheres of influence across Asia, so that the “superior” British morals would rub off on the savages of the underdeveloped world.
But this imperialistic tendency was not confined to Britain, or even Europe for that matter. America, who had emerged onto the global stage after the Spanish American War, was eager to become part of the imperial tendencies of Europe. They seized the Philippines, and reneged on their promise to the Filipino to grant them their independence until after World War Two, roughly half a century after they said they would. America also became involved in the affairs of other Pacific Isles, as well as a sphere of influence in China. All of this effort was in accordance to Kipling’s description of the White Man’s Burden.
While reading “White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling I definitely got the impression that Kipling was racist and was belittling Africans when he referred to them as “half-devil and half-child.” The whites saw the blacks as heathens because they were not practicing or exposed to Christianity. Kipling also demises the Africans by calling them children because Europeans viewed them as immature and uncivilized. Rudyard Kipling also repeatedly describes the white’s situation as a “burden”, meaning that it is an obligation and responsibility to take the Africans and make them “civilized”.
From the poem it is quite obvious that Rudyard Kipling sees white people as superior and better than people of other races. According to Kipling the whites are doing the right thing by imperializing Africa and taking the Africans captives is the burden. The poem makes it seem that it is the whites’ responsibility to “civilize” the black people and to Christianize them and educate them. After reading I got the impression that Rudyard Kipling believed it was the white peoples’ duty to take care and make the blacks more like white people because they were seen as savages and beneath whites.
White Europeans were not the first to see themselves as superior. When I read the Letter to Queen Victoria by Lin Zexu, it appeared that the Chinese felt the same about the Europeans as the Europeans felt towards the Africans. In the letter Lin Zexu insults the Europeans by saying the merchants were barbarians because they were mad about the opium situation.
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There is no doubt that Rudyard Kipling viewed white people as superior to non-whites such as the Filipinos. It is portrayed blatantly in his famous poem “The White Man’s Burden.” This poem was written in 1899 and was a response to the American invasion of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War.
One example of Kipling’s racist views is when he describes the Filipinos as “Half-devil and half-child.” This degrading description shows that Kipling though of the Filipino as devilish people who were incapable of running a country. This is because he describes them as half-devil and half-children simultaneously.
Another viewpoint in “The White Man’s Burden” is that Kiplinger approves of imperialism. For example, he wrote, “Take up the White Man's burden, In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror, And check the show of pride.” In these lines, Kiplinger believes in imperialism and colonization because it will nullify any present terror and sense of pride in the conquered countries. This was beneficial in Kiplinger’s opinion because it would improve the stability of the world which should be dominated by invasive countries such as America.
The views proposed in “White Man’s Burden” were not uncommon 19th century beliefs. Racism was obviously omnipresent during the time and imperialism was a huge issue. Furthermore, the majority of whites thought they were superior to non-whites during the time period. This is also one of Kiplinger’s views proposed in “White Man’s Burden.”
In Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden”, makes his view of white men very clear. Throughout his poem he shares his opinion that white men are indeed superior to non whites. The non white people he is referring to in this poem are the Filipinos because this poem was written in response to the American invasion of the Philippines after the Spanish American War. There are a few lines when Kipling’s view of non whites becomes very blatant and he shows little effort to hide his racism. His poem demonstrates how great white Americans are. I would go as far as to say that he is actually bragging about white Americans and talking very highly of them. He talks about everything they have to do for their country compared to what little others do. He makes his opinion very obvious that he thinks very little of the Filipinos and very highly of white Americans.
One example of Kipling’s racism is in the line that states “Your new-caught, sullen peoples, half-devil and half-child”. This is a reference to the Filipinos at the time of war. He calls them half-devil and half-child because he thinks they are not fit to run a country, just like a child is not fit to run a country. He says they are half-devil because they will not do justice for their country. Another example of Kipling’s frustration with non whites is shown in a line that says “And when your goal is nearest the end for others sought, watch sloth and heathen Folly bring all your hopes to nought”. This can be interpreted as his hopes. Their goal of peace and the end of war was very close but then his hopes grew farther and farther away slowly and The Spanish American War aroused which crushed all their hopes of peace. Kipling wanted the best for his country but stated it in a way that seemed rather arrogant.
“The White Man’s Burden” demonstrated views that were very common in the nineteenth century. His clear views of racism were extremely present in the nineteenth century. Non white people were treated horribly and extremely different than white people. This did not change for nearly a century later. Not everyone was racist at that time but it was more common for someone to be racist than not. Some people expressed their racism a lot more than others. Kipling for example was not afraid to show his feelings toward non whites and that was, sadly, not uncommon for that time period. White people would talk about non whites in extremely demoralizing ways as if they would never hear. “The White Man’s Burden” captures many ideas of the nineteenth century and states them very clearly, whether they corrupt or not.
The poem, “The White Man’s Burden” written by Rudyard Kipling was written during the year of 1899, and it was based on an overview of the age of imperialism. Due to the fact that this poem was written after the Spanish American War, the world was filled with racial comments and discrimination, such as in this case Filipinos from the Philippines were not tolerated due to their race. After reading this poem, I thought that Kipling expressed key points which were beyond racist to the Filipinos. Besides the Filipinos, he believes that white men are better and greater than the non-white men. This is evident in Kipling’s poem because he explains the fact that white men are strong and they put all their effort to accomplish goals in their country in order to make their lives better. However, in the poem he also says that non-white are unsuccessful and they struggle to make their country superior. An example, from the poem that proves this is when he describes the non-white Americans as “half-devil and half-child.” This part of the first stanza can be interpreted as if the Filipinos are no help for their country and can not make their country live a happy life for everyone. This phrase that Kipling used is also a comparison to the way the Filipinos act. He is probably inferring to them as mean, useless and clueless like a small child, who does not know how to make successful choices.
Furthermore, after reading the poem, I noticed that each stanza starts with the same phrase, “Take up the White Man’s Burden.” I interpret this phrase as the non-white Americans following our civilization in order to be in control of other countries, due to the fact that they were judged based on how clueless people were in their country. I also think that Kipling is inferring the fact that the white Americans are very helpful because we are the ones who educated them and made them follow the right rules in society to live a good life.
All in all I believe that Kipling’s poem was very racist toward the whole Philippine country. This is because he believes that white men were the ones who knew how to control and stand up for their own country; while, the Filipinos were the ones who were asking for help because they could not stand up for their selves and were no help for their own country.
Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” is a very good example of the popular thought that some races are better than others. I find that it can sound very racist but it sounds like he has good intentions, which must sound weird. He says that the white man is better than the rest and must find a way to help the “inferior” races. He makes it sound like he is trying to help but insults them at the same time. “To serve your captives' need” shows that he believed that they were serving the people they were oppressing. This reflects the attitude of the world during this time because Imperialism was on the rise. The Imperialist saw themselves as saviors for the “poor and stupid” races. Kipling fully supported these endeavors and calls for all white men to fight for this cause by saying “Comes now, to search your manhood, Through all the thankless years Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers!.” Kipling was trying to increase the amount and strengthen Imperialism.
The strong opinions expresses in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “White Man’s Burden”, directly shows Kipling’s personal beliefs on imperialism and non-whites. This poem shares the opinions of many people of this time. At the time this poem was written, 1899, America had just taken over the Philippines after the end of the Spanish-American War. This greatly influenced the poem because this was an example of imperialism and the “burden” of taking over non-white people, in this case the people of the Philippines. The people of Europe and America thought imperialism was a “burden” and that by doing so they would help the world to become more civilized and educated. Kipling’s poem sums up the thoughts shared by many during the 19th century.
There are many specific words and phrases used in Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” to help prove its point. First the fact that every stanza begins with the words “take up the white man’s burden” reiterates again and again the view of the white population at this time, that imperialism is a necessary burden. This poem also shows many examples of Kipling’s racism towards non-whites. One example when he referred to non-whites as “half-devil and half-child”. Also when he refers to them as “children”, showing they are lesser than the white Europeans and Americans.
Another view point expressed in this poem was the Kipling completely agreed with imperialism. Although her referred to it as a burden he still expresses that imperialism is necessary to create a more stable and orderly world.
Maggie Kulpa
When reading "The White Man's Burden" by Kipling, one must take into consideration the time it was written. When reading it in today's day and age, we automatically accuse Kipling of racism and inconsideration to humans. In the first stanza, Kipling states "send forth the best ye breed/ Go bind your sons to exile/ To serve your captives' need;/ To wait in heavy harness,/ On fluttered folk and wild/ Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child." In this stanza Kipling speaks about how he feels Philipinos are rightfully treated and should have fewer rights than the white man because they are less human. Although this view is wrong to the society we live in, it is important to remember that at the time, people viewed people this way and were not spoken out against. These racist views, however, are not the main focus of the poem, instead, imperialism is.
In the poem, Kipling discusses how he believes that the white man is superior to other races and that they have an obligation to rule and encourage cultural development of people. In doing so, Kipling uses the phrase "white man's burden". This phrase can be assumed to be a metaphor to the condescending view of non-Western national culture. By continuing to repeat the phrase and tell people to “Take up the white man’s burden” Kipling tells people that not only are their views wrong, but because the white man has what he feels is the correct culture and views of the world, they should turn to the Western ways of these white men.
This idea that Kipling has of imperialism is not just unique to him, it is also seen in a letter to Queen Victoria. This does not, however, support that this idea was not unique to Europe as a whole; instead it is necessary to look at American views at the time as well. While Kipling’s view were mostly for culture changes of other countries and America’s reason for imperialism was mostly economic, they both believed in the need for countries to grow and overtake other countries in order to strive. Yet, this was not the only view of imperialism.
Like most topics dealt with in history, there were two sides to imperialism. Some countries such as Europe and America (most people but not all) believed in the need for imperialism, however, there were responses and parodies to Kipling’s poem bashing imperialism and his ideas. One of these parodies is a poem called “The Black Man’s Burden”, it is a poem written describing the view of Europe from the countries they are targeting. In the poem, it is stated that Europeans are too violent and are trying to take over a world that is in no need of help to grow or expand in the Western ways they are trying to spread.
I think “The White Man’s Burden” Reflects a lot of the ideas of typical Europeans at the time. Throughout the major push for new territory during the Age of Imperialism, most Europeans believed that it was their responsibility to help the people of colonized countries. Throughout most of the history of Europe the dominant religion has been Christianity. The followers of this religion believe that they must convert and save “savages” in order to better the world around them. “The White Man’s Burden” is an example of the ideas present in England during that time period. He references filling the mouth of famine and bidding sickness to cease, suggesting his belief that missionaries are needed to help better the lives of “savages” in these newly discovered places.
Kipling also suggests that the people in newly colonized locations are inherently evil and need to be converted or they will stay violent. He calls the natives “half devil, half child.” Most European citizens at the time felt that the natives were sub human because of their religions, cultures, and lifestyles, and Kipling also seems to share this belief.
Overall, it is obvious that Kipling is a strong believer in the benefits of imperialism. His beliefs are the same as such figures as Benjamin Disraeli, and he seems to believe in the ability of Christian missionaries to convert “savages” into upstanding Christian citizens. His ideas are definitely not revolutionary, and he completely supported the imperialist efforts of the major European countries at the time.
Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" is an expression of how the world felt about European imperialism. It expresses how Europeans deemed themselves superior to other peoples' of the world and how the Europeans felt it was their job to "improve" the world.
In his poem Kipling refers to non-Europeans as "half devil/half child" which is a prime example of how Europeans felt that people of unconquered areas were evil and dangerous, hence the half devil. The half child refers to the fact that the Europeans considered others as primative and immature. This believe led Europeans to feel it was their job to better the world, a.k.a. the "white man's burden".
Another point touched upon by Kipling's poem is the resentment and hatred that colonized nations felt, "the hate of those ye guard". This line says that the people the Europeans believe they're gaurding really hate them and resent them for ruling their lives and making them feel like they're living in bondage.
The idea that the "white man" is better was not unique to Europe. Kipling's poem was written in response to the American annexation of the Philippines. The Americans, like the Europeans, felt that they were superior to the people they had helped to liberate and therefore had to stay in their land to "improve" their lives. This idea also applies to China. In the "Letter to Queen Victoria" the Chinese Commissioner insulted all Europeans and called them barbaric. This shows that the Chinese felt that they were superior to the Europeans, just like the Europeans felt that they were superior to the rest of the world.
In Kipling’s poem, “White Man’s Burden” he is expressing the view of Europeans toward imperialism during the nineteenth century. Kipling’s poem shows how the white Europeans believed that it was their duty to educate and Christianize the “inferior and barbaric people.” This is shown in the last two lines in the first stanza, “Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.” This line shows that the white Europeans looked down upon the people of the nations that they were colonizing and believed them to be inferior.
In his poem, Kipling is exemplifying how Europeans felt toward non-white people. However, the Europeans were not the only ethnocentric people of the time period. In the Letter to Queen Victoria, Lin Zexu protests the British trade of opium in China. He continually says that the people selling opium will not be tolerated by the laws in heaven and calls everything about the British barbaric. This shows that the Chinese also looked down upon the British and believed that their behavior would not be tolerated by their religion.
Both Kipling’s poem and Lin Zexu’s letter represent the attitudes in the late nineteenth century. The Europeans and Americans especially felt superior to non-whites and the countries that they were colonizing. These people believed that it was their duty to civilize the “barbaric people” and to convert them to Christianity. Similarly, the Chinese looked down upon the British because they believed the British were acting barbarically by selling opium to the Chinese people, only caring about making a profit. “White Man’s Burden” reflects the attitude of Europeans toward non-whites and shows Kipling’s support of imperialism and the work that the Europeans felt that they had to do with the conquered people.
Kipler’s White Man’s Burden serves as a symbol of the imperial attitudes of the white Europeans and United States throughout the age of imperialism. This poem was written in 1899 as a response to the American invasion of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. The racism and arrogance of Kipling is portrayed through some of the terminology. For example, the Filipinos are referred to as “half-devil and half-child.” This term pokes fun at state that these countries are in, by referring to the people as “children.” “Half-devil” alludes to the idea that the Filipinos are bad people for not doing justice for their country in need.
In the last stanza of the poem are the following lines,
Take up the White Man’s Burden—
Have done with childish days—
The lightly proferred laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
The lines above serve as another example of the arrogance of Kipler over the people of the Philippines. Again, the word “child” is used. By referring to the Filipinos as “childish,” the people are looked viewed as immature and incapable of taking care of themselves. Furthermore, each stanza of the poem begins with “Take up the White Man’s Burden.” By doing so, Kipler makes it so that the reader is incapable of forgetting who is the dominant subject. “White man” is consistently being read and emphasized to one reading. It is clear that Kipler believed that the people of the Philippines were beneath the white European, and portrayed this through racism in White Man’s Burden.
The poem the White Man's Burden is an extreme example of not only his support but everyone in most imperial countries for the annexation and imperialism of other countries. However, he does not state that the United States, England etc need to take over certain countries, but educate them and bring them to the forefront of the world. This poem is one perfect example of the racism and extreme unfair treatment of un-modernized countries. He believed this cause justified them to properly educate and modernize the "savages". This view is exemplified in his thoughts about the Filipino's in that they were considered "half-devil and half-child" in that they're incapable of properly running a country. Kipling makes it seem like the "White Men" get the bad end of the deal. That they HAVE to educate and modernize in order to further the growth of the world. He makes it seem like there is an ever-lasting debt to help the "savages" in order to properly run countries.
Even though we may consider his views to be barbaric or inconsiderate, the general views of the 19th century reflected his ideas as well. The racism and the bias towards "uncivilized" people is ever present and is obviously a big part of 19th century imperialism. Also, that the White Men had to pay their debt to society and educate and modernize the "inferior people" during the 19th century.
Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden, clearly reflects the sentiment of early 19th century European people. The attitude in that time was definitely in favor of expanding the grand country where each person lived, even at the expense of the native of the claimed land. This poem encourages that feeling, stating that the natives, or colonized people should be glad, and should work freely for their ‘rescuer.’ Kipling believes that the white person, or civilized person, should lend a hand to these countries of savages, and pull them out of “Famine,” and “bid the sickness cease.”
Furthermore, Kipling refers to this duty of saving the “half-devil and half-child” as a large and difficult burden. This poem is about how this foreign people must be saved from their destitution, and the white-man must take up that call. These ideas were not only unique to Europeans, but also to other expanding countries, such as the United States. Teddy Roosevelt complemented the poem and Kipling’s theme of expansionism and helping the less fortunate.
"The White Mans Burden" by Rudyard Kipling symbolizes the major attitudes exemplified among European nations during the 19th century. Most major European nations pursued imperialism heavily throughout the century. This was due to their sense of superiority that they believed they had over non-European nations. The countries that nations from Europe tried to conquer were composed of non-white races. Because of this, the concept of racism was developed strongly during the 1800's when European nations began to imperialize other nations consisting of "lesser" beings. An example of this attitude is the British dominance of India during the 19th century and beyond. Another example is the American takeover of the Philippines which is what the poem is in response to.
Kipling displays his potent views of the subject (the white man) and whom he must attend to. He believes that the white man's burdens consist of managing those who are less fortunate and therefore inferior to the white man. In the poem he describes the subjects of the white man as "new-caught, sullen peoples, half-devil and half-child." From this one can tell the negative connotation associated with the people of color who the white men took responsibility for. Kipling believes it is in fact the duty, or burden, of the white man (European) to control the primitive subjects in poorer countries located outside of Europe. He feels that because the white man is so much more advanced and far more superior than others, he must take responsibility for the colored man.
“The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling is symbolic of imperialism by white Europeans and how they felt that they were assisting the rest of the world by going to less fortunate countries and educating the residents. As stated in Kipling's poem, the "burden" that the “white man” has to face is taking trip to undeveloped countries to educate and modernize the people living there while instilling religious beliefs. He feels as if the residents of these other countries are incapable and undereducated of supporting themselves and white people were above them. Kipling believes that whites should imperialize over lesser countries so they may provide a better society for them. Kipling’s poem reflects the attitudes of racists’ whites during the 1800’s. The poem shows white people as thinking they are above other countries because of their skin color and that it is the duty as better people to help. Due to the racist suggestions in his poem Kipling’s views on white people as superior to all others gave other white people the same thoughts. Throughout the entire poem he continues to say how the imperialized countries will be provided with medical care and food. He also said that the society would change. He lacked the understanding that every country deserves to be unique, its what makes traveling fun. It is obviously evident that Kipling views other races and cultures wrong compared to the English.
heIf one needed to summarize the justifications from imperialistic countries, he or she may simply refer to this poem, "The White Man's Burden," to do the job. This burden is that the white man must civilize the savages of foreign lands, according to Rudyard Kipling. Of all the phrases in this poem, the one that jumps out and shocks the modern reader the most is definitely when it refers to the habitants of imperialized nations as, “New-caught, sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child.” Clearly, Kipling believes that the people living in these places are uncivilized and must be refined, or even humanized, seeing as he writes they are “half-devil.” Examination of history, including this poem, reveals that European powers believed their colonies to be inhabited by primitive and benighted peoples. This racism is masked, in vain, by claims of the intent of civilization.
The sentiments conveyed in Kipling’s work were not unique to him, most Europeans shared them. The post-Prince Albert era in Victorian England ushered in violent imperialism instead of his diplomacy. The views of “The White Man’s Burden” are put into action all over Europe. The people of colonial powers believed their colonists to be sub human and if anything, they probably felt sympathy for the people living in such ignorance as shown by Kipling’s use of the word “sullen.” Kipling is clearly a proponent of imperialism and his justification of the practice is one that strikes a chord with many Europeans, most likely because of the fact that it is fueled by racism and eurocentricity.
"The White Man's Burden" by Kipling exhibits a Eurocentric view of the world, and stresses the idea that all non-industrialized nations are far inferior to the supposedly superior industrialized ones. It conveys the belief that the so-called superior white people have an obligation to preside over all other different ethnic groups and races until those races adopt their ideas and customs and therefore better themselves as a nation.
The poem reflects many of the 19th century attitudes but mostly the imperialistic attitudes of nearly every nation at the time. By this I mean that all the nations believed strongly in the spread of their own nation and colonialism was an idea deeply rooted in the minds of every ruler of most every country. These rulers all believed that the other races and ethnic groups were inferior in every way. This is shown when Kipling writes, "Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child." He's referring the other races when he says this, clearly displaying his lack of respect for them and his idea that all these other people do not have the ability to govern themselves and be a prosperous nation.
All the nations who practiced colonialism used the excuse that they were doing these nations a favor and providing for them what they could not provide for themselves. This is clearly a racist view, because it is an insult to say that just because someone is of one ethnic group that they are automatically incapable of doing the things that white men do. Unfortunately, this view was definitely not unique, in fact it was a common view among nearly all white European countries.
“White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling is a prime example of the imperialistic attitude that was held by the majority of the population of England in the late 19th century. At the point in time when this poem was written, in 1899, England had developed into a large empire, led by the fearless Queen Victoria, and lived as a country that was thirsty to be ever expanding their borders. It is impossible to miss the continuous connections between Kipling’s poem and the current opinion held by many Englishmen that was spread by explorers like David Livingstone and conquerors like Cecil Rhodes.
In this poem, Kipling creates the sense that he views the “white man” to be quite superior to every other nationality that inhabits the earth, and it is therefore the white race’s “burden” to spread their effervescence with the rest of the unfortunate world through wars and violence. Kipling describes the other indigenous people as somewhat savage and incompetent people, describing them as “fluttered folk and wild--/Your new-caught, sullen peoples,/ Half-devil and half-child.” Simply referring to the targets of imperialism as children is degrading enough to suggest that they are completely dimwitted. Kipling not only belittles the people of different countries, but also creates a sympathetic image of the Englishman by using phrases like, “cloke your weariness; / By all ye cry or whisper”. Kipling’s favorable opinion towards imperialism is also demonstrated by the last stanza of his poem, in which he promises the white men that be joining the fight for imperialism, they will gain their manhood: “The easy, ungrudged praise./ Comes now, to search your manhood/ Through all the thankless years/ Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,/ The judgment of your peers!”
Clearly, a poem that so blatantly disrespects the intelligence and capability of the people who come from races other than white reflects the imperialistic tendencies of the English Empire in the 19th century. There is no evidence to suggest that Kipling is speaking in a sarcastic manner, and based on the previous figures in English politics, it is not surprising that he was influenced to believe such things and include them in his works.
Inarguably, Kipling’s “White Man's Burden” reflects the great attention focused by Europeans on imperialism. In this time period, it was commonly perceived that the primitive people, or the “new-caught, sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child” of foreign territories needed to be improved by the superior Europeans, or the “White man.” Fueled by the concept of social Darwinism, many believed that their more advanced nations had societies far superior to those of foreign lands. Thus, policies of imperialism were in fact a humanitarian effort. This is demonstrated in Kipling’s poem. He writes “Go bind your sons to exile /To serve your captives' need.” In other words, he condones the sacrificing of members of the European population to help the primitive peoples in foreign lands and believes this effort to be noble. Many members of the European population noted a similar pride in the imperial policies of their nations. Some were also encouraged by the teachings of Christianity. In both cases, the practice of imperialism was valued as an altruistic practice. This belief is present in Kipling’s own attitude.
In general, the poem seems to support imperialism, representing the need of the foreigners by describing them as “Half-devil and half-child,” and noting the humanitarian aspect of service by describing it as “the White Man’s Burden.” However, it also seems to warn against the dangers of sending people to foreign lands. He writes “And mark them with your dead” and describes the time as “thankless years.” He even includes the phrase, “But toil of serf and sweeper.” Clearly, Kipling believes that imperialism comes at a price, though he certainly shares the common racist attitude of his contemporaries toward foreigners and the interest in imperialism. At this time, for example, England was heavily involved in India. Believing themselves superior to the backward population of natives, they sought to modify their very culture. Targeting especially practices like widow burning, they argued that India needed their involvement since their own culture was clearly superior. Overall, this attitude is clearly present in the poem. Kipling views the natives as primitive, the Europeans in foreign lands as noble, and the practice as a whole as dangerous and difficult.
Certainly, Europe was not the only power interested in imperialism and believing in its own superiority. The United States would also become heavily interested in imperial policies, believing its culture superior to that of the natives. Eventually, Japan would take interest as well. In addition, based on the Letter to Queen Victoria, the Chinese believed their own customs to be valuable. This common theme, as well as the very common focus on expanding territory and saving backward peoples that was present during the 19th Century, was clearly expressed in Kipling’s famous work.
Rudyard Kipling’s "The White Man’s Burden" is a poem that explicitly identifies the white man as a member of a race that upholds greater responsibility over every other race, therefore superior. Kipling claims that the white man is ‘burdened’ with the duty of travelling to The Philippines after the Spanish-American War to control the “Half-devil and half-child” indigenous people, forcing the English men to reluctantly leave their “sons to exile,” in other words, leave their sons and families behind as they carry out this duty. Not only to they have to leave their families, but there is no personal satisfaction or reward that comes with the task, either: “…reap his [white man’s] old reward; / The blame of those ye better, / The hate of those ye guard…” The imperialists reap no true reward from any indigenous people; naturally they were unwelcomed. Kipling believes this to be unjust.
Kipling also overtly addresses his belief in the childishness and savage-like existence of non-European cultures, making it clear that he feels that white people have an unwritten obligation to aid other ethnic backgrounds in adopting the superior Western customs. The obligation of white men to change the traditional customs of a native population, such as the Filipino people, exists because Kipling believes these people are unfit for running a country due to their primitiveness in comparison to the Europeans.
Kipling’s views on the subject of racism are similar to typical 19th century European attitudes. After all, had anyone living in that time period and previously ever seen a white slave? History makes note that peoples claimed to be unfit for society were put to labor, none of those people came from European countries. It was generally accepted that because of Europe’s technological or industrial advancements, populations of people living in less developed conditions were inferior.
My initial interpretation of Kipling’s was similar to that of many Americans upon the publication of the poem in 1899. It appeared as though Kipling was presenting what he had determined to be the duty of “white man”. Such superficial analysis of the work created strong imperialistic feelings throughout America. However, upon examining the poem more closely, I interpreted the work to be both a presentation of praise towards imperialism, and of caution. The poem makes no attempt to mitigate the details regarding the suffering of those who are being “westernized”.
Kipling expresses a very clear support for imperialistic causes in his poem. His speak of those who are being taken over as “half-devil and half-child”. Such description depicts an image of westerners saving these savages from their own devilish demise by intervening. The white man can save these creatures and heroically bring them into a world of civilization and humanity. It is, however, possible to view Kipling’s warning within such description of these natives. To the white man, such capture of these lesser beings would be childish in that the defeated people would represent an easily manipulated asset that would reflect the views of its creator. The devil side could come about as those captured begin to revolt and reject foreign influence. Taking the double sided nature of Kipling’s language into account, it is clear that while he was in support of imperializing “lesser” nations, it was not without some hesitance and caution.
The idea of imperialism was in no way solely European. Kipling’s poem is written in regard to America’s endeavor in the Philippines. By 1899, America was a completely separate entity from the European nations that helped to create it. America was not the only other nation to portray imperialistic ideas. Arabic nations had been raiding Africa, taking its people and its resources for years at this point. As such, it is very clear that the idea of imperialism was not only present within European affairs.
Rudyard Kipling's poem, "The White Burden" not only accurately exemplifies of the racist mindset the Great Powers of Europe but also the justification for the brutal treatment of their indigenous subjects within their vast colonial empires, or the American Philippine colonies in this case. Kipling's contempt and disregard for the indigenous subjects is blatantly stated within the first stanzas of the poem.
"To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child."
Not only does Kipling establish his lack of sympathy for the conquered indigenous peoples, he also declares that the African and Asian subjects within their colonial empires as outright inferiors to the greedy and opportunistic white man. The follow quoted Stanzas describe just how the conquered natives should be treated and what their uses are.
"By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain."
Rather than granting the natives fundamental rights Europeans take for granted, Kipling advocates the usage of Cecil Rhode's controversial capitalistic policies in Great Britain's African colonies, to convert the native people of the colonies into a labor force that will provide ample resources for the motherland all while denying the natives fundamental civil rights and the right to live as something other than a tool for the ambitious "White Men."
Given the context of Rudyard Kipling's writing, it is apparent that his a poem is an embodiment of the prevalent nature of Eurocentrism, the idea of viewing the world from a European perspective and without any regard for foreign cultures and unprovoked aggression towards "primitive" peoples. Not even the overtly self-righteous United States of America that prided personal freedoms and it's independence from Europeans was able to escape Eurocentrism as the rapidly industrializing nation was eager to develop it's own colonial empire by ironically seizing the Spanish colonies in the Phillipines, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam during the Spanish-American war in the same exact manner Great Britain, America's formal oppressors had seized much of France's colonies in North America in the 7 Years War.
Many things were acceptable until we stopped accepting it. Racism (for the most part) is one of these things. Obtuse and jaded racists such as Rudyard Kipling reserve a special place in the section of the human brain that identifies filth and worthlessness. The heavy and specific diction that Kipling uses, combined with the racist overtones in the statements of the poem, create a work that is the epitome of what racism is, or was, when pertaining to imperialism in the nineteenth century brought about by these ideas, which plagued a whole continent for centuries and nearly caused Europe to destroy itself. Kipling is almost pathetic in his poem. One could mistake the work to be a modern poem written as a humoristic satire of racism. In light of this, we must take Kipling’s words and hold them accountable for their actions as well. The nineteenth century attitude of a “white man’s burden” caused grief, strife, and major discrimination among people unable to fight back or resist the white imperialism. “The ports ye shall not enter, the roads ye shall not tread,” possibly was interpreted to mean that some areas of civilization should be shut off to non-whites.
Some may claim unfair play with the interpretation of Kipling, and that the strong have discriminated against the weak for millennia. This discrimination should not be confused with the ideas of Kipling. What Kipling has argued is that whites have been granted by God the unfortunate task of civilizing the uncivilized, and this is obviously a first, as this would compromise the power of those who have it, which is something that has never been done, including when Kipling and others like him strove to bring civilization to the world.
Kipling’s poem, “The White Man’s Burden” describes the mindset of imperialist nations at this time, particularly England. The white man believed it was his duty to spread Christianity and educate the “barbarians” who were no more than children to them. The English believed that they were superior to other races and cultures. They felt that it was their burden and duty to make other nations like theirs.
Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease
The English believed that other nations needed saving, and by saving they mean making the people more like them. The English were the superior race and all others were in need of healing and help. This was the burden that the English saw as theirs, they wanted to “save” civilizations that didn’t need saving by them. Kipling shows his support of this mission by giving the missionaries and imperialists the title of “the white man’s burden” to their cause. He calls their mission, their burden, the “savage wars of peace.” Even Kipling is admitting that the mission of imperialism isn’t just about making peace, it is about domination over other cultures.
This burden that the English had was felt by many countries throughout Europe. The French, Dutch, Spanish, Italians, and others all felt the burden of the white man. All but two parts of Africa were colonized by the Europeans in 1900. This burden that Kipling describes was not one that was felt only by the English.
The poem “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling represents the imperialistic views shared by many European nations during the nineteenth century. It’s stanzas encourage the cultural development of colonized people so that they could someday take their own place in modern society and catch up to the rapidly developing nations under the “white men”, much like children wanting to grow up to be like their fathers. The European nations saw themselves as superior and saw the cultures they colonized as savage and immature in a way, reflected in last lines of the first stanza, “Your new-caught, sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child”. They thought these foreign cultures needed help in development.
The poem characterized imperialism as the white man’s burden and attempted to justify the policy as a noble enterprise when in fact is just exemplified the racist views of many Europeans of the time period. Kipling shared the views of the imperialistic nations that they were the ones making a great sacrifice to spread their superior western culture. In lines 1-3 “Take up the White Man's burden, / Send forth the best ye breed, /
Go bind your sons to exile, ...” Binding your sons to exile and sending them away to spread western ideas is one of these “sacrifices”. The poem made the ones who were doing the colonizing look like the ones making the sacrifice when actually it was the nations being colonized that were being oppressed.
Rudyard Kipling's infamous nineteenth century poem, "The White Man's Burden," accurately reflects the attitudes and ideas of Europeans regarding imperialism. During this time period, many European nations considered themselves to be superior to other European nations, in addition to other countries, races, and cultural groups around the world. Their sense of pride caused them to take on what Kipling is intending the "burden" to be- conquering these lesser nations. One particular line that stood out in his poem was "new caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half child." He uses this to describe the inhabitants of other places, insisting they are naive and foolish like children, while also almost inhuman, like a devil. This is a reflection of his own pride in his country and belief that others are extremely inferior in comparison.
This attitude is what fuels his response to the American annexation of the Philippines. Kipling's racist beliefs come out through his reaction to the action taken by the Americans. The Americans clearly felt the same superiority that the Europeans felt, that these nations needed to be controlled and reigned in since they could not maintain order on their own. This same ideology is present in "Letter to Queen Victoria." The Chinese criticized the Europeans, and ultimately felt superior to all other nations including those of Europe. The attitudes of those who were conquered were also negative. They felt taken advantage of and wrongfully denied rights by the individuals who felt superior to them.
Conclusively, the period of the nineteenth century in which "The White Man's Burden" was written reflected a majority belief of superiority in comparison to other European countries. This intense patriotism led to racist ideas directed towards individuals who were not white like the Europeans.
After reading Rudyard Kipling’s poem The White Man's Burden the view of the Europeans during the age of imperialism became quite clear. Published at the end of the 19th century, this poem clearly reflected the attitudes of many nations during the age of imperialism. Many of the more advanced European nations had this superiority complex making them feel as if they were far better than those non-European and less advanced nations. Due to their feeling of superiority, a rise in racism was seen. These so called “superior” European nations tried to correct the nations that the Europeans felt were inferior. An example of this is exemplified through the lines “Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.” These lines clearly show how Kipling views these nations as lesser and they even felt like it was their duty to improve these nations. An example of this is when America conquered the Philippines. These European nations really looked down on any other race than whites. Some may think that this idea of superiority is unique to the Europeans, however, after reading Letter to Queen Victoria it was apparent that this was not the case. The Chinese were basically in the mind set as the Europeans. The way the Europeans viewed the Africans was very similar to the way that the Chinese viewed the Europeans. The Chinese thought they were superior to everyone else especially the Europeans seeing how they looked down upon the Europeans and they even went as far as to insult them. There were similarities between both the Europeans and the Chinese when it came to imperialism. While my interpretation from reading the poem once was shallow in the fact that it was about the white man's racism, after looking deeper into it I noticed that it was also about imperialism and about how the Kipling was praising it. Both Kipling's poem and Letter to Queen Victoria show ideals of how the Chinese and Europeans thought they were better than practically everyone else. Kipling also felt this way and made it clear in his poem.
Kipling views “the white man’s burden” as having to take care of and look after the people of the countries and regions “the white men” have captured. The racism that was prevalent in the nineteenth century is almost spoken of outright, but it is more implied through Kipling’s use of “half-devil, half-child” and “sloth and heathen Folly” to describe the conquered peoples. It makes sense that the people wouldn’t exactly be willing to hand over all power and submit to the conquerors, so the phrase “new-caught, sullen peoples” is most likely quite accurate in terms of their attitude towards being conquered. Kipling’s thought process is obvious to be that white men are dominant over all others, and because of that, they must care for and better the lives of the ones “lower” than them. However, even though this is not an accurate belief, it was Kipling’s belief nonetheless. One would think he should have a better attitude about what he refers to as a “burden”. Being able to help peoples that he viewed as less privileged them he should have been a great honor and a proud task for him. Kipling would have done better to refer to it as an opportunity to serve others and better oneself because of it. It is too bad he viewed it as such a burden for him and his people. However, the new life they created for their conquered nations was not always a better one for the people living there anyways. Forcing Christianity on them and condemning all their former customs, ideals, and morals quite frankly demoralized the conquered, making them much less willing to submit to foreign rule. What is best for one country may not be best for another, and that is something that England had quite an issue understanding when it came to their conquered land of India. Viewing one’s life as superior over another is always quite dangerous, especially when the former is forced onto another person or people.
The poem “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling is a key piece of literature when to analyze while studying 19th century Europe. This piece of writing reflected the views of the majority of European citizens. It was used as a justification for slavery and colonization in African countries. The poem’s states that it is okay for Europe to up root an entire cultures way of being because the “white man” has the “burden” and responsibility to go to other “undeveloped” countries and modernize them. This poem reflects the premise that white men are superior to any other race. This poem was instrumental in the colonization of African countries.
This poem accurately portrays the general feelings and racist attitudes that Europeans of this time possessed. The poem uses the arguments that the “white man” will provide food, water, other basic necessities of the African people and all simply to improve the African’s state of life. In reality, Europeans made African’s lives a living hell. Forcing them into slavery, to conform to European beliefs, and to take the constant and brutal racial slanders. This poem presents the overall Eurocentric views of the time very accurately.
The White Man’s Burden by Rudyard Kipling describes exactly the name of its title. It is the burden that all white men are bestowed with; to civilize, what Rudyard Kipling called ‘savages’, from the Philippines and to make them more like the white men of western civilization. Basically it is the duty of all white men to modernize society; the burden referring to this big responsibility. What this is reflecting of 19th century attitudes is that western civilization is better than the rest of the world, or at least that is what you would assume from the mass imperialism taking place around the world by western civilizations. Social darwinism at the time was also a popular theory that made people feel justified in imperialism. The theory that coined the survival of the fittest and claimed that it was a cultures right if they were more superior than another culture to conquer them. As the Spielvogel textbook explains this poem helped clear the consciousness of people who may have thought that imperialism was wrong. This poem basically justifies conquering of other cultures by making people believe that they are benefitting these foreign lands.
As mentioned before Kipling refers to foreigners and specifically the people of the Philippines as savages that are below the status of white men. He is definitely racist, and throughout the poem in almost every stanza explains that these foreigners need help and are hopeless without the white men. For example in the first stanza he referred to these people as captives of the white men that need the help of the white man because they are half child and half devil. So he believes that they don’t need to be treated like humans because they are not humans. He then proceeds to wrap up the poem by claiming that all of these years of helping ‘the savages have been thankless’ concluding that the white men are doing the right thing and the foreigners are not. Although Rudyard Kipling most likely popularized this idea white men I’ve been trying to civilize foreign countries for a long time. Most specifically however have missionaries been around for the longest time. They weren’t quite trying to civilize the culture with their new religion but sharing with them the culture of white men.
Western civilization is always trying to conquer the world and prove that they are better than everyone else.
In Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" Kipling discussed the idea of white imperialism in the world. Written as a result of the American invasion of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, the poem itself appears to be very racist. Though whether it was written frankly or sarcastically is still a debate today, there is no doubt it portrayed the view of many White men at the time.
The most striking statement made in the piece of literature is his description of the Filipino people: “Half-devil and half-child”. Not only is this a direct degradation of entire Filipino race, it flat out says they aren’t fit to even rule themselves. By depicting them as an evil and immature entity, it invokes a feeling in Americans that they must do something about it and as good Christian people, are obligated to cleanse the “filthy”.
Furthermore, the poem is in clear support of imperialism. Kipling approves of the idea of United States intervening in the business of other countries. He believes it will break the sense of pride of the people of the native country as well as demolish the terror they feel as well.
In conclucsion, the views presented by Kipling were very representative of the public opinions of Americans in the 19th century. To them, it only makes sense that the white man must fix the problems the dark men bring to the world.
It is obvious that Kipling's poem is an effort to reflect the aggressive endeavor of the rich white nations to take over the nations of darker-skinned populations. They have to do this to make the world function properly, with the white man's patriarchy and the black man's filial piety. This idea is represented in the verse, "The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;"
which shows that the "white man" believed that he was doing the black man a service by waging war against him. This idea is furthered with the lines:
"The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour"
The words "better," "guard," and "humour" all denote things that the white man is doing for the "savage" and all have good connotations.
However, I think that Rudyard Kipling does not share the belief of the colonialists that he is describing. For example, he says "Go bind your sons to exile" which has the odd expression of doing harm to those that Kipling calls their "sons," and even Europeans would agree that it is sinful to harm one's son. Also, Kipling openly states that they are indeed doing harm to the black man when he writes, "To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain."
Also, having read other works by Kipling, I find it hard to believe that he wants the war and oppression that he describes.
It is obvious that Kipling's poem is an effort to reflect the aggressive endeavor of the rich white nations to take over the nations of darker-skinned populations. They have to do this to make the world function properly, with the white man's patriarchy and the black man's filial piety. This idea is represented in the verse, "The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;"
which shows that the "white man" believed that he was doing the black man a service by waging war against him. This idea is furthered with the lines:
"The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour"
The words "better," "guard," and "humour" all denote things that the white man is doing for the "savage" and all have good connotations.
However, I think that Rudyard Kipling does not share the belief of the colonialists that he is describing. For example, he says "Go bind your sons to exile" which has the odd expression of doing harm to those that Kipling calls their "sons," and even Europeans would agree that it is sinful to harm one's son. Also, Kipling openly states that they are indeed doing harm to the black man when he writes, "To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain."
Also, having read other works by Kipling, I find it hard to believe that he wants the war and oppression that he describes.
Kipling’s poem, The White Man’s Burden exemplifies the view and opinion held by many during this time period on both the treatment of other races but more importantly imperialism. What may be seen now as horrendous prejudice and intolerance was then seen as the social norm and a widely accepted view. One that held the subjected people were benefiting from imperial control and that these savages could not thrive without the help of imperial nations. The native people were not even seen as humans but these “new-caught, sullen peoples” were referred to “Half-devil and half-child” not even regarded as humans. The fact that many truly believed that imperializing was helping the country was reiterated in this line, “The blame of those ye better,The hate of those ye guard”. This poem written by Kipling was written in response to the American annexation of the Philippines. Like the Europeans, these Americans believed that they were superior to the peoples they had helped to liberate and consequently were ‘obligated’ to stay in that country to better their subjects’ lives. In this, the poem not only portrays the thoughts and views of the people of the nations that were being imperialized, but also the views of the indigenous people on their European conquerors.
The attitudes of peoples iin the late 19th century were also seen in Letter of Advice to Queen Victoria. In this letter Lin Zexu criticizes the British for their ‘barbaric’ actions including opium trade and pointing out their hypocrisy such as the fact that, “where is your conscience? I have heard that the smoking of opium is very strictly forbidden by your country; that is because the harm caused by opium is clearly understood. Since it is not permitted to do harm to your own country, then even less should you let it be passed on to the harm of other countries” and questions their course of action if another country began seducing their own people with products and calls for the British to discontinue their disruption of Chinese Life.
Brittany Oz DiSorbo
Personally, 'White man's burden' seems to be a piece of well written propaganda, trying to jest and poke, and twist the consciousness of people into thinking that imperialism is not only ok, but rather, it is the most honorable, justifiable, decent thing to do. It effectively calls people to action, to come to realize they have a duty to the world to take care of their imperial possessions, as the ‘higher white race’. The poem is the living embodiment of the 19th century attitude; that cocky, self assured, superior attitude, justified by the reasoning of only trying to help. They were teaching the ‘savages’ the civilized, English way after all, only bettering their lives by ripping apart their ‘primitive’ ways and traditions. This happened especially in India and Africa, the second of which sparked a huge movement to bring Christianity to the ‘godless’ living there. Meanwhile, there was no more respect for the Indian ways, such as abstaining from eating pork or beef, or their tradition of burning widows alive on funeral pyres, or even their belief in Hinduisms many gods. Even China was affected by this careless attitude for tradition, despite not being a formal colony. It was used as a source of pure monetary gain, via the opium trade, despite the fact the drug was not legal in nether England of China. The imperialistic nations like England lacked a profound sense of respect for their ‘underlings’, as they were certain they were simply helping.
Kipling is riding the imperialistic train, just like most of Europe at the time. He takes an almost religious fever to his poem, with lines like, “Go bind your sons to exile/To serve your captives' need;/To wait in heavy harness,/On fluttered folk and wild--/Your new-caught, sullen peoples,/Half-devil and half-child.”. It tinges almost upon martyrdom, to give up some of one’s life to teach those ‘sad, misguided devils’ how to become a better, still inferior of course, but marginally less savage race. These ideas, however, were not exclusive to the European states, although they were the biggest partakers in these activities. The United States attempted to get into the Imperial game after the Spanish-American war, when they took the Philippians into their possession. They tried to ‘fix’ the country by sending their military in, to rearrange the country into their idea of a ‘good state’. Therefore, these racist, degrading views of self superiority, and helping ‘savages’ in the name of god and good spirit, was not a purely English, or even European idea.
After I read Kipling’s poem, “White Man’s Burden” I saw Kipling’s views and opinions such as many others of this time, he was racist. He talked about the Africans as “half-devil and half-child” and shows the treatment of other races during this time as well as strong sense of imperialism. At this time these views were normal and socially accepted. The imperial nations were majorly influential, as they helped these people and allowed them to thrive. Kipling’s poem looks at the attitudes of the majority of whites during the 19th century. His poem looks at white people that believe they are superior to others solely based upon skin color. He says that it’s the white man’s duty as better people to help the inferior. In the poem we don’t see that he has and understanding that each and every country deserves to be their own country, or to be different than one another. It is evident that Kipling views other races and cultures differently than most of us do today, but during his time this thought process was a normal way to think.
The White Man's Burden, is a poem written at the end of the 18th century that largely represents the attitude of the Europeans to imperialism, as well as the budding imperialistic instincts of the Americans. The White Man's Burden is written as though this is a thankless task to govern the people that give in return only:“The hate of those ye guard--”
This poem is very pro-imperialism. It signifies a mind set of Europe at the times in which many of the nations had large holdings of land oversees. This poem justifies all actions that have been taken to suppress the people under the white imperialism as an effort to educate and “Go bind your sons to exile to serve your captives' need;” This poetry represents in the mindset of the white men in this Victorian era who not only justified their entrance into other's lands and conquering them for wealth, but also painted the endeavor as a sacrifice on the part of the white man. In essence he gives up part of his life to better serve and help the people that are in need in areas such as African. The white man is willing to give up his son to the cause of educating and feeding these people, even though they receive nothing but hatred.
This poem is in direct support of imperialistic ideals as it centers around the fact that: imperialism is a thankless an gracious task on the part of the white man. These same men who are represented as: selfless and gracious to provide their time to better the lives of people in need. The poem also lists all of the injustices that the white man had to endure.
"The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling exemplifies the bigot ideas of the nineteenth century. It was a poem written in response to United States imperialism of Philiipines after the Spanish-American war. The poem successfully represented the views of almost all white Europeans.
The poem showed that the Europeans believed themselves to be superior to all non-whites. Rather than masking his theme with figurative language, Kipling very explicitly states his Eurocentrism.r For example, he describes the victims of imperialism as "half-devil" and "half-child". Had this been written in modern times,one would most likely consider it to be a satire intended to ridicule the prejudices of the white man. Throughout most of the poem, Kipling describes imperialism as a responsibility of the whites to improve the supposedly savage communities and cultures of the non-whites. Kipling was not the only European racist to voice his opinions, Queen Victoria also showed that she believed such ideas in the letter of 1839, where she describes China as "unruly" and "wild".
The poem “White Man’s Burden” by Kipling displays a popular attitude of the time towards the native peoples on the land the Europeans were colonizing. They viewed these people as primitive, barbaric, and to some extent, unhuman. Due to this europeans also felt that these people could only benefit from their society and being exposed to western ideals and knowledge.
For example, when the British were dealing with the native Indian people they made them learn English as they felt it would help their morals as well as forcing the Indians to stop some of their cultural traditions. One of these traditions was the sati or the burning of a widow on her husband’s funeral pires. Although well intentioned, these cultural changes were unfair and showed that the british were unable to consider things from the Indians point of view. The British didn’t allow the Indians to continue their cultural traditions because they wanted power over them but pretended that it was for a saintly or moral cause.
The European perspective was that they were superior to these native people in every way possible and that they could only benefit from european influence
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