Answer to Question #167242 in History for Omar Ibrahim

Question

How does Kipling simultaneously reflect his belief in white superiority and optimism for the future of India under British Rule?

Answer 1

Kipling's “The White Man's Burden” utilized satire to expose the racist and paternalistic behavior within imperialism during the late 1800s. Kipling often maintains a patronizing tone towards the “white man” and includes some ludicrous requests that most imperialists at that time would have believed. This idea is stated in the phrase "to serve your captives needs." Kipling believes this work is thankless and that the subjects may even hate or place blame on the colonial power. Kipling positively represents colonial imperialism as the moral burden of the white race that are divinely destined to civilize the brutish, non-white others who inhabit the barbarous parts of the world.