Kulturowe stereotypy i uprzedzenia wobec Indusów w twórczości Rudyarda Kiplinga

Abstract

Cultural stereotypes and prejudices against Indians in the works of Rudyard Kipling: The aim of this paper is to characterize and dispute the cultural stereotypes and prejudices against the Indians depicted in the writings of Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), one of the most popular British novelists of the Victorian era. The starting point for these reflections is George Orwell’s essay in which he describes Kipling as a racist and imperialist as well as a morally insensitive and aesthetically disgusting figure. To verify this view the present author undertakes an analysis of the cultural stereotypes and prejudices embedded in the selected novels by Kipling. In reconsidering Kipling’s works, she traces the connections between his own world-view and the negative reception of Indians within the Anglo-Indian community by which he was largely shaped. The paper concludes by supporting Orwell’s criticism and demonstrating how Kipling reinforced the stereotype of an Indian, thus reflecting the cultural cliché widespread among the xenophobic and conservative Anglo-Indians in the 19th century