...The white man’s burden The white man’s burden is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling, a British author and poet with ori- gins in the British India. The poem was written in 1899 when Rudyard Kipling was 34 years old – it was posted in the magazine McClure’s with the subtitle “United States and the Philippine Islands”. “Take up the white man’s burden Send forth the best ye breed. Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives need.” (Kipling; The white man’s burden; 1st stanza pt. 1) The poem is a quite long description of the burden mentioned in the title and refers to a bur- den, which the “white man” has put on his own shoulders. It is rather satirical when read, as the poem indirectly can be interpreted as a discrimination of the white mans (British) imperialistic in- spirations and perhaps even megalomania – as one might have expected from the author. The mean- ing of the title is interpreted as following: The burden of the white man is to “serve his captives need” as written in the first stanza. By this, Kipling refers to how the white man, with a perhaps imperialistic ideology, is to rule the people suppressed by the British colonies, later described as “new-caught, sullen peoples, half-devil and half-child” (Kipling; TWMB, 1st stanza pt. 2). This description of the captives is a caricatured pic- ture of what Kipling believes the white man saw his captives as, while implying the satiric element of the poem. Kipling presents the imperialistic view of the white man...
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...The White Man’s Burden 1. How is the black man described? a. The black people are described as being inferior. According to Rudyard Kipling line 8 they are”Half-devil and half-child”. He describes the black man as somebody who should be glad to be able to serve the white people and at the same time escape famine. “The White Man’s Burden” also makes it possible to prevent sickness (line 22). The black man ought not to have any aspirations (line 26). In the last stanza Rudyard Kipling says if the black man had tried to be a free man he would prefer to go back to slavery (stanza 4). 2. What must the white man do? b. The white man has to educate the blacks and suppress them because they are not able to handle their own lives. The white man has to look after the blacks. 3. What is the White Man’s Burden? c. The White Man’s Burden refers according to Rudyard Kipling to the very important job that the whites carry for the blacks. For example they teach them how to become real people like themselves. However, you can also interpret the phrase “The White Man’s Burden” as a burden of work that the black man carries out for him. 4. Analyse the illustration: d. The illustration shows a white man carrying a black man. In background there is a house which is situated on a hill. You also see a dead man in the foreground. To the left there is a ship. I reckon that the illustration should be understood literally. This is because it is closely related...
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...“’The White Man’s Burden,’ published in 1899 in McClure’s magazine, is one of Kipling’s most infamous poems” (Gradesaver.com). This seven-stanza poem was originally composed for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, which was a celebration held to mark her 60-year reign. As the time approached, he presented an entirely different poem and used this poem, The White Man’s Burden, to send to Theodore Roosevelt, who was governor of New York at the time. He sent this poem after spotting many different events across the Atlantic in the Spanish-American War. Kipling thought that sending this poem would help Roosevelt become aware of maybe losing power and an empire. All seven stanzas of this poem start with the same line “Take up the White Man’s burden—“ that goes into the second line that explains a different aspect of what should be done to help different uncivilized places by ending hunger, disease, and more for the natives, who are described as “half devil and half child.” It helped create an idea of the different responsibilities a white man should take care of with the education and possessions they have. With all this help, it was thought that it would help the Americans to develop and advance to a superior state of civilization. Generally meaning that white people have...
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...their ‘goal’ was to take the indian out of the man; even though they took children as young as 5 years old from their families. The families could also be fined or put in jail i they would not hand their child over. Many children were abused both sexually and physically. It tore apart those kids, causing a cycle of abuse and poverty; the children in the schools never developed parenting skills and would end up abusing drugs as as a way to cope with the trauma they went through. The source uses this content in the context of the Prime minister apologizing for what happened.although the Prime minister is apologizing for more than just the Residential school, the apology included the loss of culture, language, and identity. To turn over a new leaf is why he’s apologizing, as well he is following australia's example; the show support for them and help the indigenous peoples to...
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...To me “The White Man’s Burden” refers to the idea of colonization and the need and desire to do so. That it was white man’s destiny and responsibility to colonize. The “White Man’s Burden” by Kipling was his artistic take on the Americans attempting to colonize the Philippines. The thought was that the white man was put on earth to make the rest of the world that same as them and it was a “burden” to bear. Europeans justified racist policies in their imperial ventures by having the mindset that they were benefiting the colonized land. The imperialist people were very ethnocentric and thought that their ideas and way of life was the better way of life and by forcing it upon the other nations they were giving them a better life. In “The Gold Watch” by Mulk Raj Anand portrays roles that are similar to the ideas of imperialism. He relates the social hierarchy of Indian to the relationship of colonized people to the people colonizing. The story depicts the idea that even if you are on the lower end and feel less meaningful (colonized) you still respect what you do and desire to keep doing it. Reading the excerpt from “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad you get the idea that he did not agree with what most Europeans believed about colonization and taking over another nation. He felt it was brutal and unnecessary. The short story (A Drink in the Passage) by Alan Paton to me also is a negative reaction to the ideology of Europe at the time thinking that they have the right...
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...Harper Lee demonstrates that the town of Maycomb, Alabama drives down the lower class and colored members in society to keep them from usurping within the county. The main character Jean Louise “Scout” Finch learns this in her childhood as her father, a well known lawyer, has the chance to defend a colored man in court. Scout learns that even inside the court there is racism and hate towards the colored members of society and that they are belittled every day of their life. Fighting racism is like throwing a pebble in calm waters: One drop creates a ripple effect....
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...big system of maximization of profits. The “burdens” were forced to move away from their homelands; they were treated unfairly. Kipling's realize how many British and Indian lives were lost as a result of imperialism (Kipling's, n.p.). By controlling and civilizing these countries would require power and would lead to deaths (Kipling's, n.p.).In the result of this, He believed that the British not only had the privilege to control India, but also had the obligation of civilizing the Indian people This story was reflected in Kipling's famous poem, “The...
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...Dorothy Ramos ENC 1102 English Com II September 28th, 2013 “Hills Like White Elephants”, by Ernest Hemingway This short story takes place in a train station in Spain with a man and a girl talking about an operation. The Protagonist(s) are the American and Jig. They are at a critical point in their lives where they have to decide whether or not to have an abortion. The theme here is choices and consequences. The setting takes place in the mid 1920’s at a train station in Spain on the Ebro River. If she chooses to go through with the “operation” will things go back to the way they were or would she not go through with it ending their relationship? This story is a very powerful one that confronts a controversial issue without ever actually naming it. It’s clear they are not married and the girl has become pregnant, but the man wants her to have an abortion. He obviously believes that the abortion will free them from any responsibilities, which is what they have been experiencing before she got pregnant. They refer to the abortion as an “operation” but it is clear it’s an abortion. In those days it was illegal to have an abortion so they had to refer to it as an “operation”. He describes the procedure as “simple” and “just to let the air in” (291:43). He states this again in (291:45). Obviously the relationship is strained because of the pregnancy. He tells her that if she goes through with it everything will be as it was before (291:48). He feels that the pregnancy...
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...Gray Areas White Man’s Burden is a film directed by Desmond Nakano, which shows altered differences among the white and black race. With accordance to Paul Kivel author of Uprooting Racism, racism is displayed by the good and the bad: between the light and dark. Different criteria shown in this film such as police brutality, work area segregation, separatism and the myth of the perfect family have become known to us as institutional racism. All of the noted prior differences are noticeable within the characters of the film. Thaddeus Thomas is a black upper class business owner; who shows great amount of separatism and segregation from the work area. While Louis Pinnock, a white struggling company worker faces police brutality and problems that affect his family and home. Although, the two men might be family oriented; they are examples of America’s institutional racism problems, between the colored and the whites. Kivel briefly explains in the chapter “Separatism” (90); how black people cater to whites, the way being white has benefits and how some white folks feel unsafe when they are within a group of colored people. Thaddeu’s worker set the perfect example on how “Most people of color spend a tremendous amount of time and energy taking care of white people” (Kivel 91). His maid did all the housework, took his personal correspondences and answered all his calls in regard for him. Thomas Thaddeus has many great benefits that contribute to him because of his race. In his...
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...In “The Causes and Motivations for the Scramble for Africa” by Stephen Pinkerton this article, it explains that the motivations that in the late nineteenth century, that Europeans and Americans progressively believed that they were bound to extend their way of culture abroad.New Imperialism Era that Europe gained global power through expansion and colonization. They society and economy in Africa were disrupted due to settlers.The European hunger for resources and markets caused decades of armed conflicts and thousands of deaths and lastly Africa resulted in being extremely diverse. The author Pinkerton also compared the colonization of Africa to “the White Man's Burden” a poem by English man about the Philippines. 1899. About how it was the...
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...mentions a very important question asked by a group of white men. ‘’Will my children be black if I marry a black?’’ the answer is no. The white blood simply stamps out the black color. The aboriginals is about to be bread out. But Mr. Neville and his organization want to help the remaining aborigines. At the Moore River Native Settlement they have trained hundreds of half-caste children. They are trained as domestic servants and farm laborers. Mr. Neville is determined to help the natives. 2) Commenting on the quote In my personal opinion it doesn’t seem like it is a place were it benefits the remaining aborigines. Although Mr. Neville claims it does. When you remove an old culture from an up rising culture (the Christian culture) it will become difficult for the aborigines, when they once are trained and ready for the real life, to settle down. Eventually when they are ready they can’t adjust to the white peoples culture. For one reason, they were born in it for maybe a few days before they were taken away from it. So for me it seems more like a ‘’free prison’’. I think it would be better if they were trained and at the meantime free. I do understand what Mr. Neville says about the marriages and the aborigines are about to been bred out. But it just shouldn’t matter this much. 3) Discussing 2, 3 and 4. The Journal has illustrated the white man’s burden by Rudyard Kipling. Rudyard is writing how the white men came to help the wild, untamed and devilish black people...
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...When people say “there’s an elephant in the room,” there is a controversial issue that is present but avoided as a subject for discussion. In “Hills Like White Elephants,” the story is about the controversial issue of abortion. “Hills Like White Elephants” is opened with a long, detailed description of the story’s setting in a train station in Spain. A man and his girlfriend sit at a table outside the station waiting for a train to Madrid. The two discuss if they should have an abortion or not without ever saying the word “abortion.” People should read the story “Hills Like White Elephants” because it goes into great detail about the setting and if you understand the setting you will understand the story more. The setting of “Hills Like White...
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...Willie Stark Willie Stark is a human being, endowed with the ability to feel and act in equal measure. In the beginning of the chapter, when he is the County treasurer for Mason City, he is shown as a frustrated young man who is unable to convince Pillsbury against building the School house through J. H. Moore whose rates are high but quality is low. He voices his protest against Pillsbury and expresses concern over his undertaking. He feels dejected when his suggestion goes unheard. However, when the building collapses under its weight, people remember Willie Stark and his warning. During the elections, when Willie becomes aware of the dirty plan of Harrison, he feels insulted. He frets and fumes about the injustice done to him but when he recovers from his depression; he exposes the hypocrisy of Harrison and declares his withdrawal from the contest. Therefore Willie acts in spite of being emotionally disturbed. After he becomes the Governor, he faces numerous problems, which affect him emotionally but he always takes hold of the situation and plans the course of action accordingly. Stark is an emotional fool but he is also a man of action. Willie is a man with a vision and a mission. Earlier, he had envisaged building a sturdy Schoolhouse, which would give confidence to its students to learn well and put in their best efforts. When he becomes the governor, he plans to use the State funds for developmental activities like making good roads and building hospitals...
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...The constant loss placed a large burden on the people of China to make up for lost revenue with more taxes. The struggle that ensued for the Chinese people culminated into the voiced frustrations from the commissioner Lin Zexu. In a letter to Queen Victoria in 1839, Lin Zexu told the queen “I have heard that you strictly prohibit opium in your own country, indicating unmistakably that you know how harmful opium is.” The tone of the message sent to the queen was respectful, but serious. The queen had knowledge of the opium trade, but was not concerned with its effects, instead only concerned about profits. The free market in China symbolized the hypocrisy of westerners because the East India Company had a monopoly over the opium trade, and would punish others for selling opium...
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...Mile is a comprehensive platform to interpret the complex sociocultural fabric of hip-hop and rap music. It offers the viewer insight into the importance that rap assigns to the process of establishing authenticity while implicitly divulging the various dimensions of identity politics of race. We see that Jimmy B-Rabbit, despite being a white boy in an African-American dominated town is firmly grounded in several types of authenticity that facilitates his entry and success in the gangsta rap world. The first and most obvious dimension of rap authenticity is the racial. Jimmy being white and trying to rap immediately generates questions of cultural property and appropriation. In a black-dominated rap venue called The Shelter, Jimmy begins his rap battle with Lil Tic. We see that white involvement in black art forms are immediately problematic when Lil tic raps “they [audience] don’t laugh cuz you’re whack, they laugh cuz you’re white with a mic”. Jimmy’s presence in the battle is scorned because he is white and rap is considered to belong to black people. Lil Tic calls him a “wigger that invented rhymes for money”; a “wigger” is slang for a white person who tries to emulate or acquire African-American cultural behavior and tastes. The suggestion that Jimmy “rhymes for money” is the ultimate assertion of phoniness because for black people, rap is a way of life, not money. This rejection however envisages rap as part of an oral heritage, one that preserves a cultural past and signifies...
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