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A review by celia_thebookishhufflepuff
The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling
3.0
I remember a few years ago, when I first found out that [a:Rudyard Kipling|6989|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1183237590p2/6989.jpg] was not, as I had assumed ever since I knew that [b:The Jungle Book|77270|The Jungle Book|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327873594s/77270.jpg|17441265] had been an actual book before it was produced by Disney, an Indian man. I was shocked and somewhat hurt to find out that he was actually just another white imperialist writer of the time.
Reading [b:The White Man's Burden|24261189|The White Man's Burden|Rudyard Kipling|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|43844824] brought back those feelings. I'm not exactly sure which side Kipling is on in terms of the issue he addresses, but I cannot say I appreciate the way he approaches imperialism.
If the poem is satirical, then I accept it. If it's simply a commentary, I can tolerate it. But if it is a push for continuation of the status quo, then I am incredibly against it. I am unsure what it means, but reading it in my honors US history class today, I felt very conflicted reading the poem.
Reading [b:The White Man's Burden|24261189|The White Man's Burden|Rudyard Kipling|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|43844824] brought back those feelings. I'm not exactly sure which side Kipling is on in terms of the issue he addresses, but I cannot say I appreciate the way he approaches imperialism.
If the poem is satirical, then I accept it. If it's simply a commentary, I can tolerate it. But if it is a push for continuation of the status quo, then I am incredibly against it. I am unsure what it means, but reading it in my honors US history class today, I felt very conflicted reading the poem.