Kipling's Idea Of 'Law'in The Jungle Books

Rudyard Kipling is a prolific English writer. Although he was the most popular writer of his time, his literary reputation has followed an uneven course. Despite the controversial and various criticism to his imperialist views, he was the first British writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in 1907.This thesis consists of three chapters. In the first chapter I make a brief survey about Kipling criticism. At the turn of the twentieth century, his critics admired his craftsmanship but dismissed him as a jingo imperialist and superficial writer. This negative view of Kipling became widely accepted until 1940s and 1950s when some scholars began to write essays to defend Kipling against these charges, pleading for a dispassionate reassessment of Kipling. Recently more studies about Kipling have emerged and more critical biographies have appeared, which shows people's revival of interest in understanding Kipling, his life and his works. In China, some scholars have made studies about Kipling and explored his works from various point of views objectively, and discarded the analytical way which simply put the imperial address on Kipling. Some defend him and praise the positive side of his thought.Chapter Two explores Kipling's idea of 'Law', philosophy of life and how 'the Law of the Jungle' is presented in the principle of order in The Jungle Books. Kipling never defines what exactly he means by Law, but Law is presented throughout The Jungle Books, especially in the Mowgli stories. The scene of most stories is laid in the Indian Jungle. The Jungle, symbolic of the world, is governed by 'the Law of the Jungle.' 'The Law of the Jungle' is presented as a principle of order which has emerged out of lawlessness. The 'Law' is based on reason, common good, individual responsibility, ethical values, law-making authority and so on. 'The Law of the Jungle' is an instrument of establishing a harmonious social order. Kipling especially exposes the nature of the Law. The Jungle is symbolic of a natural state. The main aim of Kipling's 'Law' is to realize the natural rights and justice of human beings. The 'Law' originated from the natural state is primeval, natural and universal. I then discuss the relationship between Kipling's idea of 'Law' and 'the identity crisis'. Mowgli is abandoned in the jungle, but he is accepted and brought up by the wolves. The creatures of the jungle live in harmony with their surroundings. By contrast the villagers live in perpetual fear of the jungle. Mowgli is caught between dual 'realities': the village and the Jungle. Just as the animals predict, 'Man goes to man at the last,' Mowgli is finally to leave his adolescent jungle existence behind, though Kipling poignantly conveys the boy's sorrow at having to exchange one world for another.From the pattern of abandonment and Mowgli's struggle between the jungle world and the village, we can see Kipling rewrite his childhood. India fed Kipling and made him one of them yet above them, like Mowgli who was later to become the leader of the pack. Kipling loves India, but at the time the racial differences between the English and the Indians were considered irreversible as the differences between the man-cub and the animals. Undoubtedly Kipling believes India should submit to the British Empire and be at the command of superior civilization. We can see Kipling's imperial superiority and he is trying to apply his 'Law' to govern India and even the whole world. At the same time he is not satisfied with some barbaric act of the British and is distressed to find that they did not understand their own mission - to help establish law and order in other parts of the world. It is obvious that to some extent he also criticizes 'imperialism'.Chapter Three explores how "Law" is formed in Kipling's early years. The happy Bombay childhood (1865-1871) made Kipling believe in authority and a sense of responsibility. The painful years at Southsea (1871-1878) taught him a bitter lesson of obedience to authority. His years at United Services College (1878-1882) inculcated in him a strong patriotism, enthusiasm for the Empire, discipline and respect for law and order. It is during the 'Seven Years' Hard' (1882-1889) in India working as a journalist that Kipling formed sympathies and attitudes which later developed into the concept of 'Law'. I then discuss the fables of The Jungle Books, mainly the psychological development of Mowgli. The final achievement of Mowglimay be seen in his progress from a Man-cub to a Master of the Jungle ------ from thedays when he was a prey to passions, disorder and lawlessness to the acquiring of control over the jungle of passions and becoming a man with inner harmony. In The Jungle Books Kipling expresses his love for his characters and his yearn for an idealworld. The protagonist in each tale is a miniature of Kipling's ideal man ------ a manwho has a strong sense of responsibility and is devoted to his work. He is a man of action and capable of love, suffering and self-sacrifice. The jungle world Kipling is so sentimentally attached to is an ideal world. Kipling expresses his yearn for an ideal world which is governed by "the Law of the Jungle", where East and West are joined and people all live peacefully and harmoniously.Kipling's time was late Victorian times when British Empire was at its zenith. Therefore it is natural that a revelation of the idea of 'Law' in his works coincides with the imperialist ideas at the time. Today when we reread Kipling we should nottake his imperialist ideas but the positive side of his 'Law'------devotio n to work,responsibility, discipline and order.