Critics seem to differ widely in their opinion about the Puck-stories and what role they should play in regard of Kipling’s total work. Hinchcliffe (1989: 157) states that Puck of Pook’s Hill clearly is among the ‘neglected books’, and that its stories were neither liked by ‘children, for whom they were ostensibly written’, nor by adults, who seem to prefer ‘the more obviously adult stories’. Other critics, on the other hand (Henn 1967: 41 and Birkenhead 1978: 247), believe the book to be one of his most popular collections, equally and unquestionably loved by children and grown-ups for their humour and their liveliness in narration.
Indeed, when Puck of Pook’s Hill was published for the first time, the audience’s response seems to have been rather restrained. Readers and critics probably felt unsure of how these stories were to be taken and for which audience they were actually intended. From a present point of view and with regard to Kipling’s work it seems clear that to treat the Puck-stories simply as a collection of fairytales for children, which for many years has been the case, does not seem appropriate. Already in Something of Myself Kipling himself declared wittily, if not dramatically that ‘the tales had to be read by children, before people realised that they were meant for grown-ups’ (190). This hint, given by the author himself, does certainly confirm our hunch that there is and that there must be more to the stories than what seems apparent at a superficial first reading.
A closer look at the stories in Puck of Pook’s Hill reveals that despite fairly straight-forward, accessible language and story plots which can easily be followed by the reader or the audience, Kipling actually created some of the most wonderfully complex and artistically rich stories, by ‘working’, as he himself called it, ‘the material in three or four overlaid tints and textures, which might or might not reveal themselves according to the shifting light of sex, youth and experience’ (Something of Myself: 190).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- A) Introduction
- B) The Narrative Frame
- C) Historical Facts and Literary Output
- D) Empire and Empire-analogue
- E) The Roman Empire and its Mythological Context
- F) A Bunch of Heroes: Parnesius, Pertinax, Maximus, Allo; Valens
- G) The Wall as a Central Image of Empire
- H) Conclusion: Last Thoughts about the Analogue
- J) Bibliography
- Index
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This seminar paper explores the connection between the British Empire and the Roman Empire, particularly through the lens of Rudyard Kipling's short stories in the collection "Puck of Pook's Hill". The paper aims to analyze the narrative frame and literary techniques employed by Kipling to convey his view of history, specifically the Roman Empire. The objective is to understand the historical and societal contexts surrounding the creation of these stories and to determine the extent to which Kipling’s portrayal of the Roman Empire reflects the political and imperial sentiments of his time.
- The British Empire and its relation to the Roman Empire in Kipling's work
- Kipling's use of the Roman Empire as a literary analogue for the British Empire
- The narrative frame and its function in conveying historical themes and characters
- Kipling's view of history and his approach to historical figures and settings
- The role of the stories in revealing broader social and political contexts of the British Empire.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of Kipling's Puck stories and explores differing opinions on their intended audience and significance. It highlights Kipling's own commentary on the stories, suggesting a deeper meaning beyond a mere collection of fairytales for children.
- The Narrative Frame: The Puck Stories: This chapter examines the narrative structure of Kipling's "Puck of Pook's Hill," focusing on the role of Puck as a guide who leads the children and the audience through British history. The chapter emphasizes the interaction between past and present, and how Kipling blends historical figures and settings into the children's world, creating a compelling narrative.
- Historical Facts and Literary Output: This chapter delves into the historical context of Kipling's stories, exploring the relationship between historical accuracy and literary interpretation. The chapter considers the portrayal of Roman Britain in historical accounts of Kipling's time and explores the possibility of a bias or imperialistic viewpoint.
- Empire and Empire-analogue: This chapter explores the central theme of the paper – the British Empire and its connection to the Roman Empire in Kipling's work. The chapter focuses on how Kipling uses the Roman Empire as an analogue for the British Empire, examining the literary techniques employed to establish this connection.
- The Roman Empire and its Mythological Context: This chapter explores the Roman Empire as a source of inspiration for Kipling's stories. It examines the mythological context surrounding the Roman Empire and how Kipling uses mythology to create a richer and more evocative literary experience.
- A Bunch of Heroes: Parnesius, Pertinax, Maximus, Allo; Valens: This chapter delves into the characterization of heroes in Kipling's Roman stories. The chapter examines the individual characters and their motivations, considering their significance within the overall narrative and the broader themes of empire and history.
- The Wall as a Central Image of Empire: This chapter analyzes the significance of the wall as a central image in Kipling's Roman stories. The chapter explores the symbolic meaning of the wall and how it serves as a metaphor for the boundaries and challenges of empire.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this paper are: Rudyard Kipling, "Puck of Pook's Hill," British Empire, Roman Empire, historical analogue, narrative frame, literary techniques, historical context, imperialistic viewpoint, mythology, characterization, heroes, symbolic imagery, the wall, empire, history.
- Quote paper
- Martin Stepanek (Author), 2000, The British Empire & the Roman Empire analogue in Kipling's short stories, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/11921
