ABSTRACT
KIPLING’S early stories show his heroes’ conflict with the power of India. In “At the End of the Passage” the traditional idea of heroism is too rigid and too constrained, and the would-be hero becomes a victim when his standard of conduct fails to sustain him during a crisis. The protagonists of “The Man Who Would Be King” and “Without Benefit of Clergy” attempt to transcend the traditional code of the white man in India, but are unable to replace it with an alternative moral system of their own. The “kings” fail because they do not possess the moral authority requisite for enlightened imperial rule. In “Without Benefit of Clergy” even powerful love is insufficient to transcend racial differences and the lovers are doomed for breaking the Sahib’s code. The hero who is able to cope with the power of India and embrace both cultures does not emerge until Kim, who understands and sympathizes with the Indians, and embodies the best elements of both the Indian and English worlds.
