THE DEMISE OF THE IMPERIAL FANTASY
THE DEMISE OF THE IMPERIAL FANTASY

Summary/Abstract: It is said that all stories come to an end. The story of the British in India was not a common one. Kipling was part of this story and, like his countrymen, he really believed in this fantasy. This fantasy had very practical grounds and hid economic and political interests. However, this fantasy was soon to be confronted with a mirroring process involving the two cultures, the British and the Indian, whose proximity generated instances of hybridity and alterity that challenged the privileged position of the colonizers and eventually brought about the downfall of the imperial fantasy. It is true that Kipling believed in this fantasy, yet the real reason Kipling believed in and promoted was a humanitarian one.

• Details
• Contents