Prominent Issues in the Major Works of Rudyard Kipling and Ruskin Bond

Abstract

newline This thesis comparatively analyses the topics of colonialism and childhood in the major works of two renowned authors, Rudyard Kipling and Ruskin Bond. The research explores the similarities and differences to identify how they viewed, analysed and recorded these topics. The study explores how Kipling looks at these topics in his novels Kim and The Light That Failed. The major works of Ruskin Bond under the current study are The Room on the Roof and A Flight of Pigeons. The thesis touches upon the perspectives that have not yet been discussed and analysed in detail. The thesis provides an overview of Indian English Literature with special reference to Rudyard Kipling s and Ruskin Bond s biography and their contributions. The thesis also extensively examines the socio-economic, political, and cultural issues of the country during the time of Kipling and Bond. Analysis of the colonial setting that permeates Kipling s stories and deliberations on the complex relationships between Indians and the British under volatile political circumstances are analysed. Similarly, Bond s writing, highlighting the socio-economic and cultural dimensions in post-colonial India is also analysed. Viewpoints of the writers with respect to social structures, power relationships, and cultural issues through a comparative lens are provided. Narrative techniques used by the two writers are also examined. There is a focus on storytelling methods, narrative structures, character development, and storylines, looking at how they craft interesting stories for all ages. The thesis further analyses themes of colonialism and childhood in the two writers. There is also a focus on how these experiences are portrayed in the colonial and post-colonial context of India. Kipling s allegiance to the British empire, his attitude towards childhood and Bond s depiction of damage done by colonialism and his ability to express the innocence, difficulties, and discoveries of children and youth in a shifting socio-cultural environment are highli