Kipling's 'The White Man's Burden' and the British Newspaper Context, 1898-1899
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3852179 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Susan K Harris (University of Kansas, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 243-263 |
| Publication date | 2007-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Comparative American Studies An International Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1477-5700 • E-ISSN: 1741-2676 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1179/147757007x224025 |
| OpenAlex | W2093894581 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
Examining Kipling's 'The White Man's Burden' within the rhetorical context of pro-imperialist British newspapers in the 1898–9 period demonstrates that the poem itself is both product and cause of the relationship these publications were constructing between Great Britain and its erstwhile colony. The Times (London), the Spectator, The Economist, and the Daily Mail all supported US imperialism, but they also perceived the necessity for Great Britain to control a potential rival. To facilitate a mentoring relationship they constructed a set of arguments concerning US responsibilities in the aftermath of its victory over Spain in 1898–9 and suggested that the USA should model its colonial policies after Britain's own imperial administration. Kipling's poem comes directly out of these arguments; moreover, once published, the papers instantly recycled it to support their points. Together with the newspapers' arguments, the poem constituted a clear intervention into debates over the course of US imperialism.Keywords: ANGLO-SAXONDAILY MAILIMPERIALISMPERIODICAL CONTEXTSPHILIPPINES ANNEXATIONPOLITICAL ALLIANCESRACIAL KINSHIPSSPECTATORTHE ECONOMISTTHE TIMES (LONDON)'THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN' Additional informationNotes on contributorsSusan K. HarrisSusan K. Harris is a Hall Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas, where she specializes in 19th-century American literature. Her monographs include studies of Mark Twain's life and works (Cambridge, 1996; Missouri, 1982), of 19th-century hostesses (Palgrave, 2002); and of 19th-century American women's novels (Cambridge, 1990). Currently she is investigating intersections of Christianity, American identity, and the annexation of the Philippines in 1899
Archaeology · Art · Genealogy · Literature · Media studies · Newspaper · Sociology · American and British Literature Analysis · American Literature and Culture · Borges, Kipling, and Jewish Identity · Chemistry · History
| Citations per year | 0.11 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2017 - 2017 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |