Summary
The former soldier introduces Kim to his son, the horseman. The horseman tells the group that a war is raging, and he gives Kim money to support him on his journey. The lama nearly gets tricked into giving away some of the money to a government toll, but Kim’s street smarts tell him that the toll is a scam. Kim and the lama continue on Grand Trunk Road, where they spot a covered carriage. Kim is intent on getting the attention of the carriage’s passenger, and he successfully does so when he cracks a series of jokes. Kim eventually tells the older woman passenger that he is traveling with the lama as his chela.
The passenger asks to speak with the lama, since they are both from the north. The woman is from Kullu, while the lama is from Tibet, and they communicate in a language that Kim isn’t able to fully understand. The woman and the lama hit it off, and they even know the same abbot who guided the lama to begin his search for the River of the Arrow. The familiarity instantly establishes a sense of trust, and the lady wants Kim and the lama to travel with her south for as long as their paths coincide. This is good news, as it means that Kim can be relieved of his duties as a beggar. The woman praises Kim’s knowledge of India, and the two seem to share a similar sense of humor.
After spending the night with the woman, Kim goes on a walk with the lama. While on their walk, the two encounter white soldiers as they plant a flag in the ground. Kim is shocked when he sees the image on the flag—it’s a red bull on a green field, true to his father’s prophecy. Later that evening, Kim approaches the soldiers’ campsite in order to learn more. There, he encounters Reverend Bennett, a minister. At first glance, Reverend Bennett thinks that Kim is a thief. However, the Reverend’s attention is quickly drawn to the pouch that Kim carries around his neck. Reverend Bennett rummages through the pouch and discovers documents from Kim’s father.
Reverend Bennett, along with the camp’s Catholic priest, Father Victor, begins to question Kim. It turns out that Father Victor was present at the marriage of Kim’s parents, and the two welcome the boy as a lost countryman. Reverend Bennett and Father Victor are shocked by Kim’s arrival, and they ask to speak with the lama to learn more. However, there are issues with communication, and Kim is forced to translate for both sides. Ultimately, the British infantry wants to become Kim’s “guardian.” Kim doesn’t want to be separated from the lama, and he proposes a plan where he will go with the British soldiers for a few days and then run away to reunite with the lama. However, the lama objects. He feels that Kim has found his true calling with his countrymen, and he’s intent on journeying to the River of the Arrow alone.
Kim insists that the lama stay with the woman from Kullu, since he worries about the lama’s survival skills. Reverend Bennett and Father Victor tell the lama that they intend to enroll Kim in school and one day enlist him in the military. The lama leaves and promises to send a letter updating the crew about his whereabouts in the following days. The next morning, the regiment receives word that a war is, indeed, raging in the north. Everyone is dumbfounded by Kim and wonders how such an unlikely character possesses such vital information on matters of foreign policy. Much to the protagonist’s disappointment, Father Victor sends Kim to school. Kim leaves class and hangs near the campus, and with the help of a recruited letter-writer, he pens a note to Mahbub Ali explaining recent events.
Kim is mocked by his peers for his linguistic ability to communicate with locals. Amidst Kim’s difficulty adjusting to this new phase of his life, he receives word that the lama has offered to financially contribute to Kim’s enrollment in school. The lama wants Kim to attend St. Xavier’s, the best school in the nation. Kim is disappointed, as he struggles with school and only wants to be reunited with the lama. Within a few days of receiving this news, Mahbub Ali arrives at the campsite. Mahbub Ali tells Kim that he’s unable to help him escape, as it would get him in a lot of trouble. While Mahbub Ali and Kim are in conversation, Colonel Creighton appears. Kim recognizes Colonel Creighton as the recipient of Mahbub Ali’s original letter.
Kim is somewhat of a “legend” for all those who encounter him, and Colonel Creighton and Father Victor begin gossiping about the details of Kim’s personal history. Colonel Creighton can communicate in Urdu, which is more comfortable for Kim. The Colonel tells Kim not to escape campus. If he stays, he has a chance of going to a school located in the south. Kim is hopeful that if he goes to a school closer south, he will have a better chance of being reunited with the lama. Although he wants to immediately relieve the sense of discomfort he feels, Kim decides to remain with Father Victor.
Analysis
Kim is insatiably curious—he is always excited to meet new characters on his journey, and he is most definitely an opportunist. When he spots a covered carriage on the road, he immediately knows that the passenger is of a higher social standing. Kim is incentivized to build a relationship with his fellow traveler, since he sees a potential opportunity to come into wealth. Kim is ultimately able to use his charm and sense of humor to make an impression on the passenger. This is a feat, since the two don’t make eye contact—the traveler, veiled, is only able to hear Kim’s voice. This speaks to the kind of character Kim is: he’s undoubtedly compelling, even when his presence is impeded by external factors.
Once again, Kim’s instincts about the veiled traveler prove fortuitous. When the traveler—who turns out to be a woman from Kallu—speaks to the lama, she is quite quickly supportive of his mission with Kim. This sense of camaraderie perhaps provides clues about the social dynamics of India in the late 19th century. Kallu, which is in the north of the country, nears Tibet. Although the lama and the Kallu woman are different in many ways, their geographical proximity lends to a cultural compatibility, which in turn builds a sense of confidence.
A major plot point occurs in this section—the realization of the prophecy of Kim Sr. Although Kipling leads the reader to anticipate Kim encountering a physical bull crossing a green field, it is not surprising when the image is reproduced in the form of a flag. This detail, however, is quite logical. In his failing health, Kim Sr. was clearly passing along a message of security to his son—something along the lines of: you will never be alone, because you always have your country. This is an interesting comment on the power of nationalism, especially within the context of the 19th-century British Empire.
The ensuing interactions Kim has with Reverend Bennett and Father Victor are somewhat painful. Firstly, the cultural differences between the two parties are striking. Although Kim is white, he has picked up many behavioral traits of Indian people. It is clear that Reverend Bennett and Father Victor have prejudices surrounding the Indian population, and they make various disapproving comments about Kim’s skin color, manners, and etiquette. They enter a kind of “white savior” complex, and they are intent on converting Kim into one of their own.
Kim’s position as the “middleman” is made literal when he serves as a translator between the lama and the British regiment. This foreshadows Kim’s position in the war as the communicator. Kim’s physical position with Reverend Bennett and Father Victor on one side of him and the lama on the other side symbolizes the dual (and dueling) parts of his identity. When the lama leaves in order to continue searching for the River of the Arrow, we see Kim (forced against his will) abandoning an essential figure in his life. Leaving the lama extends beyond the relationship that the two share. Rather, it symbolizes Kim burying an essential part of his own identity. Kim’s main objective is to reunite with the lama as soon as possible, and as the chapter continues, it’s clear that he is a fish out of water in the British system.
