American Notes

Description

Kipling, the first English-language author to receive a Nobel Prize, wrote “American Notes” as a series of seven essays about his traveling from India to London, across America, visiting San Francisco, Chicago and Buffalo – places that he had only read about before.

The book was published before most of his other significant works, in 1891, and although it has its own charm the author is often biased and writes from a superior position. He shows great ability in describing people and places, customs that he admires and enjoys, but he does that from a white, powerful position, making many unflattering and unnecessary observations that translate his way of perceiving America as a sort of uncivilized wasteland, estranged from its motherland and guilty of taking attitude.

Often the book reads like an abrupt rambling, with occasional vitriol and lacking subtlety. But besides this, the “American Notes” do offer an interesting perspective of America, during the 1880s. Kipling seems to like the American women, thanks to their freedom, the fact that they don’t feel intimidated by males, and are educated to not regard every man as a possible husband. However, at the same time, he expresses astonishment when different aspects of American life differ from his own. Regardless his literary talent, Kipling does show a certain level of ignorance in this book and he also exhibits a racist attitude that later made him controversial.

Themes common in “American Notes” include American materialism, as well as the connection between business and egalitarian institutions. The author seems disappointed for not being able to find a stable basis for the social contract, which he calls “the central authority”. However, Kipling manages to temper his perspective by acknowledging the passion that he feels in as Americans, as opposed to the English indifference. He sees America as a good source of renewal of national virtues.
[amz_corss_sell asin=”1776665988″]