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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from American Notes, by Rudyard Kipling

In 1891 Mr. Kipling met the young author Wolcott Balestier, at that
time connected with a London publishing house. A strong attachment grew
between the two, and several months after their first meeting they
came to Mr. Balestier's Vermont home, where they collaborated on “The
Naulahka: A Story of West and East,” for which The Century paid the
largest price ever given by an American magazine for a story. The
following year Mr. Kipling married Mr. Balestier's sister in London and
brought her to America.

The Balestiers were of an aristocratic New York family; the grandfather
of Mrs. Kipling was J. M. Balestier, a prominent lawyer in New York City
and Chicago, who died in 1888, leaving a fortune of about a million. Her
maternal grandfather was E. Peshine Smith of Rochester, N. Y., a noted
author and jurist, who was selected in 1871 by Secretary Hamilton
Fish to go to Japan as the Mikado's adviser in international law. The
ancestral home of the Balestiers was near Brattleboro', Vt., and here
Mr. Kipling brought his bride. The young Englishman was so impressed by
the Vermont scenery that he rented for a time the cottage on the “Bliss
Farm,” in which Steele Mackaye the playwright wrote the well known drama
“Hazel Kirke.”

The next spring Mr. Kipling purchased from his brother-in-law, Beatty
Balestier, a tract of land about three miles north of Brattleboro', Vt.,
and on this erected a house at a cost of nearly $50,000, which he named
“The Naulahka.” This was his home during his sojourn in America. Here
he wrote when in the mood, and for recreation tramped abroad over the
hills. His social duties at this period were not arduous, for to his
home he refused admittance to all but tried friends. He made a study of
the Yankee country dialect and character for “The Walking Delegate,” and
while “Captains Courageous,” the story of New England fisher life, was
before him he spent some time among the Gloucester fishermen with an
acquaintance who had access to the household gods of these people.

Explanation ​

This excerpt from American Notes (though not directly from Kipling’s own American Notes—a travelogue of his 1889 U.S. journey—this appears to be a biographical preface or companion text, likely from a later edition or anthology) offers a fascinating glimpse into Rudyard Kipling’s personal and literary life during his early years in America. Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, focusing on its content, themes, literary context, and significance, with an emphasis on the text itself.

1. Context of the Excerpt ​

The passage serves as a biographical and contextual introduction to Kipling’s time in the United States, particularly his connection to Vermont and the Balestier family. It is not part of Kipling’s original American Notes (1891), which was a critical and often satirical account of his travels across the U.S., but rather a supplementary text (possibly from an editor or biographer) that frames his later American experiences.

Key historical context:

  • Kipling (1865–1936) was already a rising literary star by the 1890s, famous for works like Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) and Barrack-Room Ballads (1892).
  • His collaboration with Wolcott Balestier (an American writer and publisher) led to The Naulahka (1892), a novel set in India and America, reflecting their shared interests in East-West cultural clashes.
  • Kipling’s marriage to Caroline ("Carrie") Balestier in 1892 tied him to a wealthy, intellectually prominent American family, influencing his perspective on the U.S.
  • His time in Vermont (1892–1896) was a period of intense creativity, during which he wrote Captains Courageous (1897) and parts of The Jungle Book (1894).

2. Themes in the Excerpt ​

The passage touches on several themes central to Kipling’s life and work:

A. Cultural Exchange and Hybridity ​

  • Kipling’s collaboration with Balestier on The Naulahka symbolizes his fascination with the intersection of East and West, a recurring theme in his writing (e.g., Kim, The Man Who Would Be King).
  • His marriage into an aristocratic American family (with ties to law, diplomacy, and literature) placed him at the crossroads of British colonialism and American ambition.
  • The naming of his Vermont home "The Naulahka" (after the novel) reinforces this hybrid identity—an Indian word (naulakha, meaning "nine lakhs," a term for a priceless jewel) transplanted to New England.

B. Isolation and Selectivity ​

  • Kipling’s refusal to admit anyone but "tried friends" to his home reflects his distrust of American society, a sentiment he expressed more bluntly in American Notes (where he criticized the U.S. as vulgar and materialistic).
  • His reclusive nature in Vermont contrasts with his earlier globetrotting life, suggesting a desire for creative solitude.

C. Regionalism and Authenticity ​

  • Kipling’s study of the "Yankee country dialect" for The Walking Delegate (a story about labor and class in rural America) and his immersion among Gloucester fishermen for Captains Courageous show his commitment to authentic local color.
  • This reflects the late 19th-century literary trend of regionalism (e.g., Sarah Orne Jewett, Mark Twain), where writers sought to capture distinct American voices.

D. Wealth and Privilege ​

  • The Balestiers’ aristocratic background (a million-dollar inheritance, connections to international law) highlights the economic and social privilege Kipling entered through marriage.
  • His $50,000 home (equivalent to ~$1.5 million today) underscores his financial success but also his ambivalent relationship with American materialism—a critique he had leveled in American Notes.

3. Literary Devices and Style ​

Though this is a biographical sketch rather than a literary work by Kipling himself, it employs several techniques:

A. Juxtaposition ​

  • The contrast between Kipling’s global fame and his rural Vermont retreat ("tramped abroad over the hills" vs. writing in seclusion).
  • The tension between his British identity and his American connections (e.g., collaborating on a novel about East-West relations while living in New England).

B. Symbolism ​

  • "The Naulahka" (the house) symbolizes Kipling’s attempt to merge his Indian/British past with his American present, much like the novel’s themes.
  • The Gloucester fishermen represent the authentic, rugged America Kipling admired, unlike the "vulgar" urban society he criticized.

C. Understatement and Implication ​

  • The phrase "His social duties at this period were not arduous" is a dry understatement, implying Kipling’s disdain for societal obligations and preference for solitude.
  • The mention of his "study of the Yankee dialect" subtly hints at his methodical, almost anthropological approach to writing about America.

4. Significance of the Excerpt ​

A. Kipling’s Evolving View of America ​

  • In American Notes (1891), Kipling had been highly critical of the U.S., mocking its democracy, journalism, and culture. Yet this excerpt shows his later, more nuanced engagement—living in Vermont, studying local dialects, and writing sympathetically about American laborers (Captains Courageous).
  • His shift from outsider to partial insider (via marriage and land ownership) complicates his earlier dismissals.

B. The Writer’s Process ​

  • The passage reveals Kipling’s immersive research methods—living among fishermen, studying dialects—which align with his reputation for meticulous detail in works like Kim or The Jungle Book.
  • His selective social circle suggests a deliberate curation of influences, avoiding the "noise" of celebrity to focus on craft.

C. The Myth of the "American Experience" ​

  • Kipling’s time in Vermont challenges the idea of a monolithic "America." He engages with regional identities (New England fishermen, Yankee farmers) rather than the broad stereotypes he had previously mocked.
  • His purchase of land and building a home ("The Naulahka") can be read as an attempt to claim a piece of America—yet his eventual departure (due to a family dispute and his daughter’s death in 1899) underscores his ultimate alienation.

5. Connection to Kipling’s Broader Work ​

  • The Naulahka (1892): The novel co-written with Balestier explores cultural collision between America and India, mirroring Kipling’s own life at the time.
  • Captains Courageous (1897): His Gloucester research resulted in a coming-of-age tale that romanticizes American grit, a stark contrast to his earlier cynicism.
  • The Jungle Book (1894): Though set in India, its themes of belonging and hybrid identity resonate with Kipling’s Vermont years.
  • Later Works: His disillusionment with America (after his daughter’s death and a public feud with his brother-in-law) is reflected in poems like "The Mother’s Son" (1897), where he laments American betrayal.

6. Why This Excerpt Matters ​

This passage is more than a biographical footnote—it captures a pivotal moment in Kipling’s life where he:

  1. Tried to reconcile his British colonial worldview with American democracy (with mixed success).
  2. Experimented with regional American voices, contributing to the literary tradition of local color.
  3. Faced the limits of cultural assimilation, foreshadowing his eventual rejection of America (he left in 1896 and later wrote scathingly about it).

It also humanizes Kipling, showing him not just as the imperialist poet of "The White Man’s Burden" but as a complex figure—a global celebrity seeking solitude in Vermont, a Briton marrying into American aristocracy, and a writer torn between critique and admiration.

Final Thought: The Paradox of Kipling in America ​

The excerpt encapsulates Kipling’s paradoxical relationship with the U.S.:

  • He loved its landscapes (Vermont’s hills, Gloucester’s seas) but despised its society.
  • He married into its elite but remained an outsider.
  • He wrote some of his most American works in Vermont yet left bitterly.

In this tension lies the fascination of Kipling’s American years—a microcosm of the clash and fusion of cultures that defined his entire oeuvre.