University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies (ULICES/CEAUL)
Abstract
Rudyard Kipling’s young male characters, namely Stalky (Stalky & Co. ) and
Harvey Cheyne Junior (Captains Courageous), whom he portrays with noticeable
admiration, exhibit, on the one hand, circumspection, stoicism, leadership, and
stalkiness, on the other hand, the absence of scruples in manipulating those acting
in loco parentis to achieve their desired ends. This article aims to examine how
these characters can shed light on one another, allowing for a better comprehension
of them both. Furthermore, it will explore how the religious archetype of the
trinity permeates Stalky & Co.’s composition of characters, and how muscular
Christianity shapes Captains Courageous. Stalky and Harvey thrive in a masculine
world, access to which requires leaving women behind, substituting them with
brotherhoods or identification with the father. The perfect man, Kipling postulates,
is the resourceful and courageous rule-bending Christian who is able to keep
women and natives in a state of obedience.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio