Imperialism in the Modern World, 1900

White Man's Burden

Rudyard Kipling uses adjectives such as "sullen" and "new caught", "savage" to depict the native peoples as opposed to Europeans. His usage of such worlds conveys his sense of white dominance because he words that lower the characteristics of the natives. By addressing them as "sullen" and "savage" he is referring to them as barbaric and animal like. In addition, by using "new caught" he reiterates the idea that the natives are no better than animals for the Europeans to tame. Thus Kipling expresses his sense of white superiority.

Letter of Lin Zexu to Queen Victoria Response

Lin Zeux conveys his distaste for opium in the descriptive terms he attaches to the drug by explaining how the 'poison' and it's repugnant odor has made the gods angry. By describing opium as poison it is clear that Zeux is seriously against opium and will take any means necessary to ensure it's destruction. He further adds in the letter that the gods are unhappy and that if Queen Victoria of great Britain extinguished the "evil" that is opium, the goods may be grateful and reward her with good health. Thus, he is also religiously expressing his distaste for opium. Then, the punishments inflicted on opium peddlers suggest Lin Zeux's perception of opium's threat to China by illustrating the extremity he is willing to go to in order to exterminate opium from China. In his letter he describes anybody who uses or had used opium would be executed and any British merchants who try selling opium would also be executed. His logic is that if a life is taken, the murder must give up his life as punishment but now, the same should apply to opium since many have fell victim to it. So he derived the conclusion that anybody that tries to sell opium would be executed. Therefore, the fact that he is willing to take these measures show how Zeux has massive distaste towards opium in China.