Introduction The novel Kim tells the story of a young orphaned Irish boy, Kim, living in the streets of Lahore in India during the British occupation of the country. Kim’s life entails performing odd tasks and receiving alms. Kimball “Kim” O’Hara is the agonist of the story from which the novel draws its title. Kim’s father was a soldier for the British army, and both his parents died while the father was stationed in India, leaving Kim to survive in the streets. However, Kim is exceptionally friendly and manages to get along with nearly all persons of all ages, cultures, and tribes in the streets (Kipling 51). His guardian, Mahbub Ali, sells horses for a living and usually sends Kim on small errands and rewards him with some cash or other beneficial rewards. Kim then encounters an aged Buddhist monk (Teshoo Lama) who is on a quest of finding the sacred “River of The Arrow” – the ultimate symbol of enlightenment (Kipling 53). Kim easily makes the monk’s acquaintance, and guides him to the local museum where the Lama hopes to find directions to the sacred river and thus gain enlightenment. However, the museum’s curator does not know where the mysterious river is located, and Lama has to make the arduous journey of discovery with little information for direction. Kim learns that the Lama’s disciple, or chela, had died in the previous town where the monk had passed. In his usual eagerness to help, Kim decides to become the Lama’s new chela in order to ease the stress of travel for the Lama (Kipling 60). Thus, begins the long journey towards enlightenment for both the Lama and Kim. Kim’s journey is, however, cut short when he sneaks into a British army base. Because he knew his father used to be a soldier, the symbolic flag raised by the army piques his interest, and it turns out that the army chaplain recognizes Kim through some documents he always carries. Coincidentally, Kim’s own father, Kimball O’Hara the elder, used to be stationed at the same base. Out of a sense of duty, the chaplain decides that Kim should attend formal school (Kipling 88). When Lama hears this news, he offers to pay for Kim’s education, and they are separated for almost three years when Kim pursues his education. In the course of his schooling, Kim is recruited as a spy and mapmaker for the British army (Kipling 187), which is involved in extensive spying, espionage activities and actual conflict with Russia, all in an effort to gain territories in Asia and India. This conflict between the two countries is known as “The Great Game” in the novel. One of the main reasons why Kim is recruited as a spy is because of his unique ability of blending in with natives from different cultures and tribes. However, in the end, after working as a spy and mapmaker, and undertaking dangerous missions for the British army that also put the life of the Lama in jeopardy, he decides to forgo all that and rejoins the Lama in his quest for enlightenment (Kipling 280), finally achieving this when they discover the “River of the Arrow”. Levels of Meaning in Kim The Basic/Literal Level At the literal level, Kim is a picaresque novel that underscores the adventures of a young orphaned Irish boy, Kim. The story begins in the streets of Lahor