Theme of the novel

Kim is a coming of age story, a boy's search for himself. It's an adventure story about a young, white Irish boy growing up in India. His skin is pale, but he lives like the natives....... he doesn't know who he is culturally or as an individual. One of the things Kim repeats over and over again in the novel is,'Who is Kim?' 'What is Kim?'

Kim is an orphan; he lives as an orphan in India because his father served in the military there. After his father's death, he is caredc for by a half-cast woman (poor, possibly a prostitute, opium addicted, shop owner). Kin might be mistaken for a native as he's been darkened by the son....... he's poor, but he is not a native nor is he British........ he's somewhere in the middle.