The call of duty is strong in "The White Man's Burden." Sure, it came more than a hundred years before the Call of Duty video games, but the poem and the game have a lot in common. Dangerous missions? Check. Obstacles to overcome? Check. Conquering another group of people who will no doubt try to resist you? You better believe that's a check. The poem is very clear what it's arguing for is no vacation. Instead, the speaker portrays the call to "civilize" the rest of the world as a moral obligation that white men must meet.
Questions About Duty
- How might the poem use shame to get white men to accept its challenge?
- Why do you think the poem uses the word "burden" to describe what it's asking for? Do you think that term heightens the moral obligation to act? Why or why not?
- How does the speaker justify the White Man's obligation to act? Do you buy that justification? Why or why not?
- What does the poem suggest is the ultimate reward (or rewards) for fulfilling this duty?
Chew on This
The poem is more interested in getting white men to fulfill a patriotic duty than it is in getting them to "help" others.
This poem shows us that the real duty we all have is to question our assumptions about other groups of people.