Themes and message
Forbidden love and prejudice
The theme of forbidden love is explored in “Beyond the Pale” by Rudyard Kipling through the main characters, Trejago and Bisesa, and their tragic romance. The drama of the story is created by the fact that in 19th century India, interracial relationships or a relationship with an Indian widow were beyond the limits of acceptable social behavior, as the title suggests. At the time, India was a British colony, and the English were not supposed to have relationships with locals. This was forbidden according to both British and Indian social rules. The characters of the story break these social rules and have a secret affair which only takes place at night, when Trejago visits Bisesa disguised as a woman, sneaking in through a removed window grate. While Bisesa desires to be loved and probably initiated the affair by sending a coded message to Trejago, their relationship is far from equal. Even...