080111014 Aydın Akman

Modernist and Features in A Passage to India

Modernism and Postmodernism by mentioning about two books as examples for each of

them. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster is for Modernism. In Modernism, the literature was

the expression of the modern era (1901-1945) and was used to hover around themes of

individuality, the randomness of life, distrust of government and religion and the disbelief in

absolute truth. There are three thinkers who mostly influence and give shape to the Modern

period and Modern Literature. These are; Charles Darwin (1809-1882), Karl Marx (1818-

1883) and Sigmund Freud. E.M. Forster is a modernist writer, as well and is the creater of A

Passage to India. There are some doubts about E.M.Forster whether he is a  Modern or a

Victorian writer. I think it is because  E.M. Forster lived in an age that was dominated by so

many social restrictions. For this reason did not go further in his novel weiting even he was

cabable of creating much more distinguished novels than these which he had written. So while

mentioning his book A Passage to India, I will mostly focused on his modernist character in

the book

Forster is writer in the late nineteen century and at the beginning of twentieth century.

So, he expreriences some changes some changes such as political, economical and social. As

a writer he is exposed to Modernism which is new trend in this period. “Make it new” is also

for E.M. Forster. In the book, Adela quoted:

“ Miss Quested… announced anew that she was desirous to seeing the real India” P.g

23

Here, Adela truly wanted to experience to “ real india”. It is something new and

exciting to her. She realises that knowledge is not absolute, where what little she has seen

before this could not truly be what India has to offer. A passage to India is his most
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significant work which is published after Forster’s trip to India in 1921. Since, there are both

old traditions of realism and aspects of modernism, it become an argument wheter it is realist

or modernist writer. In the novel, Marabar caves are boggles resistant to understanding the

reason. At the end of the novel, all the character’s attempt to be friend turns to in vain.

Topography states; “not yet”,“not there”. Chapter two, one of the previous chapter, analysis

the tex very clearly, focusing on one of the main characteristics of modernism in the novel.

This is the spritual turning. That is showing more concern on the iner world. With an analysis

of intentional adjustment of the cave event and its effect both on Adela and Mrs. Moore, the

thesis shows how Forster’s consideration is on the humanity and endless chase of an ideal end

for human mind. Instead of only impersonating the society and politics in reality, the novel

sxpand much on the counscious and subconscious of those characters. Capitalism,

industrialism, secularism and building a system are the heading aspects of modernisim. For

this reason the writer in modernism should build a system and put an end to the story . Forster

makes practices on stream of counsciosness technique and point of view in terms of

Modernism. Chapter Three first reviews the modernist symbolism in literature, and based

mainly on th main theme of the novel “being friend” or “not being friend”. Different from

those symbols in traditional realists which are usually single-dimensional and remain stable in

meaning, the symbols in this novel are multi-dimensional, rather ambiguous and meant to be

in accordance with its philosophical theme.Lastly, Conclusion section summarizes that E. M.

Forster goes beyond himself in his last novel A Passage to India, gradually facing and

admitting the impotence of the reason. This admission characterizes his tentative turning from

realism to modernism. Although he does not totally abandon the realists’chronological order

and traditional satires, although his stand sometimes is rather“evasive”and“baffling”, his

exploration for the future of human mind in the modern muddle and his openness to the

newness and experimentalism on modernism should not be ignored or undervalued. The

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research on the modernism in the novel will not only enrich our understanding of Forster, but

also be revealing in the relationship between realism and modernism, and in the concept of

modernism itself.

In terms of Modernism, the literature tends to break the traditions. It is inner-self

oriented and is generally found by using a stream of consciousness technique. In A Passage

to India, there are several examples of stream of counsciousness way of thinking in the

chapter of “ Temple”. For example; Fielding asks Aziz to meet with Ralph and Stella and

Aziz does not speak in turn. Instead, here the writer wants reader to goes into the charcter’s

thoughts, which are not linear but circular. It is an example of human mind and emotions.

Moreover, in the book Forster is try to discuss the traditional values with a new window

opened by Modernism. In Modernism, there is a philosophy “Make it new” the same as

Forster applied in his work A Passage to India. This term is about breaking the tradition.

There is a clear example about breaking traditions in the novel; after coming to Marabar

caves, especially Mrs. Moore and Miss Adela Quested hear the sound of ”echo”. It leads to a

confusion and causes to the arrestment of Dr. Aziz for assaulting her. Forster does not explain

the source of “echo” , and for this reason with leaving an unexplained term “echo”, Forster is

shown as a typical modernist writer. About the sound in the Marabar caves, Forster says: “In

the cave it is either a man, or the supernatural, or an illusion. If I say, it becomes whatever the

answer a different book. And even if I know!” 1. Forster’s disavowal of narratorial and even

authorial omniscience bespoke the transition from the Edwardian to the modernist age.2. For

example; in A Passage to India, E.M. Forster maket he Topography uses these words; “not

yet”,“not there”, this means that these two nation s can not make any friendship. This is a

classical end for Modernism because the writer wants to build an order so the writer does not

leave the end to the reader. In postmodernism, this situation is vice versa. In postmodernism

writer wants reader to decide the ending of the story. This shows that the writer is dead at end
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in post modernism and there is no order. This shows similarities between barthes theory

which is as follow;

To sum up, every period in human’s life has its own movement and this movement influence

the lifestyle and literature. This literature grows on the movement of the era and gives its own

features to the Works of art as well. A Passage to India is one of the novel effected by

Modernism which is the movement of the period.

A passage to India by E.M. Forster is a modern novel. It has its own features which recognize
it from other ages in English literature. In modern literature, authors often use different
symbols to represent a particular concept. Forster also uses symbols to give additional
meaning to his novel. The most important symbol in Forster’s novel is the Cave (Marber
Cave). Forster use this symbol to show the nature of India .
In terms of Modernism, the literature tends to break the traditions. It is inner-self oriented and
is generally found by using a stream of consciousness technique. In
A Passage to India, there are several examples of stream of consciousness way of thinking in
the chapter of “ Temple”. For example, when Fielding asks Aziz to meet with Ralph and
Stella and Aziz does not speak in turn. Instead, in the novel the writer wants reader to goes
into the character’s thoughts, which are not linear but circular. It is an example of human
mind and emotions. Moreover, in the book Forster is discussing the traditional values with a
new window opened by Modernism. In Modernism, there is a philosophy “Make it new” the
same as Forster applied in his novel “A Passage to India”. This term is about breaking the
tradition. There is a clear example about breaking tradition in the novel, when after coming to
Marabar caves; especially Mrs. Moore and Miss Adela Quested hear the sound of “echo”. It
leads to a confusion and causes to the arrestment of Dr. Aziz for assaulting her.

This is because modernism has always been an experimental form of literature that lacks a
traditional narrative or a set, rigid structure. Therefore, E. M. Forster, author of A Passage to
India, uses such techniques to portray the true nature of reality. The conflict between Adela, a
young British girl, and Aziz, an Indian doctor, at the Marabar Caves is one that implements
multiple modernist ideals and is placed in British-India. In this novel, Forster shows the
relations and tension between the British and the Indians through a series of events that were
all caused by the confusing effects of modernism. E.M. Forster implements such literary
techniques to express the importance or insignificance of a situation and to emphasize an
impression of realism and enigma in Chandrapore, India, in which Forster’s novel, A Passage
to India, takes place.
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Therefore, much of the modernist views on India being a muddle, realistic truths, and the fact
that there are multiple truths are all enforced by the narrative techniques used that E.M.
Forster uses. Many of the modernist techniques that are frequently used by modernist writers
work in collaboration with the manipulation of narration. In A Passage to India, most of the
modernist views are reinforced by the narration shifts, multiple truths, and confusing narration
or dialogue. By doing this, Forster escapes the traditional, strict forms of writing and is able to
explore a new and modern literature fit for his time.