Foster, Edward Morgan (1879-1970)

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

E. M. Forster (1879 - 1970) was educated at Tarbridge School and King's College, Cambridge. At
Cambridge, there was an atmosphere of free intellectual discussion, inspired by G.M. Moore, the famous
philosopher who stressed the importance of personal relationship. This philosophy made a profound impression
on Forster. After graduation, Forster became a novelist, essayist and literary critic. Being widely travelled, his
journeys gave him materials for his writing. He became particularly critical of the English behaviour abroad, and
his writings often satirize the British in foreign lands. Forster became friends with many well-known writers,
including John Maynard Keynes, Virginia and Leonard Woolf, Bertrand Russell and others who eventually
formed an integral part of what is known as the Bloomsbury group. In fact Forster's initial articles and short
stories were published in The Independent Review, a Bloomsbury journal. It was his novels, however, that
attracted attention. His works include Where Angles Fear to Tread (1905), The Largest Journey (1907), A Room
with a View (1908), Howard's End (1910), The Celestial Omnibus (1911), Maurice (1911), Alexandria: A
History and a Guide (1922), A Passage to India (1924), Aspects of the Novel (1927), The Eternal Moment
(1928), Two Cheers for Democracy (1951), The Hill or Devil (1953), and the biographies of Galsworthy Lowes
Dickinson (1934) and Marianne Thorntar (1956). The Life to Come (1972) was published posthumously. Forster
devoted the latter part of his life to a wide range of literary activities. He involved himself in the work of
international writers' unions and took a firm stand on censorship. He also campaigned against the suppression of
Hall's The Well of Loneliness. In the 1960's, he appeared as a witness for the defence at the trial of the publisher
of Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. He worked with Eric Crozier on Benjamin Britton's opera Billy
Budd in 1951. His last work was The Life to Come, a collection of short stories published posthumously after his
death in 1970

LITERARY INFORMATION

By 1900, the novel was firmly established as a literary genre, but novelists were eager to adopt new
themes and settings in their works. In this period of awakening Liberal Humanism, there was a growing tendency
in many contemporary novels to diagnose dangers, both social and psychic, and to openly oppose imperialism.
Forster was identified as a Liberal Humanist because of his criticism of the British both at home and abroad, as
clearly seen in A Passage to India. He was also known for the importance that he place on human relationships.
In fact, Forster has been quoted as saying that "if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying
my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country." In his books, his emphasis is on the need for
truth, tolerance, temper, and sympathy, especially in personal affairs; his novels often show the problems of
social barriers -- between races, between classes, between men and women, and between art and life.
A Passage to India is considered Forster's literary masterpiece. Shantha Rama Rao adapted the novel for the
stage; it became a popular play and ran for 110 performances. Critics, however, felt that the play did not measure
up to the novel, for it fails to capture the contrast between the magic and the wretchedness of Indian life.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

In the mid 1700's, there was no strong central power in India. The British East India Company took
advantage of this situation and gained control over much of the country before the Indians realized it. By 1757,
the East India Company was the leading power in India. In 1774, Warren Hastings became the first governor-
general of India. Between 1800 and 1857, the East India Company, using largely Indian troops, waged war
against Nepal, Burma, and other neighbouring countries for the purpose of acquiring more territory. The greed of
the company brought bitterness and poverty to the Indians. Finally, in 1857, the Indian people rebelled against
the East India Company. Although the Indians were not successful in overthrowing the East India Company, the
rebellion made it clear to Great Britain that the East India Company's rule over India must end. In 1858, the
British took over the rule of all the territory belonging to the East India Company, and it became known as
British India, which was divided into 15 provinces. Each of the provinces was under the local rule of a British
governor, appointed by the queen.
In the late 1800's, there was a movement towards independence amongst many Indians. Indian violence
against the British began during the early 1900's. Then during World War I, the Indian people supported Great
Britain. In return for their allegiance, British promised India a major role in its own government. In 1919,
reforms greatly increased the powers of the Indian provincial legislatures. The Indians were not satisfied that
they had received enough power, and violence against the British began again in their struggle for independence.
Gandhi became the leader of the Indian independence movement. Civil disobedience towards the British
continued through the 1920's and into the 1930's. Then in 1935, a new Indian constitution was created, giving
Indians more power over their government. India declared war on Nazi Germany in September of 1939,

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becoming an ally of Great Britain during World War II. During the war, the British leaders tried to reach an
agreement with Indian leaders about the country's independence. In early 1946, Great Britain offered
independence to India whenever the various Indian leaders could agree on a form of government. When an
agreement could not be found, the British and Indian leaders decided to partition the country to end the violence
between Hindus and Moslems. It was against this troubled background that A Passage to India was set.

KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS

SETTING

A Passage to India is set in the early twentieth century when the arrogance of the colonialist British
ruling class in India conflicts with the native pride of the Indian people. Most of the action takes place in
Chandrapore, India, a fictitious township. It is the summer months, and the intense heat makes people irritable
and lethargic. Later, the novel moves west to Hindustan, in a place called Mau.

CONFLICT

Outwardly, the conflict is between two cultures and two prominent classes -- the Ruler and the Ruled.
The total lack of imagination on the part of the British to understand and appreciate both the Indian way of life
and the rich heritage of ancient India adds dimension to the conflict. The final question concerns the affect of the
English living in India. More pointedly, the conflict concerns human relations and the possibility of the union of
individuals with vastly different ideas of love and understanding.

Protagonist: Dr. Aziz, a surgeon who tries to live peacefully with the members of the ruling class and bridge
some of the gap between them, fails miserably to do so, through no fault of his own. His attempt to befriend
some British visitors ends in disaster. He finds himself in prison for a crime he did not commit. After he
is exonerated, he has an intense hatred for everything British and seeks to find an understanding of the whole of
India. In his search and through his poetry, he finds some peace of mind and predicts that the British rule will
soon come to an end.

Antagonist: The British ruling class, best symbolized by the Turtons and their "club," are the antagonists in the
novel. Their lack of sympathy and understanding, coupled with their arrogance and blind authority, is a threat to
all native Indians, particularly to Dr. Aziz. It is a British woman who falsely accuses him of a crime, and it is the
ruling British officials who want him locked away and severely punished. When he is exonerated, the
misery of his imprisonment and trial, coupled with the false accusation that took away his good name, cause him
to have a hatred of everything British.

Climax: The climax of the novel occurs at the trial of Aziz, where everyone takes sides according to their
prejudices. Even though Adela speaks the truth and Aziz is exonerated, the British are still in control and will
make life even more miserable than before for Aziz and the Indians. The result of the trial is that Aziz has a deep

hatred for the English that he has never felt before. They have destroyed his sense of peace and his good name.

Outcome: The novel ends as a tragedy, but Forster indicates some hopeful signs at the end of his story.
Although Aziz is found innocent and released from prison, he is a changed man. Like most of the Indians, he is
more disillusioned than ever with the British authorities, who still continue their despicable rule of India. No
longer comfortable in Chandrapore, Aziz goes away to seek an understanding of the whole of India and to
capture its spirit in poetry. He meets with some success in finding peace of mind outside of Chandrapore and
through Hindu influence, but he is still tortured by the British rule, which he predicts (correctly) will end
some day soon.
To add to the tragic nature of the novel, Mrs. Moore, tired and broken, dies at sea on her way home;
Adela breaks her engagement to Ronny and returns to Britain, a distressed and disillusioned young woman, and
Aziz and Fielding will never meet again, even though they have managed at the end to have some degree of
reconciliation.

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PLOT (Synopsis)

The story is first set in Chandrapore, a dusty, dry, and hot town in India. The most noticeable
characteristic of the dull town is the sharp contrast in the British and Indian housing, which is a mirror of the
superior attitude of the British towards the natives. The only extraordinary feature in the area is the Marabar
Cave, twenty miles away.
Adela Quested is a young, intelligent, and sensible British woman who becomes engaged to Ronny
Heaslop, Mrs. Moore's son by her first marriage. He works as a magistrate in Chandrapore. Adela Quested
originally travels to India with Mrs. Moore because she wants to become better acquainted with Ronny and to
see the sites of the country. Both women are liberal, kind, and sympathetic. The local British, including Ronny,
are contemptuous of their desire to understand India and its people; the two women are shocked by
Ronny's arrogance towards the Indians. He has become so prejudiced against the natives that he considers them
to be "barbarians" and tries hard to maintain a distance from them.
Ronny warns his mother and Adela not to befriend any Indians. Ignoring his warnings, Mrs. Moore
visits a Mosque one evening and meets Aziz, a young Muslim doctor who is a widower. Aziz comes alone to the
Mosque to find peace and to escape from the hurt and humiliation he feels from being deliberately snubbed by
the British officers. He feels particularly insulted by the British women, for in India females are expected to be
submissive and quiet and to look after the needs of their men. He considers that Indian women are also cared for
and respected.
At first, Aziz is angry at Mrs. Moore when he finds her in the Mosque. He expects that, like most
British, she will be contemptuous of Indians; however, he is instantly calmed by the fact that Mrs. Moore has
entered the Mosque barefooted, showing her sensitivity and respect for native customs. He is further soothed by
her kindness and simplicity. A remarkable friendship develops between this older British woman and the young
Muslim doctor; it is a friendship beyond the considerations of age or race. Adela, too, becomes a friend of Aziz.
To show how much he cares for his newfound friends, Dr. Aziz, on a sudden impulse, invites Mrs. Moore and
Adela for a visit to the Marabar Caves. Two more friends, Cyril Fielding, a college professor, and Mr. Godbole,
a lecturer in the same college, are invited to join the party; however both Mr. Fielding and Mr. Godbole miss the
train. As a result, Aziz must conduct the tour for the two women on his own. Inside one of the caves, something
or someone frightens Mrs. Moore. Feeling suffocated by the crowds around her, she rushes out of the cave,
feeling frightened and confused. She tells both Aziz and Adela to continue their exploration. While she waits,
Mrs. Moore, feeling listless, tries to analyze what has come over her.
As Aziz and Adela continue through the caves, she asks if he has one or more wives. Aziz, angry and
hurt by the insensitive question, is a widower; his wife, whom he loved dearly, died in childbirth. Feeling
dejected, Aziz wanders into another cave. Adela tries to follow him, but she gets lost. In one of the caves,
something happens; but Forster is intentionally vague about the circumstances. Like Mrs. Moore, Adela becomes
nervous and rushes out of the cave. Aziz, searching for her, sees her leaving in Miss Derek's car. Aziz is charged
with molesting Adela Quested and arrested as soon as he reaches the train station. The entire British population
goes into frenzy, seeking punishment. Because he is an Indian, the British all think Aziz is guilty. Only Mr.
Fielding respects and trusts Aziz and supports him in his hour of distress; as a result, he is alienated from the
British. Mrs. Moore is also sympathetic towards him, but she is sent back to England because she is frank in
expressing her views. Losing the will to live, she dies en route to England.
Aziz is imprisoned, and a trial is set. At the crucial moment in the trial, Adela states that Aziz had not
molested her and withdraws her charges. For this, Adela is treated as an outcast by the British, and her
engagement with Ronny is broken. Only Fielding befriends her, and she stays with him. Aziz, however, is angry
with Fielding for sheltering Adela. Because of the trial, Aziz has become a hardened Indian, determined to
avenge his dishonour by freeing India from the shackles of the British.
The last section of the novel is like an extended epilogue. Dr. Aziz and Fielding meet after two years,
during Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, the preacher of true love. Their boats ironically
collide in the river, and they both emerge purified with their misunderstandings cleared. Aziz comes to know that
Fielding has, in fact, married Stella and not Adela.
Forster ends by saying "not now, not there," indicating that in the future, when barriers crumble, lasting
friendship between the British and Indians might be possible. Until then, the passage to India, the land of
mystery, will remain troubled.

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PLOT (Structure)

The novel is divided into three sections: Mosque, Caves, and Temple. The titles themselves are
suggestive of the meaning that is to be found in the story. Forster strives to bring about his vision of India as
pluralistic society, and the section titles imply Muslim, physical, and Hindi. Also, these three sections imply the
three seasons of India, winter, summer, and monsoon. There is a passage in the plot during the three sections
from positive affirmation, followed by negative reaction, and ending up with a sort of muted reaffirmation.
The Mosque section depicts the problem of separation between man and his fellow man and between man and
the universe. Within the section, there are attempts by characters to bridge the gap. In fact, a Muslim man (Aziz)
and an English woman (Mrs. Moore) meet, connect, and seal a bond of friendship and understanding which lasts
throughout the novel. East and West meet harmoniously to bridge the gaps of age, race and place.
In the Caves section of the novel, the gap of misunderstanding widens and is replaced by the deafening echo of
the caves. The hideous sound drives Adela to the verge of madness and Mrs. Moore to total indifference. When
Aziz is falsely accused and imprisoned, the gap between British and Indians grows wider than ever, resulting in
anger and chaos.
In the third section, entitled Temple, evil starts to recede. Aziz dedicates himself to finding an
understanding of the whole India and addressing it in poetry; Mrs. Moore dies peacefully and becomes a legend
which benefit others; the emphasis on Sri Krishna gives a sense of hope, love, and unity. There is also a
foreshadowing that the despicable rule of the British in India will soon end.
Besides being developed in three sections, the story also develops along a classic plot line. The first
chapter is largely introductory, giving a description of the setting in Chandrapore and introducing several of the
key characters. The rising action develops the distance and animosity between the British and the Indians (the
rulers vs. the ruled). Dr. Aziz is particularly developed as the main character and protagonist. Even though he
tries to bridge some of the gap between his race and the English by becoming friends with Mrs. Moore and
Fielding, he is shattered when he is falsely accused by Adela, an English woman, and imprisoned by the
British official, who would like to see him dead. During his trial, he is exonerated by Adela, but the damage has
been done. He has a new hatred for everything British. As a result, he leaves Chandrapore forever to try and gain
an understanding of India. The falling action shows Dr. Aziz living in a new environment where the British rule
is not so blatant, trying to grasp some of Hinduism, trying to experience more of India, and trying to write
poetry. The conclusion indicates that Aziz has gained some level of peace; he also predicts that the British
dominance in India will soon come to an end.

THEMES

A Passage to India addresses the complexity of the idea of "passage," which has several meanings in the
book. There is the actual physical passage between Europe and India - the Suez Canal, which had been opened in
1903, approximately 20 years before the time of the novel. It is this passage that Adela took to India. Her journey
was more than a physical passage, for she was travelling east to Ronny, who was to become her husband. During

the course of the novel, Forster portrays her passage away from Ronny and India and back to England. At the
time of her passage from India, she is a sad and disillusioned woman who regrets her stay in the East. The most
striking passage in the book is the one to understanding and friendship. Aziz, untypical of most Indians, reaches
out to both Mrs. Moore and Fielding to understand and befriend them. Both respond positively and benefit from
Aziz's company.
A Passage to India is neither a historical novel nor ultimately a political novel about India, but the
reader feels both aspects ever- present in the book. Forster's love affair with India began with his visit there in
1912, and he started writing A Passage to India upon his return. He worked on the novel for several years,
publishing it in 1924. His fascination with India led him to study its history and follow its politics, which he
continued until his death. In the novel, written and set after World War I, Forster successfully captures the
deteriorating quality of British rule and the Indian push towards independence. But the rumblings of the struggle
for Indian freedom are only the background of the novel. It is the personal and social interaction between the
ruling class and the ruled that forms the core of the book. At the end of the book, Aziz declares that he and
Fielding will become friends again when India is free; therefore, the book ends on a positive note of hope despite
the tragedy.
Forster's cosmic vision is evident throughout the novel. He advocates universal love -- love that
transcends politics, religion, nationalities, social rank, and age and that extends beyond human relationships to
embrace all forms of life. Forster expresses this at the beginning of the novel, with Mrs. Moore's philosophy and
at the end of the novel with Godbole's philosophy, both of which Aziz absorbs to some degree. Mrs. Moore
knows that class and political distinctions can only be bridged by the spirit of love; she is disillusioned to realize
that the Indians and British are incapable of accepting each other with a spirit of universal love. Ironically, in her

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death she has the greatest influence, for she becomes a symbol of motherly understanding. She becomes a
mantra, a sacred chant, much like Godbole's chant about Krishna, the god of universal love.
The role of women is another theme of the novel, and Forster presents many separate points of view.
Mr. Turton sees women as a bother and thinks ruling India would be a much cleaner exercise without any
females present. Aziz sees women largely as something to idolize, as evidenced in his reaction to Mrs. Moore
and to his dead wife. Ronny sees women as something to be used; he never loves Adela, but plans to marry her
for convenience and personal comfort. Indian women are meant to serve their men, selflessly and without
question. Ironically, the climax of the story revolves around Adela, a young British woman who claims she has
been sexually assaulted by Aziz, an Indian. As a result of her powerful claim, that makes her the centre of
attention; the British ruling officials go after Aziz with a vengeance to right the wrong against womanhood.
When Adela admits in the trial that Aziz has not followed her into the caves, the British turn against her, for she
no longer serves them any purpose; the other British women are the most unmerciful to her. The Indians hate her
for what she has done to Aziz; the feelings of the Indian women are the most intense of all. The final, and
probably most important, theme is chaos vs. peace. In the caves, mystery and chaos prevail, as symbolized in the
horrible echoes and the imagined attacks on Mrs. Moore and Adela. The caves are much more mysterious that
their outward appearance indicates. Older than Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism, the caves represent the chaotic
nothingness of existence before God created order. The caves are not evil; they simply bring out mankind's
despair, indifference, and cruelty. Both Mrs. Moore's Christianity (love) and Adela's liberal attitude
(understanding) are challenged in the caves; even the Muslim Indians have a fear of the cave.
When Adela went into the cave, she was forced to face the foolishness of her engagement to Ronny.
She was forced to choose whether she wanted to enter into an empty bond of marriage. The deafening echo that
she hears is really her resounding conscience that seems to say that such a choice would leave her living in sin.
She is left to realize that a marriage without love, and out of convenience, amounts to "rape," exactly what she
thinks has happened in the darkness of the cave. Godbole says that the presence of evil in the Marabar caves also
affirms the presence of good. In the caves, just as in life, the two forces are pitted against each other. Life is a
combination of both, hope and horror, void and fulfilment, darkness and light, love and hate. Man must make the
choice of which path to follow. In Godbole's song, he asks good to come and to be restored to all. However, few
respond to the Hindu chant and accept universal love. Only Lord Krishna, Mrs. Moore, and, in the end, Aziz
choose the path of goodness which brings peace. A positive affirmation is asserted in the last section of the
novel. The Hindu temple dominates and overshadows the caves, suggesting that God is superior to everything
evil and goodness will prevail. As a picture of hope, Mrs. Moore is seen reborn in her son Ralph. The monsoon
season passes, having germinated seeds and watered plants. For this reason, Aziz dares to hope at the end of the
novel that out of the chaos of British rule the goodness of Indian independence will come. He tells his friend
Fielding that the two of them will become friends again in future when the English have completed their passage
to and from India.

Major Theme

The major theme of the novel is the damage caused by the British attitude of hatred and superiority
towards the Indians. Forster is clearly critical of the small-minded British colonial powers, which lack trust and
understanding of the natives. At the same time, he is sympathetic with those Indians, like Aziz, who make
sincere efforts towards the British and who are treated terribly for their trouble. The novel centres on the
difficulty of trust in cross-cultural relations. The word "Passage" has special significance in the novel. First, it
refers to the physical passage between India and England; the Suez Canal, which opened in 1902, made it
possible for the English to make their geographic passage to India in about six to eight weeks, considerably less
time than previously possible. The second and more significant passage concerns a journey to friendship and
loyalty between people from differing cultures. Foster explores whether individuals can really make their own
evaluations of each other in a society that imposes overwhelming and destructive prejudices, like the British
colonialists. He questions if there can be a "passage" between cultures shared by bonds of friendship.
Unfortunately, the novel shows the difficulties of such a passage. Mr. Fielding and Mrs. Moore, and to some
extent Adela, are British individuals who try to befriend the Indians; however, they are sharply pitted against the
other British, who do not think that it is possible to bridge racial differences. On a superficial level, therefore,
this novel is about the passage to India by two women, Mrs. Moore and Adela, who come to India with an honest
and innocent wish to see and understand; what they find is a society that is hostile to British/Indian friendships.

Minor Theme

The minor theme closely related to and supporting the major theme, is that love is the key to
establishing true human relationships. Throughout the novel, different kinds of relationships are explored --
between mother and son, between a young man and woman who are engaged, between Hindus and Muslims,
among Hindus themselves, between the British and the Indians, and among the British themselves. Forster's

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answer to a peaceful and happy existence is universal love - not only between human beings but also between
human beings and all other living things in the universe.
MOOD

The mood of the novel is serious and analytical, with bits of comic relief, often at the expense of native
characters. There is also a sense of despondency, suspense, and foreboding. The story is really about bad
communication between two cultures, and both a desire for and a fear of a connection between them.

CHARACTERS

Dr. Aziz - modelled on Syed Ross Masood, and Forster dedicates a Passage to India to him and the seventeen
years of their Friendship. Masood represented everything good about Muslim tradition to Forster. He was
handsome, highly religious, sentimental about ancient poetry and Moghul history, and staunchly opposed to
British rule in India. In a like manner, Dr. Aziz represents the finest Muslim traditions, is sentimental, and
decides to take to writing poetry after giving up his job in the Government Hospital in Chandrapore. It is only in
his most difficult moment, while on trial for unfair attack, that he loses his innocence and becomes a man with
inflexible principles.
Aziz is portrayed as a combination of sensitivity and strength -- "a little man daintily put together, but
really very strong." He is a good surgeon, envied by other doctors, especially McBryde. He is a lonesome
widow, dedicated to the memory of his wife who died at a young age, early in the marriage. Aziz is shown to be
courteous, well-mannered, sympathetic, highly cultured, eager to please, hospitable, and helpful. He is also very
receptive to people, both Indian and British, who understand and appreciate him and his traditions. When Mrs.
Moore enters the Mosque humble and barefooted, Aziz forgets that he is talking to someone from the ruling
class; he speaks his heart to her, while she steals his. He remains faithful to her image until the end of the novel,
forgiving Adela because she has been associated with Mrs. Moore.
Although Aziz is not an orthodox Muslim, he is proud of his Muslim tradition and is happy to speak of
the glorious Moghul emperors to his British friends. At the end of the novel, he has sought the great tradition of
Islamic and Persian poetry to express his feelings and his pride in his country. Islam to him is a way to
life, an attitude about the oneness of things, a great cultural tradition rather than a religion.
Although Dr. Aziz is the protagonist and central character of the novel, he is not a hero. He is, however, an
honourable Indian man who is wronged by the British and who feels he must avenge himself in an appropriate
manner. His answer is to seek to know the true India and write about it in poetry.

Ronny Heaslop - local magistrate of Chandrapore, is a typical product of an English public school upbringing.
He knows very little about contemporary India and even less about her ancient cultural heritage. He hides his
ignorance of the country he has come to rule by his rudeness, insolence, and arrogance. His strong dislike of
India and Indians is obvious from the very beginning. He believes that the British must not be pleasant to Indians
and that the only way to hold India under the Union Jack is by force. He is very typical of the kind of English
Civil Servants who, at the time, governed India with no respect. Forster had little sympathy for people like
Ronny. Ronny has no originality and he is not burdened with any great intelligence. He is naturally suspicious of
every one, including his mother. It is difficult to believe that he has not inherited any noble qualities from Mrs.
Moore, who is naturally trusting and friendly and who believes that people were born to love each other.
Ronny plans to marry Adela, because his mother has brought her to Chandrapore, and it will be a
marriage of convenience. It is obvious that he never loves her. When she disappoints him during the trial by
exonerating Aziz, he realizes she will not be a fit wife for him. They later break off their engagement. At the end
of the novel, Ronny is exactly the same as in the beginning, a totally flat character.

Cyril Fielding - a cultured and thoughtful middle-aged Englishman who has come to Chandrapore to be the
principal of the college. Education is his top priority. Like Mrs. Moore, he has fewer prejudices than most British
in India. He is comfortable teaching both British and Indian students, and has friends from both societies,
including Mrs. Moore, Adela, Aziz, Godbole, and Hamidullah. He strives to be fair, trying to as certain the truth
before making judgements. He understands power structures and appreciates the people who follow their human
instincts. He particularly dislikes the British rulers in India, because he feels they are greedy, arrogant, cruel,
rude, and power-hungry.
Although somewhat reserved like most Englishmen, he is still good tempered and has a sense of
humour. He has obviously suffered some set-backs and disappointments in life and by his own admission would
"now prefer to travel light." Forster, however, gives no information about Fielding's family background or past
life. Although Fielding and Dr. Aziz become close friends in the novel, they present a study in contrast. Fielding
is rational, frank, open, and trusting; Aziz is emotional, highly imaginative, and often suspicious. At the end of
the novel, Fielding is in changed circumstances; he is married to Stella Moore and become more nationalistic; he

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may even return to England since Godbole has not school for him in Mau. He has also realized that his simple
philosophy of "kindness, kindness, kindness, -- more kindness till it hurts" does not work.

Major Callendar - is a pompous, undignified man who represents the worst of the British ruling class; in short,
he is a vindictive and insolent bully. He serves as Dr. Aziz's Senior Doctor at the local hospital. Although he
would never admit it, he realizes that Dr. Aziz is a better surgeon than he is and resents him for it. He patronizes
the British women after the arrest of Aziz and blames himself for permitting Dr. Aziz to organize the expedition
to the Marabar Caves. It would be no exaggeration to say that he stretches to the extreme all the faults that
Ronny has.

Mr. McBryde - is an unlikable British official who is somewhat ineffectual. Although he is educated and well
read, he is perhaps the most obnoxious British character in the novel. As District Superintendent of Police, he
viciously goes after Aziz. He opens the trial with a totally prejudiced and hateful point of view, saying that the
darker races are always attracted to the fairer sex, but never vice-versa; he holds up this view as a scientific fact.
During the court proceedings, McBryde dramatically accuses Aziz of the type of behaviour--sneaky, lecherous,
and deceitful--that he himself is apparently engaging in with Ms. Derek.

Ralph and Stella - Mrs. Moore’s children by her second marriage; Ronny is their half-brother. Since Forster
introduces them only at the end of the novel, they are not developed fully. Fielding has married Stella, and he has
brought her and Ralph to India. Fielding confides to Aziz that by nature her inclination is more towards the
spiritual than the physical. Although she never speaks in the book, she contributes to the reunion of Fielding and
Aziz by causing the two boats to capsize, throwing the men into the river to be reborn into a new sense of
friendship.
Ralph is an idiot savant, a sort of wise fool who is open and honest. He has some of his mother's
perceptive nature and interest in life. Ralph has an important role to play in the life of Aziz because he rekindles
the doctor's faith in the fond memories of Mrs. Moore.

Mr. and Mrs. Turton - typical British-ruler types. Mr. Turton is the Chief Collector, the highest position in
Chandrapore. He has little understanding of Indian life and culture and adopts a patronizing attitude towards
Indians. He is too brash to realize that the natives have their own dreams and aspirations. He genuinely
believes that only disaster can result from a closer interaction between Indians and the English.
Mrs. Turton is unabashedly disdainful of India and extremely contemptuous of Indians. She mixes with Indians
only reluctantly. Her hysterical outbursts before the trial, and afterwards at Adela, show the depth to which her
prejudices and hatred for Indians has sunk.

Adela Quested - is unlike the British who rule India. She is frank, open to correction, unprejudiced, and comes
to India to experience and understand the real India. Because she is willing to interact with, learn from, and
support the Indians, the British establishment looks upon her with suspicion. She looks at the British rulers with
contempt because of their superior attitude and lack of concern for anything Indian. Adela is young and
impressionable; she lacks enough self- confidence to make definite decisions. She has come to India with Mrs.
Moore to become better acquainted with her son, Ronny, who is supposed to become her husband. When she
discovers his arrogance and rudeness, she cannot imagine the prospect of spending her entire life with Ronny or
in Chandrapore.
Yet through much of the book, she wavers back and forth about her marriage plans. In one chapter she
is engaged to Ronny; in the next she has broken the engagement. Adela is never clear about what exactly
happened to her in the Marabar Caves, but she is very frightened about something. At first she thinks that
perhaps Aziz followed her into the cave and improperly approached her; when she returns to Chandrapore, she
openly accuses Aziz, which causes him to be arrested. Later she realizes that Aziz never came into the cave and
thinks that perhaps she has seen a ghost or been approached by a tour guide. She asks Ronny to cancel the trial,
but he will not hear of it, saying the machinery is already in motion. During the emotional trial, Adela has the
inner moral strength to stand up to the tension and tell the truth, exonerating Aziz.
As a result, she is isolated from both the British and the Indians. Only Fielding befriends her and takes
care of her until she returns to England. Adela again shows her strength when she writes a letter of apology to
Aziz. She is not, however, so naïve as to believe she can ever hope to regain his trust as a friend or even his
understanding. In addition, she shows her character in the manner that she accepts Ronny's rejection of her.
During the course of the novel, Adela matures and wins the respect of the reader, becoming a kindred
soul with Mrs. Moore. Forster intentionally leaves the problem of what happened to Adela in the caves
unexplained. In so doing, he indicates that there is a mysterious face of India which will never reveal itself
completely. He also indicates that human personality is complex, and no one, not even the very person, can hope
to understand themselves fully.

7
 Foster, Edward Morgan (1879-1970)

Mrs. Moore - more a symbolic character than a fully developed one. In fact, Forster never even mentions her
first name. She, however, becomes the person who conveys Forster's basic messages: love is meant to bind all
people, connection is communication, and an open heart leads to an open mind. Unfortunately, she sees that the
British rulers in India, including her son Ronny, are a total contrast to her philosophy. Instead, she is attracted to
men like Aziz and Fielding, who are free of prejudice and arrogance.
Mrs. Moore is the mother of Ronny, Stella, and Ralph. She has travelled to the East to see her son
Ronny and to bring Adela over to India to marry him, hopefully. Like Fielding, Mrs. Moore is middle-aged,
loving, and caring. Forster intended her to be a kind of universal matronly mother. Her simple outlook on life is
her belief that loving everyone is a very simple thing. With no prejudices, acceptance is Mrs. Moore's creed.
Although Mrs. Moore is not totally untroubled, she has an essential peace that appeals to eastern characters,
especially Aziz. Like Adela, she hears the horrifying echoes in the cave and is frightened by them. She is also
affected by the Hindu songs of Godbole. Her mystical vision, awakened in the Marabar Caves, saps her energy
and leads to utter despair, for she realizes that universal love does not seem to be possible. In turn, she loses her
will to live and dies during her boat trip back to England.
Her death suggests that she could never accept Britain as her homeland again. It is interesting to note
that. Moore is more alive in death than she was when she walked the earth. There are shrines constructed in her
memory by the Indians, and Ronny has a headstone erected for her in England, even though she is buried at sea.
Adela, Aziz, and Ralph also honour her memory and revere her influence. In fact, she is the reason that Aziz is
able at the end of the novel to forgive Adela and thank her for exonerating him during the trial.

Professor Narayan Godbole - It is curious that Forster refers to Godbole as Professor although he does not refer
to Fielding as Principal Fielding. Forster sets him apart from the other Indians portrayed in the novel, for
Godbole is fair, almost like a European, has grey-blue eyes, and is a Hindu. He works at the college with
Fielding and he is considered an intellectual. He is an authority on Hinduism and practices his religion with
intensity. His Hindu song about Lord Krishna, symbolizing the spiritual side of India, makes a deep impression
on Mrs. Moore and Adela. He is detached from the life around him and at peace with himself. He is not upset by
the arrest of Dr. Aziz or by the fact that the school he started comes to be used as a granary. Neither is he terribly
concerned about British rule in India.

Nawab Bahadur - a wealthy Muslim landowner, is important to be book because he represents the beginning of
the Indian uprising for freedom. After the trial of Dr. Aziz, he renounces his British- conferred title, Dr. Panna
Lal. Forster seems to have created Panna Lal purely as a figure of fun. He is a humorous figure in his abjectly
humble attitude towards the British. He has no reservations about apologizing to the mob that has collected
outside the hospital. He is Indian humility personified and becomes a caricature.

Miss Derek - another Englishwoman who travels in the same social circles as Adela, Mrs. Moore, and the
Turtons. She works for a Raj of another province, but spends her time driving around India and visiting her
British friends in Chandrapore. She is rather shallow and is portrayed as a female opportunist of the worst type.
She is, however, quite able to take care of herself and has a wild sense of humour.

Hamidullah - Aziz's uncle. Educated in England, he has several close British friends. The arrest of his nephew
on trumped up charges disillusions him about the British rule in India. The trial of Aziz, and its aftermath, makes
him less tolerant and more openly hostile to the British. During the novel, he turns from innocence to cynicism.

Dr. Panna Lal - a Hindu doctor. His servile attitude to the British makes him an object of ridicule. He changes
camps when convenient, chastising himself in a gross show of humility.