Forster’s ‘A Passage to India’: An appreciation – By Late Shri Abani Mukherjee, M.A. ************************************************************************************
A Passage to India' is one of the great classics of the twentieth century. It is an adventure in deep waters and is different from EM Forster's other novels. Personal relation is the theme of all his novels. In his Italian novels, ‘A Room With a View' and ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ contrast of race and nationalism has played a vital part in personal relations. The same contrast has been traced in 'A Passage to India' but it is dwarfed by the tremendous force of human relations. The distinction which is clear in his earlier novels is here mystery and muddle.
Secondly, the Natural World is no longer a friend as it is to Stephen in ‘The Longest Journey’, Emerson in ‘A Room With A View’ or Gino in 'Where Angels Fear to Tread'. It is alien and hostile. Thirdly the Echo dominates the novel dwarfing the protagonists challenging the earth that tries to keep men in compartments.
The novel is a reticulation of Echoes and of all of them the dominant one is the booms through the Marabar caves. It reduces everything to Booms as far as human alphabet can express it. Fourthly, the novel is enigmatic and borders both on pessimism and optimism. Fifthly, the form, and meaning are related. The reality and the vision, the Echo and the harmony are reconciled through the symphonic form, mosque, caves and temple.
It demonstrates through 'Echo' how matter is informed with spirit. Sixthly, unlike Forster's earlier books it is devoid of didacticism. The most powerful warning about human predicament - "the weal or woe of the future will depend on the psychic change in man—is implicit rather than explicit. It is the warning that Jung has given in another medium. Lionel Trilling is right when he writes, ‘Great as the problem of India is Forster’s book is not about India alone; it is about all human life.’ Its dominant idea is best expressed by Walt Whitman's poem: beginning:
Passage to India!
‘Lo soul slest thou God's purpose from the first?
The earth to be spanned connected by network',
and ending:
‘Sail forth - Steer for deep waters only ....
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go.
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.’
Different Views
Some critics admit this optimism and suggest 'unity and harmony are the ultimate promises of life'. 'The theme which this book hammers home,' says Stone, ‘is that for all our differences we are in fact one'. But there are other critics who hold ‘separation of the English and the Indian is most dramatic. No less dramatic is the separation of the Hindu and the Moslem'.
During the festival, 'cleavage was between Brahman and non-Brahmans. Moslems and the English were quite out of the running and sometimes not mentioned for days.’ Forster explains, ‘the fissures in the Indian soil are infinite. Hinduism so solid from a distance is riven into sects and clans'. One of the moving figures is the Sudra Pankhawala, who was of the city. ‘Its garbage had nourished him and he would end on its rubbish heaps.'
Plot
This is in outline the plot: Adela Quested comes to India with Mrs. Moore. Roonie Heaslop is her financee Mrs. Moore enters a mosque and develops friendship with Dr. Aziz. He organises a journey to Marahav caves. Fielding the Principal of the local Government College and Prof. Godbole miss the train. Dr. Aziz starts with Adela and Mrs. Moore. In one of the caves in a frenzy of hallucination Adela suspects Dr. Aziz of attempted rape. The English people burn with rage. Trial of Dr Aziz takes place. Meanwhile Adela's illusion is disillusioned. Dr. Aziz is freed from the charge. The plot is simple but it is only a device to combine: (1) Social and political realism. (2) Psychological insight. (3) Symbolism
Social And Political Realism
The social and political world is in and around the city of Chandrapura. The three worlds of the Hindu, the Moslem and the English are given in full. The English are identified by the public school mentality. Roony declared the Anglo Indian creed in reply to her mother’s accusation: ''We are out here to do Justice and keep the peace. We are not pleasant in India and we do not want to be. We have something more important to do." Mrs. Moore cannot accept it as the last word in India. She thinks "One touch of regret —not the canny substitute but the true regret from heart would have made him a different man.” He is an undeveloped heart Colonel Turton. Major Callender Mcbryde all are undeveloped hearts. Mcbryde is brutal at the trial. He speaks, "The darker races are physically attracted by the fairer but not the vice versa.” At once a retort comes “Even when the lady is so uglier than the gentleman." Anglo Indian women are more obnoxious. "It is our women who make everything difficult.' declares Turton.
Besides political remarks there are admirable scenes of social comedy. Mrs. Turton’s comment at the bridge party reminds one of Lady Catherine de Borough of Pride and Prejudice: "Do kindly tell us who these ladies are?" Asks Mrs. Moore Mrs. Turton replies 'You are superior to anyone of them except one or two Ranis’ The irony is well expressed in the phrase "Echoing Walls of their civility.” The writer Santha Ram remembers “Social injustice will break up the British Empire just as the political injustice could.”
Psychological Insight
The political and social issues are very interesting and no less interesting is the study of the individual. The psychological insight is deep and subtle. In the case Adela Roony and Fielding the main cause of breakdown in relation is due to lack of imaginative sympathy. All in sort suffer from undeveloped heart. But Mrs. Moore and Aziz trust too much to their heart. Not a single character is a balance between reason and emotion.
Symbolism
Mosque, caves and temple denote this. The images reinforce it the earth, sky and water co-operate briefly for Peace and plenty and then become antagonistic again in summer. In mosque East and West meet and form a lasting bond. The caves destroy the bond. But the temple 'Some hundreds of miles westward of the Marabar hills and two years later in time brings together the Hindu the Moslem and the English. Affinity is sensed. There is reconciliation everywhere. The boats collide. Ralph Stella Aziz Fielding and Godbole all five are in water. The symbolic wetting links them together. But soon the storm gathers. The Hindus rush to throw God into water 'Thus was He tat own year after year and were others thrown.’ "The divisions of daily life were returning the shrine had almost shut. It is asked "why can't we be friends now? It's what I want it’s what you want.' But the horses did not want it—they swerved apart; the earth did not want it—they said in hundreds of voices "No not yet." “The sky said 'No not there'. The voice of Godbole went on ringing throughout with." “Come come come, come but, He neglects to come." “Men try to be harmonious all the year round and the results are occasionally dangerous. The triumphant machine of civilisation may suddenly hitch and be immobilized into a care of stone."
Defeatism
"This is the main view”, writes one critic. But 'No not there’, or 'come’ come signifies only Postponement not abandonment. The end is thus not defeatism. It is true, the symbol does not transcend. There is no moral victory in the end. But if 'Echo' marks everything by failure, if it sends illusion to Adela it breaks it too. "Evil is not unrelated to good It is the absence of good. It implies good has not been vanished but only receded." The overarching sky holds a promise by its, 'No. not there'. Because the novel ends in promise many record it as pessimistic. The trouble is Forster creates a relativistic world where there is no place for God that might validate the vision of harmony. John Colmer is right when he writes "The novel is not one of pessimism but of qualified optimism." In support Wilfred Stone and GM White may also be quoted: "Without preaching the novel asks us to be responsible to integrate ourselves.” “Separated by race, caste, religion men still strive to unite with each other and achieve some harmonious resolution of their differences."
The novel is a reticulation of Echoes and of all of them the dominant one is the booms through the Marabar caves. It reduces everything to Booms as far as human alphabet can express it. Fourthly, the novel is enigmatic and borders both on pessimism and optimism. Fifthly, the form, and meaning are related. The reality and the vision, the Echo and the harmony are reconciled through the symphonic form, mosque, caves and temple.
It demonstrates through 'Echo' how matter is informed with spirit. Sixthly, unlike Forster's earlier books it is devoid of didacticism. The most powerful warning about human predicament - "the weal or woe of the future will depend on the psychic change in man—is implicit rather than explicit. It is the warning that Jung has given in another medium. Lionel Trilling is right when he writes, ‘Great as the problem of India is Forster’s book is not about India alone; it is about all human life.’ Its dominant idea is best expressed by Walt Whitman's poem: beginning:
‘Lo soul slest thou God's purpose from the first?
The earth to be spanned connected by network',
and ending:
‘Sail forth - Steer for deep waters only ....
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go.
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.’
Different Views
Some critics admit this optimism and suggest 'unity and harmony are the ultimate promises of life'. 'The theme which this book hammers home,' says Stone, ‘is that for all our differences we are in fact one'. But there are other critics who hold ‘separation of the English and the Indian is most dramatic. No less dramatic is the separation of the Hindu and the Moslem'.
During the festival, 'cleavage was between Brahman and non-Brahmans. Moslems and the English were quite out of the running and sometimes not mentioned for days.’ Forster explains, ‘the fissures in the Indian soil are infinite. Hinduism so solid from a distance is riven into sects and clans'. One of the moving figures is the Sudra Pankhawala, who was of the city. ‘Its garbage had nourished him and he would end on its rubbish heaps.'
Plot
This is in outline the plot: Adela Quested comes to India with Mrs. Moore. Roonie Heaslop is her financee Mrs. Moore enters a mosque and develops friendship with Dr. Aziz. He organises a journey to Marahav caves. Fielding the Principal of the local Government College and Prof. Godbole miss the train. Dr. Aziz starts with Adela and Mrs. Moore. In one of the caves in a frenzy of hallucination Adela suspects Dr. Aziz of attempted rape. The English people burn with rage. Trial of Dr Aziz takes place. Meanwhile Adela's illusion is disillusioned. Dr. Aziz is freed from the charge. The plot is simple but it is only a device to combine: (1) Social and political realism. (2) Psychological insight. (3) Symbolism
Social And Political Realism
The social and political world is in and around the city of Chandrapura. The three worlds of the Hindu, the Moslem and the English are given in full. The English are identified by the public school mentality. Roony declared the Anglo Indian creed in reply to her mother’s accusation: ''We are out here to do Justice and keep the peace. We are not pleasant in India and we do not want to be. We have something more important to do." Mrs. Moore cannot accept it as the last word in India. She thinks "One touch of regret —not the canny substitute but the true regret from heart would have made him a different man.” He is an undeveloped heart Colonel Turton. Major Callender Mcbryde all are undeveloped hearts. Mcbryde is brutal at the trial. He speaks, "The darker races are physically attracted by the fairer but not the vice versa.” At once a retort comes “Even when the lady is so uglier than the gentleman." Anglo Indian women are more obnoxious. "It is our women who make everything difficult.' declares Turton.
Besides political remarks there are admirable scenes of social comedy. Mrs. Turton’s comment at the bridge party reminds one of Lady Catherine de Borough of Pride and Prejudice: "Do kindly tell us who these ladies are?" Asks Mrs. Moore Mrs. Turton replies 'You are superior to anyone of them except one or two Ranis’ The irony is well expressed in the phrase "Echoing Walls of their civility.” The writer Santha Ram remembers “Social injustice will break up the British Empire just as the political injustice could.”
Psychological Insight
The political and social issues are very interesting and no less interesting is the study of the individual. The psychological insight is deep and subtle. In the case Adela Roony and Fielding the main cause of breakdown in relation is due to lack of imaginative sympathy. All in sort suffer from undeveloped heart. But Mrs. Moore and Aziz trust too much to their heart. Not a single character is a balance between reason and emotion.
Symbolism
Mosque, caves and temple denote this. The images reinforce it the earth, sky and water co-operate briefly for Peace and plenty and then become antagonistic again in summer. In mosque East and West meet and form a lasting bond. The caves destroy the bond. But the temple 'Some hundreds of miles westward of the Marabar hills and two years later in time brings together the Hindu the Moslem and the English. Affinity is sensed. There is reconciliation everywhere. The boats collide. Ralph Stella Aziz Fielding and Godbole all five are in water. The symbolic wetting links them together. But soon the storm gathers. The Hindus rush to throw God into water 'Thus was He tat own year after year and were others thrown.’ "The divisions of daily life were returning the shrine had almost shut. It is asked "why can't we be friends now? It's what I want it’s what you want.' But the horses did not want it—they swerved apart; the earth did not want it—they said in hundreds of voices "No not yet." “The sky said 'No not there'. The voice of Godbole went on ringing throughout with." “Come come come, come but, He neglects to come." “Men try to be harmonious all the year round and the results are occasionally dangerous. The triumphant machine of civilisation may suddenly hitch and be immobilized into a care of stone."
Defeatism
"This is the main view”, writes one critic. But 'No not there’, or 'come’ come signifies only Postponement not abandonment. The end is thus not defeatism. It is true, the symbol does not transcend. There is no moral victory in the end. But if 'Echo' marks everything by failure, if it sends illusion to Adela it breaks it too. "Evil is not unrelated to good It is the absence of good. It implies good has not been vanished but only receded." The overarching sky holds a promise by its, 'No. not there'. Because the novel ends in promise many record it as pessimistic. The trouble is Forster creates a relativistic world where there is no place for God that might validate the vision of harmony. John Colmer is right when he writes "The novel is not one of pessimism but of qualified optimism." In support Wilfred Stone and GM White may also be quoted: "Without preaching the novel asks us to be responsible to integrate ourselves.” “Separated by race, caste, religion men still strive to unite with each other and achieve some harmonious resolution of their differences."
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