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Theme of Colonialism in A Passage to India by E.M Forster

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Writer: MSM YAQOOB


The famous English writer as well as literary critic Edward Morgan Forster opened his eyes in the house of an architect on 1st January 1879. His father left this world when E.M Forster was a little lad and soon after his father's death, he fell under the care of his mother and paternal aunts. He received his early education from Tonbridge School- a private learning institution-system. For higher education, he went to Cambridge where he had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy liberation. After completing his education at Cambridge he began to abide by his intellectual inclination which led him to devote his life to literary writings. He wrote essays, novels and also made his name as a social and literary critic. In addition to this, he won fame in the field of novel. He penned down some famous novels such as Howards End and A Passage to India. In most of his writings, he represented the values of truthfulness and kindness. Apart from that main theme of his writings is class distinction like A Passage to India is a bright example of such class distinction.

E.M Forster has chosen Chandrapore India to set the first two parts of his famous novel A Passage to India while another famous fictional city Mau to open the third part of the novel. Furthermore, the novel has been written in the early decades of twenty century when India was ruled by the English Empire. India was a colony and the British Empire was the colonizer. British came to India back in the early 16th century with the aim of business but gradually made the Indian continent her colony. The turning point which presented the British Empire with the opportunity to become the colonizer was the mutiny-known as the war of independence in Indian history-of 1857. After the mutiny not only certain important events took place but also the decades following mutiny witnessed the growing sense of nationalism among Indians and Muslim revival along with their appreciation for the Mugul Empire and desire for independence. In addition to that, certain important political events took place in India soon after the end of the first World War such as the infamous Jallianwallah Bagh incident was followed by civil unrest. Along with that, the Non-Cooperation movement was launched. This movement along with other events created a political division between British colonizers and the Indian Colony, also social and political division between the two major Indian nationalities, Muslims and Hindus. 

Further to this, the British Colonizers ruled India with a sense of superiority. The novel a passage to India depicts all the above-mentioned Indian political as well as social features. For example, the fictional city of Chandrapore represents the areas that were under the direct rule of British Colonizers where the city Mau carries the character of princely states which were enjoying a degree of autonomy under British rule. Similarly, in this novel the deep political and social divisions between the two major communities of India, Muslims, and Hindus, have been depicted through the strained relationship between Muslim and Hindu characters. In addition, the strikes after Aziz's arrest and during his trial in the novel represent the demonstrations and strikes of the non-cooperation movement and the events followed that in Indian history.  In a nutshell, the novel, A passage to India, revolves around the events which took place in India particularly in the third and fourth decade of the twentieth century and generally from the mutiny of 1857 to till the fifth decade of the twentieth century.

E.M Forster's A Passage to India is a wonderful description of the everyday life of Indian communities under British colonial rule. The British colonial rule in the subcontinent began in 1857 and continued till the independence and partition of the subcontinent in 1947. The chief slogan, motive, theme, or the prevailing mindset behind colonialism was the famous phrase "white man's burden" coined by Rudyard Kipling. The phrase was meant that it was the ethical responsibility of the civilized and well literate Europeans to "civilize" other uncivilized nations. Thus the British were of the view that their colonial rule over Indian land was for the good of Indian people because under their colonial rule the Indians would be civilized. Forster, himself being a British citizen, cannot digest the idea of colonialism and the tyrannical rule of the colonizers in his novel A Passage to India. On the other hand, He also does not advocate outright Indian rebellion against the colonial rule; however, he shows utmost empathy to the colonial rule, its tyranny, and flawed system. Forster in his novel A Passage to India portrays most of the English men working in India under the colonial rule as unoriginal, racist, and harmful figures. This is showed to the reader most explicitly in the character of Ronny. He portrays the British women, apart from Mrs. Moore and Adela, as less sympathetic than the English men, to the extreme point that even Mr. Turtan blames their presence for the tensions with the Indians. The British women don't have the everyday business and interactions with Indian people than that the English men do, however, E.M Forster portrays them usually more racially hateful and harmful. It's because possibly the White Women are normally so isolated from authentic Indian society and are not well aware of the social character so they are unable to properly understand the Indian psyche.

Forster also shows how the colonial machine makes the Indians hate and once in a while condescend to the British. The colonialists are with the aid of necessity in the role of "oppressor," no depend on how personally kind or open-minded they might be. This is first-class proven in the adjustments to Aziz's character for the duration of the novel, as he goes from laughing at and befriending the English to actively hating them. Although Forster ultimately gives no concrete choice to British colonialism, his universal message is that colonialism in India is a dangerous machine for each of the British and the Indians. Friendships like that between Aziz and Fielding are a rare exception, no longer the rule, and even such friendships are all but destroyed or thwarted by using the issues and tensions of colonialism.

In a nutshell; E.M Forster's novel A Passage to India is, though in many ways a highly symbolic and of a mystical nature, text, realistic documentation of the harsh attitudes of the English colonizers towards the simple Indian people. Forster consumes a large part of his novel to characterize different typical attitudes the British officials which they hold toward the Indians whom they rule. Forster's satire is most harsh toward British women, whom he considers and depicts overwhelmingly racist, hateful, and viciously condescending to the native Indians. Some of the British male characters in the novel are as nasty and racist as the women are, but Forster more often identifies British men as men who, though condescending and unable to relate to Indians on an individual level, are largely well-meaning and invested in their day to day business. All Forster's criticism of the English manner of ruling India as their colony does not appear to question the right of the English Empire to govern India against the will of Indians. He, rather than questioning the English rule over Indians, suggests that the British would be a good master if it serves by becoming kinder, passionate, and more sympathetic to the Indian people with whom they live. He does not dare to advise the English men to abandon India.

Conclusion  

As chapter 2nd, 5th and 24th are vivid descriptions of colonialism in India. Colonizers misbehaving and using of derogatory words can be seen in the novel. The sentences uttered by Mrs. Moore, "We are not here to behave pleasantly!" and 'India is not a drawing-room.' India is presented by mud and peoples are like monkeys shows the turpitude mind of Goras (Englishmen). Class distinction is the main theme of Forster's writings, and here in 'A Passage to India' he divides it into three classes. Besides these In A Passage to India Ronny's attitude towards the Indians is the projection of such imperial vision. This novel was written after World War1 and highlights the life, culture, and beliefs of Indian people, but on the other hand, it depicts the colonizer's attitude, and how much is it difficult to be friends with the upper class, the Goras.

 

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