Called for Harmonious Relationship in A Passage to India

Abstract：Altogether， there were three mainly important relations in A Passage to India： relationship between the British people in India and the local Indians； the relations among the British people in India； and the relations among the local Indians. By showing us these three different relations， Forster called strongly for the harmonious relationships between people though it was hard to achieve in that kind of social conditions.

Key Words：harmonious relationships； British people； the Indian people

1. The first harmonious relationship：

First， that is the relationship between the British people in India and the local Indians. This is the most concernful relationship in the novel. This was reflected through two aspects. One was represented by Dr. Aziz， his fellows and all other Indian middle class with the British governing people. Misunderstanding in tradition， religion， culture and thinking patterns blocked these two groups to form a harmonious relationship.

Also， idea of “Britain is the most highly developed civilization in the world” made the British people did not admit that they are the colonizer in India. This kind of thinking pattern made the British people feel higher than the local people， and they did not regard the natives on an equal footing. Consequently， it was hard or we may say it was impossible for the two groups to form a harmonious relationship on an equal footing.

2. The second harmonious relationship

Secondly， there also reflected the relations among the British people in India as represented by Mrs. Moore， Miss Adela Quested and Cyril Fielding as one part and Ronny Heaslop and others as another part. Mrs. Moore， Miss Adela Quested and Cyril Fielding were persons who have more enlightened view towards human relations though they may also bore the idea of “British people are superior than the locals”， they tried their best to regard the Indians on an equal footing. And these two parts also reflected the two different opinions towards colonies in British at that time.

3. The third harmonious relationship

Thirdly， Forster was in particular attracted by the relationship among the natives， as reflected by Dr. Aziz and his fellows. There were two religions referred in the novel： Hinduism and Islam. Forster showed his concern to the disunity between the Moslems and the Hindus. This disunity also blocked the Indians to form a unity and to unite as one.

4. Called for Harmonious Relationship in A Passage to India

By talking about these three kinds of relationships， Forster showed the importance of true and complete understanding and love in human relationships. Called strongly for mutual understanding： “only connect the prose and the passion， and both will be exalted， and human love will soon be at its height，” and his belief was that the sorrows and misfortunes of civilized people came largely from their inability or failure to “connect with bitterness until all men are brothers.” To Forster

the differences in class distinctions and in wealth are not so important but cannot be bridged over without the attainment of social harmony. His belief did not come from

Christianity or any other religion， but come from a petit-bourgeois intellectual’s idealistic conviction in the pursuit of love and harmony and understanding in all human relations. He showed thus his dissatisfaction with the existing human society in England and its hypocrisy and conventional respectability， but his suggested solution was no more than a Utopian dream （Chen 478）. Forster is a writer with modernistic and humanistic view. His call for mutual understanding and harmonious relationships between people are still meaningful in modern world.

Works Cited：

Bradbury， Malcolm. Modern British Novel. Beijing， Forgein Language Teaching And Research Press， 2005.

Chen Jia. A history of English Literature. Beijing： The Commercial Press， 1999.

Magil， Frank N， ed. Critical Survey of Long Fiction， 3 vols. Salem Press： Englewood Cliffs， N.J.

Riley， Caroly， ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit： Gale Research Company， 1975.

作者簡介：王微（1979.7—）黑龍江人，學歷：大連外國語學院英語語言文學碩士，研究方向：主要研究方向為英美文學、中西方生態批評理論，職稱：講師。