The Conflict and Unity in A Passage to India

王學芳

【Abstract】Forster attaches much importance to the relationship among people in his works.In A Passage to India， the topic of conflict and unity is discussed in depth，including man and man & man and nature.The passage will represent conflict and unity by introduction to the writer and analysis to his work.

【Key words】Conflict；Unity；Relationship

Ⅰ Introduction

Born in London on January 1，1879，he，the son of an architect，was in his ninety-second year when he died on June 8，1970.Forsters childhood was dominated by his mother and several aunts owing to his fathers death when he was still a small child.Forster was educated as a dayboy at Tonbridge School，an experience responsible for a great deal of his later criticism of the English public school system.His experience at Kings College made him intellectual，liberal and humanistic because there he became friendly with the circle of intellectuals called the “Bloomsbury Group”.After graduation，he began to write short stories and novels：Where Angels Fear to Tread （1905），The Longest Journey （1907），A Room With a view （1908），Howards End （1910），A Passage to India （1924） etc.In these novels，his themes of the“undeveloped heart”，the struggle towards fullness of living and the supreme importance of “the inner life” are inclusive.

A Passage to India （1924），Forsters acknowledged masterpiece，is the result of his two trips to India in 1912-19 and in 1922，the time shortly before the world war of 1914-18 and a few years after it. As for Forsters novels，characters mean more than they say，and the plot suggests more than is actually there.

In terms of the plot，its always simple and direct.Mrs.Moore comes from England with Adela Quested to Chandrapore，an Indian district capital.Adela is informally engaged to Ronny Heaslop，Mrs.Moores son and a government official.Both ladies desire to see the“real India” and mingle with Indians freely.This is a matter of some annoyance to Ronny since he has entirely adopted the point of view of the ruling race.Mrs. Moore steps into a mosque one evening and there makes the acquaintance of Aziz，a young Moslem doctor，who is miserable and hurt by his British superior.The friendship between them is beginning to grow.Aziz invites them-Adela，Mrs.Moore and Fielding to visit him at his home，but eventually decides to show them around the Marabar caves.Adela gets scared in the cave and generates an illusion of being sexually assaulted by Aziz.She submits a charge against Aziz.Later Adela realizes her mistake and withdraws her charge against Aziz.Ronny cancels their engagement.Adela feels ashamed and leaves for England.Aziz feels humiliated and disappointed.He also leaves.

Ⅱ Topic analysis on the novel

2.1 The difficulty of English-Indian friendship

A Passage to India begins and ends by posing the question of whether it is possible for an Englishman and an Indian to be friends，at least within the context of British colonialism.At the beginning of the novel，Aziz is scornful of the English.Yet the intuitive connection Aziz feels with Mrs.Moore in the mosque convinces him of the possibility of friendship between Indians and Englishmen.As the novel develops into its climax，however，Adelas accusation that Aziz attempts to assault her and her subsequent charge at the trial leave Aziz and Fieldings friendship fall apart.The reason is that both Aziz and Fielding suffer from the tendencies of their different cultures.Furthermore，their respective Indian and English communities pull them apart through their mutual stereotyping.At the end of the novel，Forster presents the possibility of English-Indian friendship is a pessimistic one.As the landscape itself seems to imply at last，such a friendship may be possible eventually，but “No，not yet”and“No，not there”.

2.2 The unity of all living things

Though the main characters of A Passage to India are generally Christian or Muslim，Hinduism also plays an important role in the novel. As for the aspect of Hinduism，Forster is particularly concerned about the religions ideal of all living things from the lowest to the highest，united in love as one.Professor Godbole，the most visible Hindu in the novel is Forsters mouthpiece for this idea of the unity of all living things.（They （the singers） loved all men，the whole universe，and scraps of their past， tiny splinters of detail，emerged for a moment to melt into the universal warmth.）Mrs.Moore also shows openness to this aspect of Hinduism. Though she is a Christian，her experience of India has made her dissatisfied with what she perceives as the smallness of Christianity.Mrs. Moore appears to feel a great sense of connection with all living creatures，as evidenced by her respect for the wasp in her bedroom.

Ⅲ Conclusion

Different cultural backgrounds between the East and the west lead to cultural divergence.In the eyes of many westerners Oriental culture and Occidental culture are against each other.They think the orient is irrational，decayed，childish，abnormal，while Europe is rational，pure，mature and normal.

Establishing sincere personal relationship is always Forsters main concern.However，religious disparity，racial prejudice and cultural conflicts turn Forsters ideal into miserable reality.Humans isolation and separation but temptation to connect is fully demonstrated in A Passage to India.Through the enduring efforts of human being，communication could eventually be achieved.

【References】

[1]Cavaliero，Glen.A Reading of E.M.Forster，London：Macmillan Press Ltd.，1979.

[2]Forster.E.M.A Passage to India.London：Penguin Books，2005.

[3]Martland，Arthur.E.M.Forster：Passion and Prose.Swaffham：GMP，1999.

[4]高書霞.論《印度之行》中的人際關系危機[D].上海外國語大學，2009.

[5]陶家俊.《文化身份的擅變》[M]---E.M.福斯特小說和思想研究.北京：中國社會科學出版社，2003.

[6]王佐良，周環良.《英國二十世紀文學史》[M].北京： 外語教學與研究出版社，1940.

[責任編輯：田吉捷]