Passage to India

E.M. Forster’s novel, A Passage to India, made into a movie in 1984, tells the story of two women visiting India and the cultural tensions they experience. The movie follows the book closely and does an excellent job of portraying the ethos and the essence of the novel.

The main tension in the story is the clash of the British imperialistic culture and the Indian culture. While most British looked down on the Indians, most Indians despised the British while feigning to be obsequious. Mrs. Moore, the mother of the British magistrate of Chandrapore, and Adela Quested, his fiancée, are enchanted by India and become upset at how the rest of the British treat the Indians. The only other Briton who treats the Indians fairly is Mr. Fielding, a professor at the University. The three become friends of an Indian doctor, a Muslim named Dr. Aziz.

Dr. Aziz meets Mrs. Moore by accident in a Mosque at night and the two become friends, both being deeply impressed by the other. Mrs. Moore introduces Adela to Dr. Aziz and she makes a cultural blunder, accepting an invitation to his home, so Dr. Aziz comes up with an alternative, a picnic at the Marabar Caves. The date is set and provisions are made by Dr. Aziz with the help of his friends.

When the train leaves for the caves, Mr. Fielding is late and misses the train, leaving Dr. Aziz alone with Mrs. Moore and Adela. At the caves, Mrs. Moore becomes claustrophobic and leaves Dr. Aziz alone with Adela. Adela, confused about her relationship with her fiancé commits another cultural blunder by talking about love and marriage with Dr. Aziz. Dr. Aziz becomes uncomfortable and takes a short break away from Adela, who ventures into a cave alone. After becoming uncomfortable, Adela runs down the hill, scraping herself badly and gets a ride back to Chadrapore from the governor’s wife. Everyone back in Chandrapore concludes that Adela has been raped by Dr. Aziz, who is arrested on his return.

Tensions between the British and the Indians escalates during the trial and a riot threatens to break out. Finally, Adela confesses that she was not raped by Dr. Aziz. Dr. Aziz is set free and Adela is shunned by the British. Mrs. Moore had already departed and died on the ship taking her back to England, so Adela is all alone. Fielding helps Adela, alienating him from Dr. Aziz.

Fielding returns to England and writes many letters to Dr. Aziz, none of which he reads. When Fielding returns to India to find Dr. Aziz, he brings his new wife, the daughter of Mrs. Moore. Dr. Aziz is ashamed because he assumed Fielding had married his enemy Adela. The two embrace and the friendship is restored.

Racism is ugly because it dehumanizes the other person. Those who chose to treat all men equally are often ostracized and marginalized. Treating all men with love and justice requires that we see all men as equal and treat them as valuable human beings. While being submerged in a foreign culture it is difficult to completely shed one’s prejudices and just as difficult to be fully accepted by those of the other culture. Racism is usually a two way street and it takes courageous individuals on both sides to break down the walls and stereotypes. Care must be taken not to jump to conclusions about others who are different than you, especially when some injustice, or perceived injustice, has taken place. Patience and careful analysis must prevail over emotions and snap judgments.

This story also illustrates how jumping to conclusions can also destroy relationships and diminish one’s life. It is always better to confront people and find out exactly what their motives were instead of assuming you know, or projecting your own motives on the other person. Much heartache could be avoided if we simply gave the other person the benefit of the doubt and assumed the best, imputing the highest motives for their actions.