Tom's Two Cents: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

 

Published in England in 1924, E. M. Forster's "A Passage to India," considered his finest work, seems amazingly relevant to our own times.  The story of a young English woman's visit to British Colonial India and her unfortunate encounter(?) in the famous Caves of Marabar with a young Muslim Indian doctor provides the substance of the story, along with the perplexing question (hence the question mark in the parenthesis above) of whether or not there actually was an encounter at all!  If you are a reader who looks for finite answers to questions, this book is not for you.  On the other hand, if you are open to the view that our world raises far more questions than it answers, and that one religious view of the cosmos cannot possibly provide all the answers, you should find this an intriguing and stimulating read.

Anglo-India of the 20's was still very much British Colonial India (India did not receive its independence from Great Britain until 1947 under the leadership of Gandhi with the creation of Pakistan that same year under Nehru), but long before that it was a conglomeration of Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists, and beginning with the Christian Era, Christians, Muslims, and even Jews.  The subjugation of the Indian sub-continent by the British East Indian Trading Company in the late 18th century brought together a confluence of cultures that has existed into modern times.  All this serves as background that centers in "A Passage to India" on the tensions between Hindu and Muslim India and Anglo -Indian Britain.

The story itself centers about a young English woman, Adela Quested, who has come to India to visit her fiancé and see "the real India."  An overly zealous young Muslim doctor, Aziz, takes it upon himself to introduce her to "the real India" with a visit to the famous Marabar Caves, where an unfortunate series of incidents takes place that results in Adela bringing charges against Aziz for assault.  In a subsequent trial pitting Hindu against Muslim against Protestant, the melting pot boils over, and Anglo-Indian relations are tested to the core.  Adela leaves for England, her engagement broken, as Aziz and his chief defender, the English principal of the local Anglican school, find their friendship sorely tested.

Not the most exciting plot, you say?  Well, no, but much of the excitement and mystery stems from what is NOT known for certain, from the subtlety and angularity with which Forster tells his story.  A subsequent film directed by the highly regarded David Lean, (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago) came out in 1984, highly praised.  The film, however, could barely encapsulate the beauty of Forster's English prose, of which he is a master.  Not for everyone, but surely for those who value style and substance over plot and character.  And for a book group a subject for discussion galore!

 

"A Passage to India" is available through Franklin County Library's e-book collection.  Come in to set up an account and download the Overdrive App to access e-books!