Abstract
The present study analyses the dichotomy between the Indian and British cultural aspects in E. M. Forster 's 'A Passage to India ' focusing on the relationship established between the British colonies and the Indians in Chandapore and highlighting the contrast between the Indian and the European way of thinking. The emphasis is placed upon the main couples of the novel as the action revolves around them and upon the landscape, which has an important impact on the lifestyle in India.
1. Introduction
The novel entitled A Passage to India is inspired mainly from E. M. Forster’s own experience as a temporary resident in India and his coming in contact with the Indian people and with the British servants, called Anglo-Indians, who were a narrow-minded caste of
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Forster’s novel deals with the failure of humans being able to communicate satisfactorily and their failure to eliminate prejudice, to establish relationships.
2. The Indian vs. the European Religion and Way of Thinking
Religion is probably the most definitive factor in the way Indians lead their lives, particularly if they practice Hinduism and this is why the clash between Hinduism and Christanity in A Passage to India parallels the conflict between the Indians and the British.
Hinduism is best represented in the novel by professor Godbole, and Christianity is epitomized in Mrs. Moore who comes to India with the kindness and understanding heart of a devout Christian but leaves morose and peevish. Perhaps she is haunted into this state by professor Godbole’s strange song. It is this song that forces Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested into emotional cocoons from which they only escape to meet horrible circumstances: Mrs. Moore is terrorized to the point of apathy and Mrs. Quested meets horror in caves.
Another significant aspect is the enormous difference between the English