The One with A Passage to India

95. Title & Author: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster (322 pages)

Genre: Fiction--English Literature

Completed: 3 June 2009

Summary & Review:

India under the British Raj is a country filled with racial tensions. The English colonizers despise all Indians as a whole, while within the native population the Muslims and Hindus hate each other in addition to hating the English. These struggles and tensions set the backdrop for E.M. Forster's examination of 1920's India. Dr. Aziz, a young Muslim doctor, tries hard to befriend a fresh group of English visitors to the city of Chandrapore by taking them on a tour the local caves. During the expedition, one of the young Englishwomen is accosted and nearly raped but escapes and accuses Aziz of being her assailant. Although she absolves him of any guilt at the beginning of his trial, this shocking case brings the racial prejudices of India to the fore and threatens to undo the unique Indian-Englishman friendship between Aziz and Cyril Fielding.

It was interesting to read two books in a row that were basically examining the same subject, i.e. European colonization of Asian countries. Rizal, of course, wrote his from the perspective of a native living under foreign rule, while Forster wrote his as a citizen of the ruling country. Both, however, effectively pointed out obstacles that each situation faced despite the different lens through which they looked. 

I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading another novel by Forster. 

Rating: 7.5