In the novel ‘A Passage to India’ by E M Forster there many different character that each reflect ideas, some of the ideas would be relevant to a Victorian audience. There are a plenty of ideas that reflects the attitudes and values common in the early 20th Century. Forster uses each of the characters to represent different ideas and values towards issues like racism, which is present throughout the novel.
Cyril Fielding is a very interesting and unique character in the novel ‘A Passage to India’, because some of his ideas wouldn’t be relevant to a Victorian audience and he has a more modern attitude. Cyril Fielding is an interesting character because he is the most associated to the Forster out of all the characters; the character portrays Forster’s attitudes and values at the time he wrote the book (1924). Amongst all the Englishmen who are living in Chandrapore Fielding isn’t very successful in comparison in developing relationships with the native Indians. Fielding isn’t a very racist character and doesn’t share the same views as characters like Rony. Fielding is an educator however he is less comfortable in the usual teacher- student environment; he prefers a more one on one teaching style. His preference in teaching style shows that Fielding (and Forster) see the world as a bunch of unique individuals who connect with each other through respect and courtesy for each other. Fielding’s attitude towards teaching the Indians show’s that he values as intellects as well
Sherman Alexie is a Native American man who is well known for his novels and short stories based on his experiences as a member of many different Native American tribes. In his short story “Indian Education”, Alexie details the struggles with bullying and discrimination one Native American boy went through during his time in school. Although “Indian Education” is written differently from other short stories it still conveys a solid theme and has a well written plot. Alexie’s style is also a benefit to the reader as they make their way through grade school with the main character, Victor.
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King is a non-fiction story about Native people in North America. Thomas King relies on a multitude of sources for his work, such as historical events, movies, films, TV, politics, art, and Indian-White relations. King also, puts his own taste in the Inconvenient Indian and brings his own experiences in the story. He accomplishes this by being ironic and sarcastic throughout the entire story. King prefers to reflect on contemporary issues.
The 1960’s and 70’s were a turbulent time in the United States, as many minority groups took to the streets to voice their displeasure with policies that affected them. During this time period a large movement for civil rights, including Native American’s, would seek to find their voices, as largely urbanized groups sought ways in which they could reconnect with their tribe and their cultural history. In their book, Like A Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee, Paul Chaat Smith, and Robert Allen Warrior take an extensive look at the events leading up to the three of the largest civil rights movements carried out by Native Americans. Beginning with the takeover of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay by Indians of All Tribes in 1969; the authors tell in a vivid fashion of the Bay Area activism and Clyde Warrior 's National Indian Youth Council, Vine Deloria Jr.’s leadership of the National Congress of Indians, the Trail of Broken Treaties and the Bureau of Indian Affairs takeover, the Wounded Knee Occupation and the rise of the American Indian Movement.
For this month’s book report I read a book called ‘The Indian in the Cupboard’ by Lynne Reid Banks. This book was about a boy named Omri and his small Indian toy.
In the introduction of the book, he goes through his own life and what he has gone through to get where he is in the present. He is a journalist turned novelist, and met many people and challenges on his way. The introduction is very technical with not much of a storyline like most fiction novels. In many instances, he alludes to the face of India as being happy and prosperous in opposition to the normal lives that most Indian people lead.
The NRC says that 37% of American Indian children are living in poverty. The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian by Sherman Alexie is about a boy named Junior. Arnold Spirit Junior is a struggling indian boy who deals with poverty, abuse, and many hardships. Throughout time he gains the strength he needs to live on his indian reservation with more happiness and opportunities then he every thought was possible. Through all of his struggles, Junior creates a better education, friendship, and improves his self-confidence with his brave outlook on life, which shows taking risks and being brave can change hardships into bliss.
Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian tells the story of Indigenous people in Canada and the United States, it challenges the narrative on how Indigenous history is taught and explains why Indigenous people continue to feel frustrated. King’s seeks to educate the reader as he provides a detailed accounts of the horrific massacres Indigenous people endured, yet he simultaneously inserts humorous moments which balances out the depressing content and enhances his story. The books highlights the neglect and assimilation that Indigenous were subjected to and how their survival was seen as an inconvenience to western culture. King directs his message at a Euro-centric audience to offer an accurate explanation of Indigenous culture and
A breath of fresh air is the first book written by Amulya Malladi. In 1984, when she was nine years old, her father was posted in the city of Bhopal. On the third of December, 1983 the city suffered The Bhopal Gas Tragedy that killed many people. When this gas tragedy occurred, she along with her family was staying at the Army Center which was a few kilometers away from the plant. Due to the wind that blew in a direction opposite to theirs, they remained unaffected by the gas leak. In the last half of the year 1984, she faced the Assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that led the country’s division in the name of religion and made her come to terms with the finality of death.
Institutional structures have the power to configure adolescent growth through repression and liberation. The capability that adolescents have to create their own destiny and choose their own social institution can be limited, but not impossible. In Trites article, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” the author argues that kids have personal power, whether they acknowledge it and use it to their own advantage or not. Michel Foucault declares that “Power is everywhere; not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere” (Trites). Power is inevitable, there will never be no such thing as power in this world; it will never diminish or fade. Trites also conveyed that, “power not only acts on a subject but, in a transitive
One question I have on the topic of Britain’s reign over India is why Indians were discriminated against. On page 42, a young British girl says to Vidya at the airport, “Don’t touch me, blackie! Look where you’re going, you crow!” On page 38 Vidya’s father scoffs sarcastically, “Only white people have the brains to be officers. We are too stupid, of course.” Why did Britain hate the citizens of the country they had taken over? Was it to keep them in line, to say if they dare go against them the discrimination would get worse? If the British thought the Indians were so horrible, why did they take over their country, take their resources and take volunteers to fight on their side of the war? It made no sense that Britain would occupy their country
A person’s heritage and cultural identity may be lost when moving to a new country where the culture is different and other cultures are not easily accepted. In the short story “Hindus”, Bharati Mukherjee uses setting, characters and the plot to discuss what it is like to lose your cultural identity while being a visible minority in America. Mukherjee uses the plot to describe the events that take place in the main characters life that lead her to realize how different the culture and life is in the America’s. She also uses the characters as a way of demonstrating how moving away from one’s culture and heritage can change a person’s perspective and ways of thinking. Mukerjee also uses setting in her story to identity the physical differences in culture between living in India and America. Alike the setting and characters, the plot helps describe the loss of culture with a sequence of events.
Impact of British Colonization Exposed in A Small Place, A Passage to India, and Robinson Crusoe
A Passage To India by E. M. Forster is a rich, postcolonial novel delving into the possibility of sustaining a personal friendship between an English person and an "Indian" person. This topic is being discussed in the beginning of the novel at the home of Hamidullah, "... they were discussing as to whether or no(t) it is possible to be friends with an Englishman. Mahmoud Ali argued that it was not, Hamidullah disagreed, but with so many reservations..." (Forster 7) Aziz, who the novel centers around, has the disposition to just shut them out and ignore them and all will be jolly. Of course, later, we find Aziz does not shut them out and rather
Very early on in the novel, the reader is shown the sheer effort the British have put into keeping themselves separated from the natives of the land over which they rule. On the rise above the city of Chandrapore they build an entire community for themselves that is shielded from the native land, and physically above the native population. This lends much credence to the idea that the British felt they were better than, or above, the native peoples (Forster 4). There are homes, gardens, and even a community club where it would be almost impossible for a person to tell that they were in India. Everything is modeled around making it seem like they are still in their homeland of England. This separation from the native
It is no wonder that how advanced the world may be, there are still a number of human beings, who struggle a lot for their survival; These are the human beings, who are pushed to the margins for the reasons unknown to them, these are the human beings, who are denied a secured place in the world for the mistakes which are not committed by them. These are marginalized people and just like them, their history too is marginalized. Being neglected by the mainstream history, this marginalized history, sometimes has to transform itself and settle in fiction in order to come into light.