Themes In A Passage To India

The feelings and emotions that make this a powerful and thought-provoking story on stereotyping and general ethnic insensitivity are carried primarily as the author provides you with the internal narrative dialogue and careful observation of a young Cherokee girl named Arletta. Much is communicated without a spoken word by her throughout the essay. Much is said in a one sentence reply to her foster mother at the close of the story.

The initial interactions between the Powhatan people and the English were, at times, volatile and violent. Each society lived based on very different principles, especially in regard to the responsibilities of individuals and gender role deviations. Each group, believing they were correct, expected the other to comply with their rules and customs, and when they did not, relations deteriorated. One subject, in particular, that these two

However, the main theme/message of this story is really the cultural difference between two different origins of country. As we can tell, Fleete doesn’t know much about India’s religious beliefs and traditions and this creates a conflict between the two different nations. This novel is like a critique, an

Bharathi Mukherjee’s later novels Jasmine(1989), The Holder of the World(1993) and Leave It to Me(1997) comprised her last creative phase conveniently termed here as the phase of immigration. By now she has travelled a long distance in terms of thematic perception and character portrayal. Beginning with an expatriate’s uprooted identity in the early 70’s, her creative faculty explored the transitional dilemma of characters in early 80’s, whose acculturation bids were occasionally thwarted by the complexity of cultural plurality in the adopted land. However, after the publication of The Middleman(1998), the process of cultural acclimatization appears to be complete and the characters betray the confidence of an immigrant, almost a naturalized citizen, in facing the challenges of human life.

Mr. Cook makes a strong case in his attempt to understand the causes and contributing factors behind the segregation along race, class and gender lines which were so prevalent in British ruled India, but also strictly observed within Britain and her other colonies. In “Conflicting Ideologies in British India, 1875-1900” he cites factors both specific to India, in particular the suppressed revolt of 1857, and those more external, like the “hardening racism” in Europe. The substantial losses, both financial and in human lives, associated with the revolt of 1857 resulted in a significant decline in trust and an increasing hesitancy to risk “antagonizing Indian sensibilities”. Since the revolt was viewed as retaliation for British attempts to Westernize India, this fearful reluctance to continue along the path previously envisioned by some which ultimately resulted in Britain’s empowerment, modernization and civilizing of the native Indians to a place of independent governance and administration, became less appealing but also served as additional justification for European society’s changing perception of race. The elite Anglicized Indians had not only dared to challenge British authority and administrative processes, but they had dared to utilize their Western teachings to do so. This clearly barbaric application of treasured knowledge, which the British perceived they had bestowed upon the fortunate Indians as a gift, was viewed as further proof of the inability to

In The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B Du Bois’ speaks of a ‘veil’ that has hindered his race from living their lives to the fullest potential. This veil has made it seemingly impossible to integrate into the white, mainstream society. Similarly, in “A Passage to India”, E.M Forster describes the story of Dr. Aziz, a native Indian, and his interactions with the imperial British society in his hometown of Chandrapore, India. Dr. Aziz attempts to become friendly with the British, but ends up bringing them on an excursion to the Marabar caves which quickly illuminates the inability of such a bonding experience. In both the Reconstruction Era of America, and in Imperial India, there is a veil that comes it two parts: a physical veil of color and and

The manner of how British imperialism was done atrocious, they had little regard for India’s feelings and seemed to be in India solely for the enjoyment of their superior power. The main historic meaning behind the British coming to the “rescue” was for trading. Seemingly not interested in the cultural value of India, the British only absorbed India's financial potential. Money had a major factor in the British's journey, although they also believed they had an obligation to all Indian people to share their superiority. Of course, our familiarity with the poem White man's Burden is undeniable. Even after being read so many times this poem always comes to the same conclusion, the British wanted someone to control. By eradicating the culture they controlled the Indian religion. By controlling the citizen’s goods they had authority over the money. By their promise of protection, they controlled all of

There has been an archaic existing fear of anything different from the norm becoming present, however having something different may bring about positive change, diversity, and new knowledge. Yet people are reluctant to accept something different and instead make efforts to change the differences to match the way things normally and dominantly are. This fear and reaction is the reason for why efforts of assimilation occur, so that the dominant can integrate the minority and to conform to the dominant culture. Writer Sarah Ahmed discusses the issues of migration, assimilation, and what it really means to be happy in her chapter “Melancholic Migrant.” She traces the links between white culture and happiness; the idea of the whiter you are the happier you are. Ahmed presents arguments of other scholars, like Trevor Phillips, that present the notion of migration being the root of unhappiness in communities with people of different racial backgrounds living together and running into conflicts (122). She goes on to explore how the British government tries to resolve these diversity conflicts among their British citizens and Asian immigrant population. The British Empire promoted civilized kind of pleasure that they assumed could not be found in the Indian culture, but only in the British culture. Based on the excuse of Indians being uncivilized the British made attempts to colonize them. The British held the belief that India does not have culture and thus the

It is critical to Junior’s coming of age story for Junior to be able to see the inequality that the Indian culture faces and build his emotions to the point of refusing to except it. Due to fact that “the Indian Health Service funds major dental work only once a year”, Junior is forced to get all of his dental work done at once (2). While getting his dental work done Junior is given “half the Navocain [dosage]” because the dentist says that “Indians only feel half as much pain as white people do” (2). The lack of funds towards the dental program fuels the notion that no one is advocating for the equal treatment of Indians in society. Considering this, Junior then observes that he is using the same textbook as his mother once did, meaning “that [his] tribe was so poor and sad” that they had to study from “the same books their parents studied from” (31). The lack of resources provided to the Indians, reinforces the white disregard towards Indians’ worth and importance as well as leading Junior to the realization of the lack of

The interaction between the British and the American Indians and the views they held about each other were differently presented in the documents, writings, or observation. American Indians were being viewed in many aspects, both good and bad, by the white settlers. They were obviously seen as inferior when compared with the British and this essay will present those different viewpoints towards American Indians and also the relationship between the settlers and the Indians. Using Dickens article 'The Noble Savage', Jamestown video, and The Generall Historie; each

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais is a novel that address the importance of the family. The author reveal with such dexterity the colorful and spicy flavor that is India, and other cultures with variety of foods, music and tastes. The emphasis of details from how the grandparents started the family’s business demonstrate, the scenes were so rich and full of life. The novel describes in details the trajectory of India's family that unity and respect make them lives successful.

The designs of the English “became more imperial and their attitude more haughty and aloof” (George,44). The social gulf that existed between the “diplomatic pundits” and the English scholars began to widen. The attitude of the average Englishman changed from one of disapproval of “Hindu superstitions” and “Mussalman bigotry” and of philosophic and cultural interest in Hindu mythology, and of historical curiosity in Moguhal domination; into one of contempt for an inferior and conquered people (George, 44). The English had “developed from the pettifogging traders quarreling over their seats in church, to imperial swashbucklers and large scale extortionists” (Spear, 23). The British no longer relished the ways of commerce; their appetites’, instead were whetted by conquest and prospects of plunder.

ACADEMICS: I have read the famous book”incredible india” an exotic land of history,culture and colour”which introduces

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

E.M. Forster’s classic novel “A Passage to India” tells the story of a young doctor, Dr. Aziz, and his interactions with the British citizens who are residing in India during the time of the British Raj. Throughout the novel, the reader gets many different viewpoints on the people and the culture of India during this point in history. The reader sees through the eyes of the Indian people primarily through the character of Dr. Aziz, and the perceptions of the British through the characters of Mr. Fielding, Adela Quested, and Mrs. Moore. Through the different characters, and their differing viewpoints, the reader can see that Forster was creating a work that expressed a criticism that he held of the behavior of the British towards their Indian subjects.