The Passage to India by E M Foster - Essay Example

?The Hidden Women In ‘The Passage to India’ E. M. Foster presents a cultural, political, economical and religious scenario of India when it was colonized by Britain. The Britain hold power and domination in India and the natives feel suppressed by their unwanted intrusion and leadership. The comparison between the British and the Indian ways of living and behaviours has carefully been drawn as they are acutely discussed side by side. E. M Foster has presented Indian women in the novel from behind the curtain and developed their character with great skill that they have gained great importance. The Englishwomen are presented on the front but it is ironical that they fail to hold the power in their community as Indian women do. Through the rude behaviour of Englishwomen towards the Indian women Foster demonstrates that even after living in their country, the English women remained unfriendly to the natives. We hear Aziz saying: “I give any Englishman two years, be he Turton or Burton.It is only the difference of a letter. And I give any Englishwoman six months. All are exactly alike.” (Ch. 2). So Indians usually encounter a snobbish behaviour from Britons, but soon we are told that “Granted the exception, he [Aziz] agreed that all English women are haughty and venal.” (Ch. 2). So there were kind ladies too, who tried to develop friendly relationship with Indian ladies but it remained affected by the social, economical and religious differences. In the novel, the first encounter of the readers with an Indian woman who talks from behind the curtain and her dialogues enable us to analyse three women holding different status. When Aziz reaches at the dwelling of his friend Hamidullah, he is taken behind the curtain by the host whose wife scolds him for not getting married after his first wife’s death. From the tone of Hamidullah’s wife we apprehend that women are respected in India that they could even insist a friend of her husband to remarry. Aziz’s not remarrying after his wife’s death reveals his sincerity, love and commitment with his late wife that he cannot think of second marriage. The third woman, who is introduced in this dialogue, is the mother-in-law of Aziz. We are endowed with the knowledge that she affectionately takes care of Aziz’s three children and he often meets her. Though this woman is not brought in front of the readers but we get an idea of how Indian women feel responsible to play an obvious role in the society. Aziz’s happiness can be directly related to the favours of his mother-in-law silently being provided to him. When we encounter Mrs. Callendar and Mrs. Lesley, we find an intense contrast between these ladies as compared to the Indian women as they are full of arrogance and deceit. They are aware of their power and how to utilize it that’s why they speak rudely and take a hold of Aziz’ ride but to our relief Mrs. Moore sounds friendly and shows respect for the worship place of Muslims she is visiting. At first Aziz becomes angry at her for not removing her shoes. His sudden anguish implies that he does not expect respect for their mosque but when she nicely informs that she has already done so, he apologizes for his rude behaviour. When Adela discuss this matter with Ronny he does not approve their polite behaviour and expresses their superiority by saying, “It’s different, it’s different; you don’t understand.” (Ch.3). It is noteworthy that when Adela insists to visit ‘real India’ and meet its inhabitants, she is wrongly informed about the hospitable Indians and these kind-hearted ladies fail to develop a long-term friendly relationship with the Indians during their visit to Chandrapore. The bridge-party which through its name signifies that it is organizes to develop a connection between the people of two different cultures but it remains a failure, most probably, because of the behaviour of some of the guests. We are informed of the obedience of Indians through their behaviour, “most of the Indian guests had arrived even earlier and stood massed at the farther side of the tennis lawns, doing nothing.” (Ch. 5). This party is important as it presents a rude and arrogant lady, Mrs. Turton, whose behaviour towards the Indian ladies symbolizes the behaviour of most of the Englishwomen living in India, aware of her domination does not mask their contempt and show any respect to them even in a social gathering so “their words seemed to as soon as uttered.” (Ch. 5). It is noteworthy that when nice and kind- hearted ladies Mrs. Moore and Adela move forward to see to Indian ladies as impressed by the factor that one of them could communicate in their language, they are disappointed as Bhattacharyas’ carriage never arrives though it was a promise. Disappointed, they look towards Aziz but he distracts them not afraid of their meeting with the ladies of his acquaintance rather feeling low for his shabby dwelling and not able to provide them food up to their standard. So the economical differences also prove to be a hindrance in allowing the ladies of both sides to communicate and develop friendly relationship. Ronny’s criticism at Adela’s mingling with Indians confirms their sense of superiority to Indians which becomes more obvious when Ronny asks Fielding to leave alone and says, “I’m the sun-dried bureaucrat, no doubt; still, I don’t like to see an English girl left smoking with two Indians.” (Ch. 7). Though the mysticism and beauty held by India fascinates Mrs. Moore but the cultural difference and the sense of superiority held by her fellow being is a great barriers in her adopting Indian ways or staying there for love of the country. Aziz’s love for his late wife attracts the readers from the start of the novel when he denies remarrying and the reader gets more aware of his unbroken emotional ties with her that he refuses to join the tea party at Fielding’s place as it fell on the day of his wife’s death anniversary. He also shows the picture of his wife to Fielding which proves their friendly relationship. The idea of the secret power and never-ending influence of the Indian women on their husbands gets intensified when Adela during her exploration of Marabar Caves finds Aziz alone with him as a tour guide and asks him of having a second wife. Here, the dominance of the Britain lady and Aziz’s being bound to respect her is nullified by the thought of deceiving that hidden Indian lady who does not exist on the face of earth anymore. Though Adela gets annoyed at this reaction of Aziz and heads back to Chandrapore, Aziz likes this progress. Here, we find a sexual appeal held by an Indian for a British girl who inspite of humiliation wishes to have another scene with him, “something dramatic and lengthy.” (Ch. 8). She takes revenge by blaming him for trying to ‘insult’ her sexually. When the room of Aziz is searched to find any evidence, the pictures of women are found which are considered to be a proof of his being morally low, Fielding comes forward to rescue him by telling the truth that they were of his wife’s. Here, we realize the importance of the pictures of the Indian woman we never encountered with, but at this hour of moral calamity his devotion and sincerity for his late wife serves to save him. Later, Aziz is informed by Mr. Das that to protest against British Empire the women “presented at the time if your trial they would give up purdah,” (Ch. 30). It is quite ironical in the sense that they had decided to abandon their religious practice in order to have justice. Aziz is a respectable man and Mrs. Moore and Fielding believe that he could not do it still there is a stir in English people. This incident brings a political upheaval as Britain feel insecure and want to take the matter seriously and the Indians, on the other side, demand justice. Aziz is bailed at Adela’s recommendation and she admits that it was not him as she realizes that she was mistaken and says, “It must have seemed a miracle to the onlookers”. (Ch. 26 ). It was really a miracle that an Englishwoman had accepted that she wrong and suffered physically and mentally throughout the trial and the disgrace and rejection she received from Aziz makes her say to Fielding, “It disgraces me to have been mentioned in connection with such a hag”. (Ch. 26). Fielding’s interaction with Adela is important as he kindly talks to him and she opened her heart to him and shows her surprise at Ronny’s behaviour as she is wronged by him for his personal interests which are extremely ironical. It is important that Fielding favours Aziz throughout his trial and play an important role in proving him innocent. He prefers justice over his identity as an Englishman and accepts to leave his post and joins Indians. The irony of the situation that irritates Foster is the racism of even a well-educated man Mr. Mcbryde presents ridiculous reasoning by saying, “Everyone knows the man’s guilty, and I’m obliged to say so in public before he goes to Andamans.” (Ch. 24). He labels Aziz as guilty though he himself is unsure of his reasoning that the individuals living there are basically criminals. This behaviour is symbolic as most of the Englishmen considered Indians inferior. Through Aziz’s trial Foster illustrates that Ronny, the right hand of British Empire in India, tries his best to bring punishment to Aziz by sending Mrs. Moore back to England for she knew the truth and presents himself as a contrast to his mother who becomes a symbol of spirituality and mysticism towards the end of the novel. Ronny tries to snub the truth that Adela wants to reveal signifies that such behaviour is nourished by his racism. He considers his repute more important than the sufferings of the woman he has decided to develop matrimonial relationship. Mrs. Moore’s death “took subtler and more lasting shapes in Chandrapore” as Foster exclaims “when the sun touched her for the last time and her body was lowered into yet another India- the Indian ocean.”(Ch. 28). The sudden remembrance of Mrs. Moore by Godbole while praying at a shrine sounds mysterious. It seems as if she represented the soul of Indian culture where old women are taken as mysterious and her time of death was same when Adela was freeing Aziz of the charges, adds to the mystery attached to her. The reference of Adela as a reason of affecting Aziz’s and Fielding’s friendship is strange. Fielding and Adela had developed an air of sincerity where Adela could say “Why didn’t rush up to him after the trial? Yes of course I will write him an apology, but please will you dictate it?” (Ch. 29). We see a new humble woman in Adela when she comes out the company of snobbish Englishmen. Aziz a man who respects Indian women could not give same place to an Englishwoman though she tried to wash away her guilt by revealing the truth of his innocence. His behaviour sounds to be an example of his inner contempt for English people. When he assumes that Fielding has got married to Adela, he nourished hatred for him though they had remained at good terms with each other. He only stops hating him when he finds the truth that it was Stella as we are informed, “Miss Quested has cleared out at last.” (Ch. 31). He finds it difficult to be friendly with Fielding instantly but the knowledge that Stella was the daughter of Mrs. Moore. The appearance of Ralph, the brother-in-law of Fielding and the son of Mrs. Moore is significant as Aziz encounters him rudely when the procession of god is just to begin. It reminds us of his first meeting with Mrs. Moore in the mosque and we feel like history is going to repeat itself but kind-hearted Ralph presents himself as an image of his mother who once was remembered for her mystic appearance. He tells Aziz that his hands were rough as was his behaviour and the Indians themselves were the cause of being mistreated at the hands of English people. Aziz is also tired of Adela’s accusations and do not want the old cycle to get started again. So Aziz and Fielding reconcile and there develops an intimacy between Ralph and Aziz. To conclude, the silent Indian women played more powerful role than the brave and intelligent Englishwomen. The Indian women influenced their to their core but remained in ‘purdah’. At the end of the novel, through his amazing skills of character development, Foster put forth the person of Mrs. Moore that resembles to Indian culture and her silent but powerful influence bring harmony and understanding between Aziz and Fielding which had once lost. Read More