Writer’s Intro:

Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970), known as E. M. Forster, was an English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and librettist. Many of his novels examined class differences and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society. His novel A Passage to India (1924) brought him his greatest success. Here, we are going to discuss the Summary of ‘A Passage to India’.

 

 

Character List:

 

Adela Quested-A young woman newly arrived from England, expecting to be the fiancée of Ronny Heaslop.

Mrs. Moore-Adela’s chaperone and Ronny Heaslop’s mother, by her first marriage.

Ronny Heaslop-The City Magistrate of Chandrapore.

Doctor Aziz-The Moslem doctor at the Government Hospital.

Major and Mrs. Callendar- A Civil Surgeon and Aziz’s superior; and his wife.

Cyril Fielding-The English Principal at the Government College.

Professor Godbole-The Hindu colleague of Fielding’s.

Hamidullah-Aziz’s uncle and eminent Moslem barrister.

Mahmoud Ali -Pleader (attorney) in the court, and friend of Aziz.

Ram Chand, Syed Mohammed, and Mr. Haq-Friends of Aziz.

Mr. Das-Ronny’s assistant and the Hindu judge at the trial.

Nawab Bahadur-The wealthy, influential friend of Aziz.

Mr. and Mrs. McBryde-The District Superintendent of Police and his wife.

Nancy Derek-A guest of the McBryde’s and the companion of a maharani in a native state.

Mr. and Mrs. Turton-Collector, head of British officialdom and social leader of Chandrapore; and his wife.

Mr. Armitrao-The lawyer from Calcutta who takes Aziz’s case.

Nureddin-Grandson of Nawab Bahadur.

Ralph Moore-Mrs. Moore’s son by her second marriage.

Stella Moore-Mrs. Moore’s daughter, who becomes the wife of Cyril Fielding.

Mr. and Mrs. Lesley-A British official and his wife.

Karin, Ahmed, Jamila-Children of Aziz.

Doctor Panna Lal-Hindu colleague of Aziz.

Mohammed Latif -Poor relative who lives in the house of Hamidullah.

Mr. Graysford and Mr. Sorley- Missionaries who live on the outskirts of Chandrapore.

Lord and Lady Mellanby-The Lieutenant Governor and his wife.

Mrs. Bhattacharya- The Indian woman who invites Adela and Mrs. Moore to her house and then neglects to send a carriage for them.

 

Theme: Cultural Clash fueled by British, colonial domination which is the main obstruction in the relationship between India and England.

 

 

A Passage to India Summary

 

The first part of  ‘A Passage to India’ Summary

 

Two English ladies travel to India: Mrs. Moore, who is elder, and Miss Adela Quested, who is younger. Adela anticipates becoming engaged to Ronny, the Indian city of Chandrapore’s British judge and Mrs. Moore’s son. Adela and Mrs. Moore agree that visiting India should include seeing more than simply the country’s British-built tourist attractions.

 

Aziz, a young Muslim doctor in India, is becoming increasingly furious by how poorly the English treat him at the same time. Aziz finds Major Callendar, the civil surgeon, particularly bothersome since he frequently interrupts meals to call for him.

Two of Aziz’s educated friends, Hamidullah and Mahmoud Ali, had a heated conversation regarding whether or not an Indian and an Englishman can be friends in India. That evening, while exploring a nearby mosque, Mrs. Moore and Aziz cross paths and strike up a conversation. Aziz is moved and taken aback by the English person’s friendliness toward him.

 

Adela and Mrs. Moore attend a reception hosted by Mr. Turton, the man in charge of Chandrapore, to meet some of the city’s most prominent and rich Indians. At the occasion, Adela meets Cyril Fielding, the dean of the government college in Chandrapore. It comes out as a little uncomfortable.

 

 

The second part of  ‘A Passage to India’ Summary

 

Adela’s friendliness toward the Indians impresses Fielding, so he asks her, Mrs. Moore, and Hindu professor Godbole to tea with him and himself. Fielding agrees to invite Aziz to tea as per Adela’s request.

The day is perfect up until Ronny Heaslop forcibly enters the gathering at the tea, where Aziz and Fielding instantly make friends. Adela informs Ronny later that evening that she has changed her mind about getting married to him. Adela decides against getting married when they get into a vehicle accident together that same night since it is so thrilling.

 

Not long after that, Aziz plans a trip for the people who went to Fielding’s tea to the nearby Marabar Caves. Fielding and Professor Godbole miss the train to Marabar, so Aziz goes on with Adela and Mrs. Moore by himself. Mrs. Moore is scared inside one of the caves because it is small and full of people who follow Aziz. She is also scared by the strange echo that makes every sound she makes sound like “boum.”

 

While Mrs. Moore waits below, Aziz, Adela, and a guide move on to the higher caves. Adela realizes all of a sudden that she doesn’t love Ronny, so she asks Aziz if he has more than one wife, which he finds rude.

Aziz runs into a cave in a rage, but Adela is gone when he comes back. Aziz gets mad at the guide for losing Adela, so the guide leaves. Adela’s broken field glasses and hat are found by Aziz at the bottom of the hill. When Aziz gets back to the picnic spot, Fielding is there waiting for him.

Aziz isn’t worried that Adela took a car back to Chandrapore quickly because he is so happy to see Fielding. Back in Chandrapore, though, Aziz is arrested without warning. He is accused of trying to rape Adela Quested while she was in the caves, which is something Adela herself has said.

 

‘A Passage to India’ third part of  Summary

 

Despite believing Aziz to be innocent, Fielding enrages British India as a whole by assisting the Indians in protecting Aziz. Due to their distinct races, the English and Indians encounter a great deal of conflict in the weeks leading up to the trial.

Due to her recollection of the echo in the cave and her impatience for the trial to begin, Mrs. Moore is angry and sad. Adela feels ill, depressed, and like she’s hearing echoes in her mind.

Mrs. Moore will return to England earlier than anticipated since Mrs. Moore is sick of Ronny’s refusal to aid Adela. On her trip back to England, Mrs. Moore passes away, but not before she understands that there are many diverse types of Indians rather than a single “genuine Indian.”

 

Adela is asked about what happened in the caves while she was under oath at Aziz’s trial. She says that it is shocking that she made a mistake and that Aziz is not the person or thing that hurt her in the cave.

 

The final part of  ‘A Passage to India’ Summary

 

Aziz is set free, and Fielding takes Adela to the Government College, where she spends the next few weeks. Fielding starts to like Adela when he sees how brave she was to go against her peers and say that Aziz is innocent. Ronny breaks up with Adela, and she goes back to her home country of England.

Aziz, on the other hand, is angry that Fielding would be friends with Adela after she almost ruined Aziz’s life. As a result, their friendship suffers. Fielding then sets sail for a trip to England. Aziz says that he has ties to the English and plans to move somewhere where he won’t have to deal with them.

 

Two years later, Aziz was the main doctor for the Rajah of Mau, which is a Hindu area a few hundred miles away from Chandrapore. He has heard that soon after Fielding got back to England, he married Adela. Aziz now hates all English people very much.

One day, he meets Fielding and his brother-in-law as he walks through an old temple with his three children. Aziz is surprised to find out that the brother-in-name law’s is Ralph Moore. It turns out that Fielding didn’t marry Adela Quested, but Mrs. Moore’s daughter from her second marriage, Stella Moore.

 

Ralph and Aziz become close. As a result of Aziz’s careless rowboat collision with Fielding’s, the two men are once again close. Aziz promises Fielding that they would be able to remain friends when the English leave India as they ride together one more time before Fielding departs.

Fielding inquires as to why they cannot be friends right away since they both desire it, but the sky and the earth appear to be saying, “No, not yet…. No, not there.”

 

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