A Passage to India

E.M. Forster’s 1924 political and philosophical masterpiece, A Passage to India, is among the greatest novels of the twentieth century. The book mirrors the troubled politics of colonialism and questions whether a friendship between a British person and an Indian would have been possible in those prejudiced times. Adela Quested and her fellow British travelers, set to experience the ‘real’ India, develop a friendship with the suave Dr. Aziz. A mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar Caves, and the trip results in a shocking accusation on the well-respected doctor that throws Chandrapore into a fever of racial tension and results in a devastating series of events, revealing how deeply the bigotry has taken root. A powerful depiction of a society in the grasp of imperialism, ‘A Passage to India’ portraits the future of individuals caught between the major political and cultural conflicts of the modern world.