A Passage to India

At Mr. Zulfiqar’s country home, Fielding, Aziz, and their compatriots rest after their celebratory dinner. They lay on the roof and consider the stars before drifting off to sleep. Aziz has plans to sue Adela and promises Fielding to share his newfound wealth by inviting Fielding on trips to Kashmir and Persia. “I have become anti-British” (279), Aziz claims. He plans to move to a Muslim state outside Anglo-India's purview.

Fielding suggests that Adela’s bravery in the courtroom (stating the truth despite pressure from the Turtons, McBrydes, and Ronny) should be enough to stop Aziz from suing her. He offers to bring Aziz a signed apology written by Adela herself in whatever words Aziz desires. Aziz dismisses this with a sexual joke at Adela’s expense.

After consideration, Aziz announces that he will consult Mrs. Moore on whether to sue Adela for damages. His respect for Mrs. Moore is deep: “I have seen her but three times, but I know she is an Oriental” (282) and he resents Fielding questioning why he should express such an emotional connection to Mrs. Moore over Adela. Fielding announces that Mrs. Moore is dead, but Hamidullah quickly steps in and assures Aziz that Fielding is only joking, not wanting to ruin Aziz’s victorious day. 

Mrs. Moore’s death and its impact in Chandrapore is recounted by the narrator. She is buried at sea by Lady Mellanby, who feels that Moore’s ghost follows the ship but only so far as the Mediterranean, as that is where “the arrangements of Asis weaken and those of Europe begin to be felt, and during the transition Mrs. Moore was shaken off” (285).

In Chandrapore, residents talk of Ronny having “killed his mother for trying to save an Indian’s life” (285). Briefly, a cult for Mrs. Moore begins among the Indians, who construct shrines and leave offerings in the lady’s name. They die down shortly. To clear his conscious, Ronny choses to think Mrs. Moore to blame for insisting on being kind to the Indians and refuses to acknowledge a part in her death.

Ronny also concludes that he can no longer marry Adela as “it would mean the end of his career” (286). Though she still lived at the College, Ronny often visits her as he plans a way to break off their engagement and send her back to England. He believes that he has outgrown her and that “she had killed his love” (287) with her behavior in the court. 

The Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Gilbert, responsible for Chandrapore’s Province visits the city following the chaos of the trial. Sir Gilbert prides himself on an enlightened approach to colonialism and claims to have no racial prejudice. He meets with Fielding and insists that Fielding rejoin the club, which Fielding acquiesces to with no intention of attending. Sir Gilbert leaves without further interest in Adela or the outcome of the trial.

Fielding finds that he is often drawn into Adela’s company and is touched by the humility and honesty of her character. They attempt to compose an apology letter to Aziz, but Fielding rejects her drafts : “Indians know whether they are liked or not—they cannot be fooled here” (289).

Fielding and Aziz often argue over suing Adela. To persuade him, Fielding begins introducing Mrs. Moore’s name during these discussions, to the effect that Aziz becomes convinced that Mrs. Moore wouldn’t want him to sue Adela. He decides to relinquish his request for twenty thousand rupees. With that done, Ronny announces to Fielding that he is being transferred to another Province and Adela will return to England, their engagement no longer intact.

Adela reveals to Fielding that it was Ronny who broke the engagement off; she is more disturbed that neither she nor Ronny is upset by this after all that’s happened since her arrival in Chandrapore. When Adela leaves for England ten days later, she and Fielding part as good friends. She resolves to find Mrs. Moore’s other children, Stella and Ralph, once she returns home.

As she boards the ship to leave Chandrapore, her former servant Antony tries to blackmail her by threatening to spread a rumor that she was Fielding’s mistress while she lived at the College. Adela has the ship’s crew remove Antony without paying.