A Passage to India

A Passage to India was published in 1924, 54 years before theorist and academic Edward Said published his book Orientalism, which deconstructs the concept of the “Orient” and the use of the term “Oriental” to describe peoples living east of Europe and under colonial control. These terms are frequently used in Forster’s novel and functions to distinguish between cultures of the west and those of the east. The term is used interchangeably by Anglo-Indians, the narrator, and Indian characters alike, speaking to its ubiquitous use at the time of writing in Forster’s home country of England. This serves to contextualize the historical setting of the novel.

The theme of Orientalism emerges through the fetishization of Indian culture in Chandrapore, chiefly through Adela’s desire to see the “real” India when she arrives. Both she and Mrs. Moore expect an opulent, exciting, strange adventure in India, but quickly fall into apathy and boredom, not finding India to be they had expected. This speaks to the construction of the “Orient” in English thought at the time as inexplicably, intrinsically, and extraordinarily exotic—and that an English person had the right to travel there and be treated to such exoticism.

The word “Orientals” is used by Forster to describe any individual living in the eastern hemisphere in colonial England. Its main function in the narrative is to stand in for a generalized eastern character that is fundamentally different from the European. When Aziz contemplates his wife’s death, he feels the threat of death surrounding him: “He had breathed for an instant the mortal air that surrounds Orientals and all men...” (59). The narrator says, “Orientals and all men,” suggesting that Orientals are not including within the concept of “all men” but somehow stand apart, are different, and the distinction must be upheld.

Forster’s use of “Oriental” becomes nuanced when considering Mrs. Moore, who is of English birth but nevertheless sparks Aziz to consider her like himself: “I have seen her but three times, but I know she is an Oriental” (282). Mrs. Moore’s spirituality and status as a mother separate her from the other characters of the novel in such a way that Aziz feels sympathetic to her alienation. Further, what marks Mrs. Moore from the others is her position of resentful and unwanted service. As a woman, she is bound to fulfill her role as Ronny’s mother though she would like to return to India; progressively through the novel, Mrs. Moore becomes more insistent on acting independently and alone. Her place in society and the gender expectations she must fulfill keep her from fully pursuing what she desires, relegating her to a frustrated position that allows Aziz to see her as a kindred spirit.

Aziz is often associated with Orientalism in that his character, though it attempts to assume Western behavior, is described as “Oriental” when a weakness or fault is perceived in him by an English-born character. The expedition to the Marabar Caves contains many associations to Aziz in this context: “Like most Orientals, Aziz overrated hospitality, mistaking it for intimacy, and not seeing that it is tainted with the sense of possession” (157); "he was again the Oriental guide whom they appreciated” (159); and “The celebrated Oriental confusion appeared at last to be at an end” (143) all exemplify the prejudice, association with otherness, and judgement the Anglo-Indian character pass against Aziz. When described in such a way, Aziz loses his individuality and becomes a generalization in the same way that Forster uses the term to generalize about the multiplicity of races, religion, and cultural characteristics to be found in India.