Colonialism In Edward Said's A Passage To India

Forster’s colonialist perspective can be revealed through the register of the narrative which reinforces the colonialist ideology of superiority of the white race and culture. By constructing the inferiority of India and Indians, Forster legitimates his intentions to show how the colonial regime manipulates the knowledge of the natives in order to dominate and justify their intensions to rule over them. This effectively creates an unequal rapport that debases the native Indians. For example, the choice of words to describe the imaginary town, Chandrapore, and its climate, landscape and people is presented in a humiliating and derogatory manner. The narrator centres on exposing the scarceness of the town; “the streets are mean, the temples ineffective,

‘A Passage to India’ can similarly mirror Said’s vision of Orientalism, through perpetuating the control of the Anglo- Indians that strengthen their presence and the establishment of the empire. Consequently this suggests that, the English- Indian relationship is less about understanding the native culture but focused on controlling and dominating it through the British

Where Ronny’s tastes, opinions and manner of speaking reflected the older, more brutal ideas of ruling, Mrs Moore presents the essence of humanity. She is openly critical and appalled by the British official’s mistreatment of the Indians, and is presented as compassionate and sympathetic towards the natives. Significantly, Mrs Moore is one of the only characters in the novel who is able to bridge the tensions between the East and West. While other characters make judgments in accordance to race, colour and creed, Mrs Moore looks past this superficiality and develops a rapport with the Indians with a greater sense of empathy and understanding. Notably, her first interaction with Aziz is the mosque amply demonstrates how she is able to easily interact with him regardless of the racial, social and cultural differences. Yet, despite the positive representation of Mrs Moore, the reader has to question why Forster chose such a fragile vessel to voice his anti-imperialist ideas. It can be argued that on a deeper level of scrutiny that Mrs Moore is in fact just another character who tries to perpetuate the authority of the British, only through a differing method to that presented by the likes of Ronny and the British officials. That is to imply, in fact what really dismays Mrs Moore upon her arrival in India is not so much the consequences of