Arta Krasniqi A Passage to India By E. M. Forster -essay concentrated on book summary A Passage to India is divided into three parts.

he !irst part" #Mosque"# begins $ith $hat is essentia%%y a description o! the city o! &handrapore. he physica% separation o! the city into sections" p%us the separation o! earth and sky" are indicative o! a separation o! deeper signi!icance that e'ists bet$een the Indian and Eng%ish sectors. his nove% dea%s $ith human re%ationships" and the theme that determines its p%ot %ine is introduced in this section( #Is it possib%e !or the Indian and the Eng%ishman to be !riends)# o sho$ both sides o! this question" the reader is !irst introduced to *r. A+i+ and his !riends. A+i+ is a Mos%em doctor $ho practices at the government hospita% in &handrapore under the supervision o! Ma,or &a%%endar. Among A+i+-s !riends are .amidu%%ah" an Indian barrister $ho has %ived in Eng%and/ 0a$ab Bahadur" an in!%uentia% %ando$ner/ and Mahmoud A%i. In the opening chapters these men are sho$n discussing the Eng%ish o!!icia%s $ho govern under the British 1a, in India. Among the Eng%ish !action" $ho a%so discuss the Ang%o-Indian re%ationship" are Mr. urton" the &o%%ector/ Ma,or &a%%endar" the Eng%ish doctor/ Mr. McBryde" the po%ice magistrate/ and 1onny .eas%op" the city magistrate and the %atest o!!icia% to assume duties in &handrapore. Bet$een these groups" or outside them" are &yri% Fie%ding" the Eng%ish principa% o! the government schoo%" $hose a%%egiance be%ongs to neither group/ Mrs. Moore" mother o! 1onny .eas%op" $ho has come to India as chaperone to Miss Ade%a 2uested" 1onny-s intended !iancee/ Pro!essor 3odbo%e" a .indu $ho is separated !rom the Mos%ems by his re%igion and4 !rom the Eng%ish by his re%igion and nationa%ity/ and the Eng%ish missionaries" Mr. 3rays!ord and Mr. 5or%ey" $ho share none o! the arrogance o! Eng%ish o!!icia%dom as they attempt to convert the Indians to &hristianity. he story opens $ith A+i+-s arriva% at .amidu%%ah-s house" $here he is to spend a socia% evening $ith his !riends. heir conversation centers upon the indignities that the Indian must su!!er at the hands o! the Eng%ish o!!icia%s and their $ives. 6oung 1onny .eas%op" $hom they dub the #red-nosed boy"# is a particu%ar ob,ect o! ridicu%e. A+i+ is summoned to the house o! his superior" Ma,or &a%%endar. .e is %ate in arriving and $hen he arrives" he !inds the ma,or gone. $o Eng%ish $omen preempt his tonga and on the $a%k back to his house he encounters Mrs. Moore at the mosque. he o%d %ady endears herse%! to A+i+ by her innate understanding o! him and o! Mos%em custom/ he ca%%s her an 7rienta%. 8ater" at the Eng%ish c%ub" Ade%a 2uested e'presses her desire to see the #rea% India# and is advised by a passerby to #try seeing Indians.# o humor her Mr. urton o!!ers to give a #Bridge Party"# a garden party ostensib%y designed to bridge the distance bet$een the Eng%ish and the Indian" and to give Ade%a and Mrs. Moore the opportunity to meet socia%%y some o! the upper-c%ass Indians. At Mrs. Moore-s cottage that night 1onny and his mother discuss her encounter $ith A+i+ at the mosque. 1onny sho$s his unmistakab%e pre,udice and Mrs. Moore is appa%%ed at his inhumane attitude. 7n her $ay to bed" she e'hibits a sympathetic response to a $asp" one o! the %east o! India-s creatures. 7n the outskirts o! the to$n" Mr. 5or%ey" the younger and more %ibera% o! the t$o Eng%ish missionaries" $hi%e $i%%ing to accept that there may $e%% be a heaven !or mamma%s" cannot bring himse%! to admit the %o$%y $asp. he garden party given by the urtons on%y serves to sho$ more c%ear%y the division o! peop%es" as each group keeps to itse%!. &yri% Fie%ding" $ho ming%es !ree%y $ith the Indians" is impressed by the !riend%iness

o! Mrs. Moore and Ade%a and invites them to tea at his home. hey are a%so invited !or a hursday morning visit 9 $hich never materia%i+es 9 to the home o! the Bhattacharya-s" a .indu coup%e. hat evening" in a discussion $ith 1onny" Mrs. Moore is again appa%%ed by her son" and quotes to him !rom the Bib%e" reminding him that 3od is %ove and e'pects man to %ove his neighbor :though she herse%! has !ound .im %ess satis!ying in India than ever be!ore;. 1onny humors her" reminding himse%! that she is o%d. At tea at Fie%ding-s house" Mrs. Moore and Ade%a visit p%easant%y $ith A+i+ and Pro!essor 3odbo%e" enigmatic .indu associate o! Mr. Fie%ding. he kindness o! Mrs. Moore and Ade%a 2uested prompts A+i+ to invite them on an outing to the Marabar &aves" $hich they accept. 1onny .eas%op arrives at Fie%ding-s cottage to take his mother and Ade%a to a game o! po%o/ his discourtesy to A+i+ and his arrogant demeanor to$ard a%% Indians causes Ade%a and 1onny to quarre%" and Ade%a te%%s 1onny she cannot marry him. 8ater the young peop%e go !or a ride $ith 0a$ab Bahadur" and $hen the automobi%e is invo%ved in an accident $ith an unidenti!ied anima% on a back road" they are dra$n together once more and announce their engagement. Mrs. Moore accepts the ne$s ca%m%y" but $hen to%d o! the accident she murmurs" #A ghost<# A+i+" p%eased $ith the !riendship sho$n him by &yri% Fie%ding" sho$s the Eng%ish pro!essor a picture o! his dead $i!e" a courtesy equa% to inviting Fie%ding behind the purdah" the highest honor an Indian can give. he ne't section" #&aves"# begins $ith a detai%ed description o! the Marabar &aves" the pecu%iar ho%%o$ caverns $ithin the equa%%y curious Marabar .i%%s that rise !rom an other$ise !%at area outside the city o! &handrapore. It is to these caves that A+i+ has p%anned an e%aborate trip !or Mrs. Moore and Ade%a 2uested. .e has a%so inc%uded Fie%ding and 3odbo%e in the invitation. =n!ortunate%y" Fie%ding and 3odbo%e miss the train and A+i+ is %e!t in !u%% charge o! the e'pedition" $hich begins $ith a train ride and ends $ith an e%ephant ride to the immediate vicinity o! the caves. In the !irst cave Mrs. Moore is terri!ied by an echo and the press o! the cro$d and dec%ines to go !arther. A+i+" a guide" and Ade%a go on a%one. Ade%a" pondering her engagement to 1onny" un$ise%y asks A+i+ i! he has more than one $i!e. he e'citab%e %itt%e Indian" upset by her queries" dashes into a cave to recover his composure. Ade%a $anders aim%ess%y into another cave and is supposed%y assau%ted by someone there. 5he rushes do$n the side o! the hi%%" $here she meets 0ancy *erek" an Eng%ish companion to a maharani" $ho has brought Fie%ding to the caves. 0ancy returns the over$rought Ade%a to &handrapore. In the meantime A+i+" kno$ing nothing o! $hat has happened to Ade%a" entertains his other !riends and returns $ith them by train. At the station he is met by Mr. .aq" the po%ice inspector" $ho arrests him !or assau%ting Miss 2uested. Fie%ding a%ienates himse%! !rom the Eng%ish by siding $ith A+i+. he Eng%ish ra%%y around Ade%a and press !or a quick conviction. Mrs. Moore" no$ sunk into a state o! apathy" re!uses to admit that A+i+ may be gui%ty but a%so re!uses to testi!y in his beha%! in court/ 1onny arranges passage !or her to Eng%and. 7n the $ay she dies/ her name" ho$ever" becomes !or a time a %egend to the natives o! &handrapore. At the tria%" Ade%a 2uested" $ho has been in a state o! shock since the incident at the caves" sudden%y !inds her mind c%ear again and e'onerates A+i+. .er $ithdra$a% o! the charge against A+i+ causes her to be ostraci+ed by the Eng%ish. Fie%ding re%uctant%y o!!ers her the use o! his cottage $hi%e he is absent on o!!icia% business" and 1onny eventua%%y breaks their engagement. *isi%%usioned by her e'perience in India" Ade%a returns to Eng%and/ and Fie%ding persuades A+i+ to drop a damage suit against her. $o years %ater the setting o! the nove% shi!ts to the .indu state o! Mau in a section entit%ed # emp%e.# Fo%%o$ing the tria%" Fie%ding had returned to Eng%and" married" and $as then sent on a tour o! centra% India

to inspect government schoo%s. 3odbo%e has become the Minister o! Education at Mau" and through his in!%uence" A+i+ has become persona% physician to the 1a,ah o! Mau. he opening chapter o! this section describes a .indu ceremony honoring the birth o! the god Krishna. Pro!essor 3odbo%e directs the temp%e choir and" in an ecstasy o! re%igious !ervor" dances his ,oy. >hi%e in this a%most trance%ike state he remembers Mrs. Moore and a $asp" associating them as he contemp%ates the %ove o! 3od. he bib%ica% statement #3od is 8ove"# $ith $hich Mrs. Moore had e'horted her son" is repeated in the .indu ceremony" a%though through an error in its printing it becomes #3od si 8ove.# A+i+ is annoyed $hen he discovers that Fie%ding is visiting Mau in %ine $ith his o!!icia% duties. .e has become thorough%y disi%%usioned $ith the British and even $ith Fie%ding/ $hen he %earned that Fie%ding had married in Eng%and" he conc%uded that the $i!e $as Ade%a 2uested and hence!orth re!used to read any o! Fie%ding-s %etters. A+i+ has married again and has his chi%dren $ith him. A%though he does not embrace .induism" he is to%erant o! their !estiva%s and is !inding peace and contentment a$ay !rom British domination. .e has" ho$ever" %et his practice o! medicine degenerate unti% he is %itt%e more than a g%ori!ied medicine man. >hen A+i+ meets Fie%ding again" he %earns that 5te%%a Moore" not Ade%a 2uested" is Fie%ding-s $i!e. 5te%%a and her brother 1a%ph have accompanied Fie%ding to India. A+i+ !orms a specia% attachment !or 1a%ph" $hose bee stings he treats" because 1a%ph sho$s many o! the traits o! his mother" Mrs. Moore. he .indu !estiva% continues a!ter the ce%ebration o! the birth o! the god. Fie%ding and 5te%%a go out in a boat to better observe the ceremony" as do A+i+ and 1a%ph in another boat. In the storm the boats co%%ide $ith each other and capsi+e. In the genera% con!usion that !o%%o$s" the ceremony comes to an end and the Eng%ish return to the guest house. A+i+ has con!ided to 1a%ph that the ra,ah has died" but the announcement o! his death is suspended unti% a!ter the !estiva%. .induism a!!ects both 5te%%a and 1a%ph" but Fie%ding cannot understand the e!!ect it has on them" though he is intrigued by it. A+i+ be%ieves that 1a%ph" at %east" has an 7rienta% mind" as Mrs. Moore had. A%though Fie%ding !inds that the schoo% that Pro!essor 3odbo%e $as to superintend has been neg%ected and the bui%ding turned into a granary" he does nothing to recti!y the situation. he !%oods" $hich have kept Fie%ding in Mau" abate" and he and his party make p%ans to %eave. Be!ore they go" Fie%ding and A+i+ take a !ina% horseback ride together. 3ood-natured%y" they argue about the Ang%o-Indian prob%em. A+i+ e'cited%y dec%ares that India must be united and the Eng%ish driven out. 5ensing that this is the end o! their association" A+i+ and Fie%ding attempt to p%edge eterna% !riendship in spite o! their di!!erences" but the path narro$s and their horses are !orced apart" signi!ying that such a !riendship is not yet possib%e. 5ources( $$$.sparknotes.com $$$.$ikipedia.com