Style and Techniques

Forsters narrative style is straightforward; events follow one another in

logical order. Structurally, his sentence style also is relatively uncomplicated,
and he reproduces accurately the tones of human conversation; his handling
of the idiom of the English-speaking Indian is especially remarkable.
However, Forsters rhetorical style is far from unsubtle. His descriptions of
the landscape, however unattractive it may be, frequently have a poetic
rhythm. He makes lavish use of both satire and irony, and the satire is
especially biting in his treatment of the English colonials, particularly in the
events before the trial in the Caves section. But he is also capable of
gentle humor, notably in his depiction of the high-spirited and volatile Aziz.
As has been noted earlier, there are numerous themes and symbolssuch as
the wasp, the echo, the Come come of Godboles songwhich recur
throughout the novel; these are not introduced in an obvious fashion, and it
is not until the end of the book that their full significance is apparent.
Some of the statements in the book are in the form of questions to which
answers are obvious; but for many of them no answers are suggested or
even impliedan indication of the philosophical nature of the novel. Forster
is not the man with all the answers, and perhaps he is implying that he
himself is not certain whether life is (in the terms he frequently uses)
mystery or muddleor both.