A Passage to India Summary and Analysis of Part One, Chapters 1-5

Chapter One:

Forster begins A Passage to India with a short description of Chandrapore, a city along that Ganges that
is not notable except for the nearby Marabar caves. Chandrapore is a city of gardens with few
fine houses from the imperial period of Upper India; it is primarily a "forest sparsely scattered
with huts."

Analysis:

The first chapter of A Passage to India describes the setting of the novel. Forster establishes
Chandrapore as a prototypical Indian town, neither distinguished nor exceptionally troubled.
This town can therefore be taken to be symbolic of the rest of India rather than an exceptional
case. This allows the actions that occur in the following chapters to be representative of the
Anglo-Indian colonial relations that will dominate the events of the novel. By beginning the
novel with a mention of the Marabar Caves, Forster foreshadows later events that will occur
concerning the Marabar Caves and that will provide the narrative turning point of A Passage to
India. It is significant that Forster does not begin the novel with the description of any particular
character. This places the story in context of the town of Chandrapore in particular and the nation
of India in general.

Chapter Two:

Dr. Azizarrives by bicycle at the house of Hamidullah, where Hamidullah and Mr. Mahmoud Ali are
smoking hookah and arguing about whether it is possible to be friends with an Englishman.
Hamidullah, educated at Cambridge, claims that it is possibly only in England, and the three
gossip about English elites in India. Hamidullah Begum, a distant aunt of Aziz, asks him when he will
be married, but he responds that once is enough. A servant arrives, bearing a note from the Civil
Surgeon; Callendar wishes to see Aziz at his bungalow about a medical case. Aziz leaves,
traveling down the various streets named after victorious English generals, to reach Major Callendar's
compound. The servant at the compound snubs Aziz, telling him the major has no message. Two
English ladies, Mrs. Callendar and Mrs. Lesley, take Aziz's tonga (carriage), thinking that his ride is their
own. Aziz then leaves to go to the nearly mosque paved with broken slabs. The Islamic temple
awakens Aziz's sense of beauty; for Aziz, Islam is more than a mere Faith, but an attitude
towards life. Suddenly, an elderly Englishwoman arrives at the mosque. He reprimands her,
telling her that she has no right to be there and that she should have taken off her shoes, but she
tells him that she did remember to take them off. Aziz then apologizes for assuming that she
would have forgotten. She introduces herself as Mrs. Moore, and tells Aziz that she is newly arrived
in India and has come from the club. He warns her about walking alone at night, because of
poisonous snakes and insects. Mrs. Moore is visiting her son, Mr. Heaslop, who is the City
Magistrate. They find that they have much in common: both were married twice and have two
sons and a daughter. He escorts Mrs. Moore back to the club, but tells her that Indians are not
allowed into the Chandrapore Club, even as guests.
Analysis:

In this chapter, Forster establishes several of the major themes that will predominate A Passage
to India. Most important among these is the vast difference between the English colonial elite
and the native population of India. Forster makes it clear that the British elite treat the Indians
with disrespect, as demonstrated by Major Callendar's summons to Aziz and his wife's oblivious
attitude toward Aziz when she takes his tonga. However, Aziz is too polite to confront the
women on their slight. He values behaving politely to these English elites over asserting his own
sense of self-respect. This event therefore provides a contrast to later events of the novel in
which Aziz becomes less accommodating and more focused on his rights and dignity.

Forster harbors a particular distrust for English women in India, finding that they are more likely
to treat Indians with disrespect. The Indians, in turn, are preoccupied with the English treatment
of them. The Indians are aware of the degrees of English treatment toward them, as shown when
Hamidullah notes that the English in India are less kind than the English in England. This evokes
broader themes of colonialism that permeate the novel; Forster will indicate that the position of
the English as rulers changes the social dynamic between them and the Indians at the expense of
normal, cordial behavior that would otherwise occur.

Dr. Aziz emerges in this chapter as an easily excitable man who is conscious of any slight
against him by the English elite, having been trained by experience to notice these snubs. He
automatically assumes the worst when dealing with the English, as shown with his premature
reprimand of Mrs. Moore, who defies all of his expectations of English women. Yet if Aziz is
extremely sensitive to others behavior and initially distrustful of Mrs. Moore, his reserve soon
melts around Mrs. Moore after she shows respect for him and his culture. This relates to a major
theme in the novel, the interaction between eastern and western culture. Mrs. Moore is to a large
extent an idealized character in A Passage to India; this elderly woman is sensitive, intelligent
and kind to Dr. Aziz. She is a symbol of all that is decent in western culture: she takes liberal
views and adheres to Christian ideals of behavior. It is not at all surprising that he so quickly
takes a liking to her.

Chapter Three:

Mrs. Moore returns to the Chandrapore Club, where she meets Adela Quested, her companion from
England who may marry her son Ronny Heaslop; Adela wishes to see "the real India." She complains
that they have seen nothing of India, but rather a replica of England. After the play at the Club
ends, the orchestra plays the anthem of the Army of Occupation, a reminder of every club
member that he or she is a British in exile. Fielding, the schoolmaster of Government College,
suggests that if they want to see India they should actually see Indians. Mrs. Callendar says that
the kindest thing one can do to a native is to let him die. The Collector suggests that they have a
Bridge Party (a party to bridge the gulf between east and west). When Mrs. Moore tells Ronny
about her trip to the mosque, he scolds her for speaking to a Mohammedan and suspects the
worst, but Mrs. Moore defends Dr. Aziz. Ronny worries that Aziz does not tolerate the English
(the "brutal conqueror, the sun-dried bureaucrat" as he describes them). When she tells him that
Aziz dislikes the Callendars, Ronny decides that he must pass that information on to them and
tells her that Aziz abused them in order to impress her. When she tells Ronny that he never
judged people in this way at home, Ronny rudely replies that India is not home. Finally Ronny
agrees not to say anything to Major Callendar.
Analysis:

In this chapter, Forster introduces Adela Quested, Ronny Heaslop and Mr. Fielding, each of
whom will play major roles throughout the novel. Adela Quested, as her name implies, is on a
quest in India. She is motivated by a strong curiosity and a desire to seek what she perceives as
the truth about India. Although she has a taste for learning about India and is certainly more
receptive to interacting with Indians than her fellow Englishwomen in India, her passion seems
somewhat academic; her curiosity about India is not primarily a curiosity about Indians
themselves, but rather an intellectual concern with their culture. Forster allows the possibility
that the now decent and accommodating Adela will assume the imperialist attitudes that mark the
other Englishwomen, whose treatment of Indians is deplorable. Mrs. Callendar's statement about
the kindness of letting natives die is perhaps the most egregious example, but even in their more
subtle conduct there is a perpetual undercurrent of colonialist superiority that marks most of the
English characters. With the exception of Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore, the other female
British characters are flat characters. Their sole purpose in the novel is symbolic: they show the
racism and cultural superiority felt by the British in India.

Ronny Heaslop exemplifies the colonial bureaucratic mindset that dominates the English elite.
He suspects all Indians of wrongdoing and consistently scolds his mother for deeming Indians
worthy of her company. However, Forster indicates that Ronny is not completely to blame for
his own behavior. Mrs. Moore notes that he never behaved so rudely at home, implying that his
position in India has made Ronny suspicious and mundanely malicious. This is a significant
point: Forster condemns the colonial system in India for its effects on both the native population
and the elite, rather than the individual English bureaucrat who soon adopts the prejudices that
colonialism promotes.

Mr. Fielding, however, stands outside of the colonialist bureaucracy. He is primarily an educator
whose interests are independent of the colonial political hierarchy. Fielding therefore can
transgress social boundaries that the other characters must obey. He will serve as both the
conduit between the English and the Indians in A Passage to India as well as the character who
can offer the most realistic assessment of the colonial system within India, neither altogether
condemning it as do the Indians nor wholeheartedly supporting it as the British bureaucracy do.
The degree to which Fielding can move among the English and the Indians illustrates another
one of Forster's themes in A Passage to India: the meaning and responsibilities of belonging to a
Œrace.' Fielding will demonstrate a fluid conception of race in which belonging to a particular
culture does not necessitate supporting that race, yet the degree to which he can break from the
English will be tested.

Chapter Four:

Mr. Turton,
the Collector, issues invitations to numerous Indian gentlemen in the neighborhood for
the Bridge Party. While he argues with Mr. Ram Chand and the elderly and distinguished Nawab Bahadur,
Mahmoud Ali claims that the Bridge Party is due to actions from the Lieutenant Governor, for
Turton would never do this unless compelled. The Nawab Bahadur is a large proprietor and
philanthropist; his decision to attend the Bridge party carries great weight. Mr. Graysford and Mr. Sorley,
the missionaries who live nearby, argue that no one should be turned away by God, but cannot
decide whether divine hospitality should end at monkeys or jackals or wasps or even bacteria.
They conclude that someone must be excluded or they shall be left with nothing.
Analysis:

The BridgeParty is a significant event for the Indians, who consider it with an appropriate
skepticism. They believe that the motivation for the party is not a sincere attempt to stimulate a
sense of reciprocity among the two societies, but rather the dictate of a higher-ranking colonial
official. The decision of the Nawab Bahadur, however, dictates that those invited should accept
the invitation. Forster specifically shows the Nawab Bahadur to be a distinguished member of
Indian society whose decisions must be respected, a symbol of Indian authority; this foreshadows
later events in which he does not receive the appropriate deference from others.
The discussion about religion by the missionaries is a reminder of the hierarchies that dominate
A Passage to India. The purpose of these hierarchies is to degrade others to elevate the elite;
when such an elite system of inclusion and exclusion occurs, the ability to set who can be can
included is the only power that these elites truly have. Their conversation has an obvious analogy
in British India. The British define their power by their ability to dominate the Indians and
exclude them from certain privileges, whether political or social.

Chapter Five:

Neither Mrs. Moore nor Adela Quested consider the Bridge Party to be a success. The Indians
for the most part adopt European costume, and the conversations are uncomfortable. Mrs. Moore
speaks to Mrs. Bhattacharya and asks if she may call on her some day, but becomes distressed when she
believes that Mrs. Bhattacharya will postpone a trip to Calcutta for her. During the party, Mr.
Turton and Mr. Fielding are the only officials who behave well toward the Indian guests. Mr.
Fielding comes to respect Mrs. Moore and Adela. Mr. Fielding suggests that Adela meet Dr.
Aziz. Ronny and Mrs. Moore discuss his behavior in India, and he tells her that he is not there to
be pleasant, for he has more important things to do there. Mrs. Moore believes that Ronny
reminds her of his public school days when he talked like an intelligent and embittered boy. Mrs.
Moore reminds him that God put us on earth to love our neighbors, even in India. She feels it is a
mistake to mention God, but as she has aged she found him increasingly difficult to avoid.
Analysis:

The Bridge Party is an honorable failure for all those who attend, borne of mostly good
intentions but extremely poor execution. It represents all of the problems of cross-cultural
exchange between the English and the Indians. With a few notable exceptions, the British who
attend the party do not behave well. Of the men, only Mr. Fielding and Mr. Turton behave well,
while among the women only Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested are interested in speaking with the
Indians. However, these two women, who wish to learn from the Indians, find that this particular
setting is stifling.

Even when Mrs. Moore and Adela attempt to reach out to Indians, they find that their attempts
go awry. F The interaction between Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Bhattacharya is indicative of this;
while Mrs. Moore simply wants to visit with Mrs. Bhattacharya, this woman, unaccustomed to
such polite behavior, misinterprets this as a significant event and plans to postpone her vacation
for it. Forster indicates that the desire for each of these groups to be polite and sensitive to one
another creates a stifling atmosphere between them; those who wish to interact socially have
such a fear of offending one another that they create barriers to their own interaction. This also
illustrates a prevalent motif in A Passage to India, the insufficiency of good intentions.

Mrs. Moore serves as the moral center in A Passage to India, a woman of exemplary behavior
and intentions toward others. She behaves with a direct simplicity, reminding her son of
Christian teachings. Mrs. Moore does bear a certain burden because of this uncomplicated
goodness; her unwavering, righteous mindset will make her a victim of others' less stringent
moral systems, while her belief in the tenets of Christian morality will be tested in the non-
Christian landscape of India. Forster mentions that Mrs. Moore finds it more difficult to avoid
mentioning God as she ages; this shows that Mrs. Moore has a great concern for her own
morality and that she has a preoccupation with death.