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Essay / The three stages of a journey illustrated in a passage to India
Forster's story in A Passage to India exists outside of the physical experiences of his characters. The novel is less an account of Indian life under British rule than an attempt to map people's religious and interpersonal journeys. British colonial rule over India is literally the reason the British and Indians interact, but their interactions with each other create personal changes. The structure of the novel demands more attention to some characters than others, particularly those whose thoughts regarding God and religion are most manipulated. Furthermore, the passages relevant to these changes are not necessarily found in the most significant events, such as Aziz's trial. The changes to be studied affect the way the characters respect each other, the earth, and God. The tripartite structure recounts the process of transformation during which everything, especially religious conceptions, is questioned and then reformed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Forster's Aspects of the Novel, the author calls on his readers to appreciate "hourglass" novels (134). A Passage to India is one such book, and we pay particular attention to the middle section; Part II unsettles the characters until they are released in Part III – the bottom of the hourglass. “Caves” contains both the climax of the story’s actions as well as the climatic tension of spiritual confusion. The Caves of Marabar symbolize this confusion, because “Nothing, nothing is attached to them, and their reputation – because they have one – does not depend on human speech” (137). Much will be said about Hinduism and its influence on the confusion of the caves, but "Hinduism...like Islam and Christianity, seems powerless in the face of the nihilistic message of the Marabar Caves" (Crews 176-177). . Nothingness is a perpetual backdrop to the story. It is difficult to examine an author's approach to the subject of religion without first understanding their own religious views and reasons for writing. According to Frederick C. Crews, “Forster is not asserting his own religious belief, but simply trying to be open-minded” (176). There will be a lot of talk about Hinduism, and it should be understood that Forster does not favor Hinduism as a religion. He simply appreciates the aspect of religion that responds to "his disbelief in Providence, his sense of man's ignorance of divine truth, [and] his rejection of the idea of a universe centered on man” (176). The great undercurrent of the final stage of the novel is the Hindu celebration of the third part. This commemoration shows readers how to bridge the gap between the British and Indians, something the Bridge Party could never do. Few of the main characters are Hindu and none openly convert to Hinduism, but people like the atheist Fielding and the Muslim Aziz advocate friendship and peace among people. Both, especially Fielding, demonstrate a desire to treat everyone with mutual respect at all times. The title of the third part, "Temple", foreshadows a break with Muslim and Christian relations between God and man in favor of the universal harmony that Hinduism promotes. At this celebration, Forster revels in Hinduism by showing its participants jubilant, making it a happy belief system in which many have found hope. Forster's implicit solution to society's ills is not without its flaws, and he doesoften alluded to. For example, festivities include glaring errors such as "God is love" on banners rather than "God is love." Ironically, the Indians put these words into English in order to show the universality of God and, therefore, the possible peace between men (320). Even the beautiful courtyard in which part of the ceremony takes place is “barely visible behind colorful cloths, iridescent balls, opaque pink glass chandeliers, and dark, crookedly framed photographs” (318). The most compelling images are those of clearly visible and sometimes masked gods. One of them is constantly “entirely obscured, when the wind blows, by the tattered foliage of a banana tree” (319). In this case, it is nature in the form of wind that prevents the spectators from seeing God. This is precisely what happened with Mrs. Moore in the caves: she experienced nature, understood harmony, but it scared her because she couldn't see God in any of it. . Forster realizes that the idea of harmony is a confusing notion, and he emphasizes this when Mrs. Moore misinterprets Godbole's song and plunges herself into despair. Forster's use of Mrs. Moore illustrates that universal harmony can be a difficult concept, especially for those accustomed to much simpler interpretations of God. The British assign labels and seek to bring order to everything, not only to understand, but also to maintain control. Essentially, what they can define, they can control. There is no order in India and there are no labels to assign to individuals' relationships with the universe. Westerners “did not have the apparatus to judge” (293), but Forster will find, besides Fielding, Westerners capable of correctly evaluating India and its people. Adela also has difficulty with labeling, as seen with the green bird in the tree. Ironically, she was horribly afraid of being labeled an Anglo-Indian wife because of the immediate associations she would imbibe. Adela felt the weakness of being the opposite of a label, as becoming an English wife in India would restrict her words and actions. She came to India in the first part to meet her companion as well as to discover the "real India", but Adela discovered much more when she entered the caves in the second part. The time she was most unsure about marriage was in the caves. She knew that what she felt couldn't be named. It wasn't until she was with Ronny and the innate physical instinct kicked in – being something she could define – that she decided she wanted to marry him. At this point, she believes she had complete control of her thoughts and emotions because she previously knew her instincts, while she never experienced the caves. Adela and Mrs. Moore visit the Marabar Caves shortly after hearing Godbole's song. They both see the surrounding landscape on their way to the caves. They both see the emptiness present in their environment. Adela finds an unanswered mystery in everything that happens in the caves, including a stick she mistakes for a snake as well as the identity of its suspected pest. Although she truly knows the identity of the attacker all along, the mystery of the caves leaves her feeling alienated and unable to understand the events. Ms. Moore therefore finds only "boom", this monotonous sound that becomes each utterance, whether it is a word whispered in the ear or a prayer to the Almighty. Their emptiness troubles women considerably and we know it because it permeates their dearest thoughts: Mrs. Moore on her religion and Adela on marriage. In thethird part, the presences of Mrs. Moore and Adela in the story are minimal. What they leave behind, however, is a lesson that helps readers throughout Part Three. Parts I and II show, with Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested, examples of British individuals attempting to recapture the romanticized “real India.” Adela and Mrs. Moore stumble because they begin to understand India, but they become skittish when they discover that nothing can be identified in India. They learn that India cannot be described or understood in the concrete and absolute sense to which the West is accustomed. Through what they uncovered – or what little they actually uncovered – Mrs. Moore discovers despair, and for Adela it all becomes too much to handle. Whether it's the first, second, or third section, very little excitement actually occurs - the events that occur are heightened by their implications. For example, the incident in the caves didn't actually happen as reported, but it seems important because of the tensions between Indians and English that it sparked. Forster clearly wants the novel to focus on the events taking place in the minds of his characters. By adding a third section to A Passage to India, the author shows that the novel is about the spiritual journeys of a group of individuals and not just an Indian man overcoming accusations from a British woman. In approaching the first part, according to WH Mason, "it is... the title 'Mosque' which should guide our reflection on the place of the first part in the composition of the novel" (Mason 25). Amid all the discord between Indians and British, Mrs. Moore has the only positive experience with an Indian in part one, and it takes place on common and sacred ground. For Christians, there is eternal hope in salvation and in heaven. Despite these factors, Mrs. Moore cannot overcome her newfound religious feelings. She realizes that the only hope for the earth lies in harmony, but she becomes depressed as the caves "[deprive] infinity and eternity of their immensity" (165). Everything his religion promised in the afterlife is swallowed up and echoed as a “boom”. His actions mean nothing. As a result, his words addressed to God produce the same monotonous echo as his actions. The meeting at the mosque is undoubtedly the most fascinating incident in the novel. In itself, the meeting between the Muslim and the Christian is essential as we see Dr. Aziz and Mrs. Moore change at the end of the novel. Without a doubt, seeing a real friendship develop between an Indian and an English woman motivates readers; this is particularly unique since English women are systematically more racist than men. Looking deeper at the confrontation, the relationship has haunting implications as it is Aziz who leads Mrs. Moore to the caves in Part Two, and it is in these caves that the old woman hears the ominous echo. The meeting at the mosque cannot, however, be considered an isolated event. This becomes inextricably linked to Aziz's discussion with Mrs. Moore's son, Ralph Moore, in the last of the three sections. Forster clearly indicates the connection between mother and son as Aziz also refers to Ralph as “Oriental”. The difference between mother and son is simple: Mrs. Moore died because her deeply held beliefs were challenged, whereas it is entirely reasonable that Ralph, as a young man, could adopt, implement and better understand with more security this philosophy which killed his mother. Aziz, an Indian of origin, cannot be a good guide for either the cave expedition or the boat ride with Ralph. It's the young.