He says the simple things that clever people don’t say,” wrote Virginia Woolf about the novelist and literary critic Edward Morgan Forster. Forster’s novels explore the conflict and the common ground between societies and cultures, and the intellect and imagination. He was not a prolific author, producing just five novels in his lifetime, with a fourteen year-gap between his most successful books, Howards End (1910) and A Passage to India (1924).
EAST MEETS WEST
Forster’s last novel, A Passage to India is set in the fictional city of Chandrapore, India in the early 1920s. The relationship between the Indian population and their English colonial rulers is at breaking point. Forster originally intended his novel to be “a little bridge of sympathy between East and West” but soon recognised that the truth was more complex. Early in the book, the charismatic Dr. Aziz, a young Indian Muslim doctor, meets visiting Englishwoman Mrs. Moore. He is pleased by her respect for him:
‘’’You understand me, you know what I feel. Oh, if others resembled you!’
Rather surprised, she replied: ‘I don’t think I understand people very well. I only know whether I like or dislike them.’
‘Then you are an Oriental.’”
“«Voi mi capite, voi sapete quello che sentono gli altri. Oh, se gli altri fossero come voi!»
Alquanto stupita, lei rispose: «Non credo di capire la gente molto bene. So soltanto se mi piace o no».
«Allora siete un’orientale.»”
MYSTERIOUS CAVES
Mrs. Moore has come to India to visit her son. Her travelling companion is a young schoolteacher, Adela Quested, who is trying to decide whether she wants to marry Mrs. Moore’s son. The two women meet Cyril Fielding, principal of Chandrapore’s college for Indians. Fielding and Aziz become friends and Aziz promises a visit to the mysterious Marabar caves. As he has never been there, he asks a friend to describe the caves to Mrs. Moore:
“’Well, why are they so famous? We all talk of the famous Marabar Caves. Perhaps that is our empty brag.’
‘No, I should not quite say that.’
‘Describe them to this lady, then.’
‘It will be a great pleasure.’ He forewent the pleasure, and Aziz realised that he was keeping back something about the caves.’”
“«Ma allora perché sono tanto famose? Parliamo tutti delle famose grotte Marabar, Forse è una delle nostre vanterie sconclusionate.»
«No, non direi proprio.
«Descrivetele alla signorina, allora.»
«Felicissimo.» Pregustava quel piacere, e Aziz capì che stava tacendo qualcosa sulle grotte.”
BAD TO WORSE
The ‘something’ of the caves is a deep and ancient spirit that unsettles visitors – a metaphor perhaps for India. The visit starts badly, when Fielding misses the train. It gets worse when Mrs. Moore suffers from claustrophobia and is alarmed by a strange echo in the caves. And the trip ends in disaster, when Aziz is arrested for sexually assaulting Adela, who enters the caves alone. As the trial approaches, Mrs. Moore returns to England by boat and Fielding declares his belief that Aziz is innocent. The trial reflects a clash of cultures as Adela gives evidence:
“‘You went alone into one of those caves?’
‘That is correct.’
‘And the prisoner followed you.’
‘Now we’ve got ‘im,’ from the Major.
She was silent. The court, the place of question, awaited her reply.”
“«Siete entrata da sola in una di quelle grotte?»
«Proprio così.»
«E l’imputato vi ha seguita.»
«Ora l’abbiamo in pugno fece il maggiore.»
Lei rimase zitta. Il tribunale, il luogo della domanda, aspettava la sua dichiarazione.”
IDENTITY
What actually happened in the caves, the question of innocence or guilt, remains unclear and secondary to racial tensions and tribal loyalty. The colonial India of Forster’s book has long gone, but A Passage to India is still renowned for its accurate portrayal of a nation in transition, and a once great empire losing its power. At the end of the novel, Fielding returns to India and meets with Aziz. They argue over politics, and as Aziz begins to shout, it is clear that old friendships may not survive the changes that fast approach this diverse and proud nation:
“‘India shall be a nation! No foreigners of any sort! Hindu and Moslem and Sikh and all shall be one! Hurrah! Hurrah for India! […] Down with the English anyhow.’”
“«L’India sarà una nazione! Via tutti gli stranieri! Indù e musulmani e Sihk e tutti quanti saranno una cosa sola! Viva! Viva l’India! [...] Abbasso gli inglesi, ad ogni mado.»”
big screen
Although an accomplished author, Forster continued his work as a BBC radio broadcaster and liberal campaigner. He declined all offers to film his books in his lifetime. However, his novels became famous after David Lean’s acclaimed dramatisation of A Passage to India won an Oscar in 1984. James Ivory later directed award-winning versions of three of Forster’s other novels: A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987) and Howard’s End (1992).