Story
Story
Story
Meanwhile, Adela, who traveled all the way from England to decide whether or not she will
marry Ronny, expresses her desire " to see the real India." The collector, Mr. Turton, makes
plans to throw a bridge party – a party to bridge the gulf between East and West. But the event
is not a great success and Adela thinks her countrymen are mad for inviting guests and then
not receiving them properly. One of the few officials who does make his best effort to make the
party work is Mr. Fielding, the principal of the Government College. He hosts a gathering of
his own a couple of days later, and it is then that Dr. Aziz first meets Adela and invites her and
Mrs. Moore to visit the nearby Marabar Caves. It is also on this afternoon that a friendship
begins to develop between Aziz and Fielding.
Chapter 13
Looking toward the Marabar Hills one day, Adela remarks that she would have liked to visit
them with Aziz. Her servant overhears the remark, and exaggerated word of it travels to Aziz,
who feels that he must make good on his earlier offer. The outing involves many details and
much expense on Aziz’s part, but he organizes everything and invites Fielding and Godbole,
along with the two ladies, to Marabar. Ronny gives permission for the women to go, as long as
Fielding goes along with them.
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The train that travels to the hills leaves just before dawn, so Aziz, Mohammed Latif, and many
servants spend the night at the train station to avoid being late. Mrs. Moore, Adela, and the
women’s servant, Antony, arrive early in the morning. Adela dislikes Antony and, on Aziz’s
suggestion, orders him to go home. Antony refuses, however, on Ronny’s orders, until
Mohammed Latif bribes him to leave. Though Fielding has not yet arrived with Godbole, Aziz
is not nervous because he knows that Englishmen never miss trains. Aziz reviews the details of
the trip with Mohammed Latif, who is to oversee the railway carriage. Suddenly, the train
starts to move just as Fielding and Godbole arrive at the station. Fielding yells that Godbole’s
overlong prayers have made them late, and the Englishman tries unsuccessfully to jump on the
train. Aziz becomes panicked and desperate, but Mrs. Moore and Adela reassure him that the
outing will continue successfully without Fielding. Aziz suddenly feels love for the two women
—Mrs. Moore especially—for their graciousness and blindness to race.
Chapter 14
For the past two weeks in which they had been in India, Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested had felt
nothing, living inside cocoons; Mrs. Moore accepts her apathy, but Adela resents hers. It is
Adela's faith that the whole stream of events is important and interesting, and if she grows
bored she blames herself severely. This is her only major insincerity. Mrs. Moore feels
increasingly that people are important, but relationships between them are not and that in
particular too much fuss has been made over marriage.
Disembarking from the train, they find an elephant and a group of servants waiting to take
them on the hour's journey to the hills. That passed, they enjoy a snack and frank conversation
before stepping into the caves. The first cave is very unpleasant to Mrs. Moore; it is crowded
with servants, dark, and a persistent echo makes everything sound like " boum". When they
leave the first cave, Mrs. Moore says that she will not go into another. She is tired. She suggests
that Aziz and Adela should go without her. Aziz, Adela and a single servant travel into
another cave, and Mrs. Moore sits outside trying to write a letter to two of her children. She
feels increasingly upset and threatened by the memory of the echo in the cave.
Chapter 15
Aziz, Adela, and the guide climb up toward other caves higher in the hills. Aziz’s mind is
preoccupied with breakfast preparations. Adela is also distracted, Adela wants to enjoy the
trip, but she still thinks during the picnic about the possibility of marring Heaslop. She
compares her personal life with Ronny to Aziz. That causes psychological problem. She
realizes that they do not love one another. She wonders if that is a reason not to marry him.
She asks Aziz about his wife. He pretends that his wife is still alive. She asks him how many
children he has got and his relationship with them. The question is loaded and Aziz wants to
make it clear that his wife is there and Adela could visit and meet her another time. Adela
remembered Mrs. Turton's speech that Mohammadeans should marry full four wives. Thus,
she asks him how many wives he has got. He is offended by the question, and goes into a cave to
have a cigarette.Adela follows shortly and enters another cave.
Chapter 16
Aziz exits the cave to find the guide alone. The two men hear the sound of a motorcar. Aziz
looks for Adela, and the guide explains that she went into one of the caves. Aziz scolds the
guide for not keeping Adela in sight, and together they shout for her. In frustration, Aziz slaps
the guide, who runs away. Then, with relief, Aziz notices Adela already down the hills,
speaking to a woman near the motorcar. Aziz notices Adela’s field-glasses lying broken on the
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ground. He picks them up and proceeds back to camp, where he is elated to find that Fielding
has arrived in Miss Derek’s car. Aziz sends a retinue down to escort Miss Derek up to the
camp, but Miss Derek and Adela have already started to drive back to Chandrapore. Aziz
cheerfully accepts this new development, but Fielding senses that something is wrong with
Adela.
Aziz, wanting to avoid the unpleasant memory of Adela’s question about polygamy, has
already refined the facts of their excursion up the hill. Fielding presses Aziz for details because
he feels the two women have been rude to the Indian. Aziz, barely realizing he is lying,
reassures Fielding that the guide escorted Adela down to the car.
On the elephant ride back to the train, Fielding figures that the expedition must have cost Aziz
hundreds of rupees. The group boards the train and rides back to Chandrapore. When they
arrive at the city, Mr. Haq, the inspector of police, boards the train and arrests Aziz without
any explaination. Aziz panics and attempts to run out another door, but Fielding stops him.
Fielding calms Aziz, reassuring him that there must be some mistake and that they will
straighten it out together. The two men walk out onto the platform, where Mr. Turton orders
Fielding to remain behind while Aziz goes to prison.
Chapter 17
Mr. Turton, looking fanatical and brave, informs Fielding that Adela has been
“insulted”presumably, sexually assaulted—in one of the Marabar Caves. Adela herself has
lodged the complaint. Fielding protests that Aziz must be innocent. Turton informs Fielding
that there is to be an informal meeting at the club that night to discuss the accusations. Turton
explains that Adela is quite ill, and he is furious that Fielding is not as enraged as all the other
English are. As Turton rides back to his bungalow, he looks with self-satisfied outrage at each
Indian he passes.
Chapter 18
Mr. McBryde, superintendent of police, receives Aziz politely at the jail. McBryde has a theory
that Indians have criminal tendencies because of the climate—thus, the Indians’behavior is not
their fault. Fielding arrives at McBryde’s to get the details of the case. McBryde explains that
Adela has claimed that Aziz followed her into a cave and made advances on her. She hit at him
with her field-glasses and he broke the strap. McBryde shows Fielding the broken glasses,
which the police have found on Aziz’s person. However, Fielding believes that Aziz is innocent.
Fielding explains that, if Aziz was guilty, he would not have kept the field glasses. McBryde
tells him that the Indian criminal psychology is different, and shows Fielding the contents of
Aziz's pocket case, including a letter from a friend who keeps a brothel. The police also find
pictures of women in Aziz's bungalow, but Fielding says that the picture is of Aziz's wife.
Chapter 19
Hamidullah waits outside the Superintendent's office; Fielding tells him that evidence for
Aziz's innocence will come. Hamidullah is convinced that Aziz is innocent and throws his lot
with the Indians, realizing the profundity of the gulf that separates them. Hamidullah wants
Aziz to have Armitrao, a Hindu who is notoriously anti-British, as his lawyer. Fielding feels
this is too extreme. Fielding tells Hamidullah that he is on the side of Aziz, but immediately
regrets taking sides, for he wishes to slink through India unlabelled.
Fielding has a talk with Godbole, who is entirely unaffected by Aziz's plight. He tells Fielding
that he is leaving Chandrapore to return to his birthplace in Central India to take charge of
education there. He wants to start a High School on sound English lines. Godbole cannot say
whether or not he thinks that Aziz is guilty; he says that nothing can be performed in isolation,
for when one performs a good action, all do, and when an evil action is performed, all perform
3
it. He claims that good and evil are both aspects of the Lord. Fielding goes to see Aziz, but finds
him unapproachable through misery. Fielding wonders why Miss Quested, such a dry, sensible
girl without malice, would falsely accuse an Indian.
Chapter 20
A tense meeting is held among the English at the Chandrapore Club to decide on a course of
action. The Collector instructs the ladies not to worry for their own safety, and updates the
group about Adela's health: She is ill, but not in danger. Mrs. Moore is also ill. As the meeting
progresses, Major Callendar and others view Fielding as a traitor. Ronny is seen as a martyr.
The whole crowd stands up for Ronny when he arrives. This is to give him some support. But
Fielding remains seated. He says that he believes Aziz to be innocent, resigns from the club,
and leaves.
Chapter 21
Fielding spends the rest of the day in conference with his Indian allies. It is the holiday of
Mohurram – a special day for Muslims in India – and the streets are filled with musicians and
youths in colourful costumes. Fielding tries to consult again with Godbole about the incident.
But Godbole, as a philosopher who thinks miles away from the surrounding, goes away to start
a new school.
Chapter 22
Adela stays at the McBrydes' house and tries to recover from her illness. She is
melodramatically cared for by Miss Derek and the English ladies before the trial. She
alternates between feeling fine and feeling emotionally unbalanced due to the echo. When her
condition improves, Ronny takes her to see Mrs. Moore, who is likewise driven to distraction
by her memory of the cave-echo. Both are shattered because they want to see the real India.
Mrs. Moore thinks Aziz is innocent. She demands to leave India at once. Ronny thinks it is a
good idea, so she does not affect the court trial.
Chapter 23
Mrs. Moore is given a place in the cabin of Lady Mellanby. They sail for England before the
trial of Aziz and ahead of the worst hot weather. As she travels she obsesses over the echo, but
becomes even more upset when the sights she sees from the ship: a fortress, the bustle and
chaos of Delhi, .. etc. The echo in the caves does not signify the meaning of India as a whole.
India is endlessly complex and contradictory. It resists to be made into one symbol.
Chapter 24
The day of the trial comes. Adela is feeling shaky and troubled. Das, Ronny's assistant, is
presiding as a magistrate. The English cluster together and talk about the shortcomings of the
Indians. Major Callendar boasts that he has been torturing his patients at the hospital,
including the NawabBahadur's grandson. Adela comes to the court. As the trial commences the
English demand that Adela should be moved up out of the crowd on account of her health. Das
agrees and the whole English group moves onto the platform. Aziz's defence protests. McBryde
summarizes the evidence against Aziz. He tells the crowd about his theories on the racial
nature of Indians: "dark-shinned people are attracted to lighter-skinned people, but not vice-
versa." Moore's name comes up at the trial. Amritrao and Mahmoud Ali insist that she would
4
have made a valuable defence witness, but she had been packed off to England. The Indian
crowd begins to chant her name.
McBryde questions Adela. As she speaks on the stand, she seems to recall the scene. When
McBryde asks her whether Aziz was the man who attacked her, she realizes that he was not.
She says so, she says she made a mistake when she accused him. The crowd erupts into
hysteria; the English shout that Adela's ill health is causing her to hallucinate, and the Indians
demand that she withdraw all her charges against Aziz. Thinking clearly at last, she withdraws
the charges, and McBryde is forced to comply. Aziz is free.
Chapter 25
All left the court and Adela is alone among a huge crowd of Indians. Adela bumps into Fielding
who bundles her into his carriage. A group of students gives them flowers in the procession.
Fielding's carriage returns to the Government College, while the rest of the crowd goes to the
hospital to rescue the Nawab Bahadur's grandson. The Nawab Bahadur announces that he
intends to give up his British-conferred title and be known simply as Mr. Zulfigar. In front of
the hospital, the encounter a repentant Dr. Panna Lal, who was to have been a witness against
Aziz. He apologies and brings them the Nawab Bahadur's grandson, preventing a riot and
saving the hospital.
Chapter 26
At the Government College, Fielding and Adela discuss her recent behavior. Adela believes
that her mind was clouded. They agree that either she hallucinated the whole event and broke
her glasses herself, or was attacked by the guide or one of the servants in Aziz's party.
Hamidullah arrives and is disgusted to find Adela with Fielding. They discuss where Adela
should stay that night. Ronny arrives to tell Adela his news: his mother has died at the sea.
Adela is heartbroken, and asks if she could sleep at the college that night, to be alone with her
thoughts. Fielding and Ronny each agree that she should. Hamidullah is rude to Ronny about
his mother's death, which shocks Fielding. Fielding is made even more upset in the car on the
way to Aziz's victory dinner, when Hamidullah and Amritrao discuss how many rupees Adela
will now owe Aziz as compensation for her false accusation.
Chapter 27
After the victory dinner at Mr. Zulfiqar's mansion, Aziz and Fielding argue over whether Aziz
should press Adela for compensatory damages. Fielding encourages Aziz to be merciful to
Adela. Aziz says that he can't forgive her until receiving her apologize. Both Fielding and
Hamidullah agree not to tell Dr. Aziz about Mrs. Moore's death for not destroying his victory
celebration.
Chapter 28
The narrator explains the circumstances of Mrs. Moore's death – she was buried at sea, even
farther south than where the ship left from. The ship seemed to have bad luck afterwards, as if
her ghost lingered on, but the ghost seemed to be " shaken off" when the ship reached Europe.
Meanwhile in Chandrapore, a legend springs up that Ronny killed his mother because she
5
tried to save Aziz's life. Two different tombs are reported to contain " Esmiss Esmoor," and
people start to leave small offerings at them.
Ronny knows that treated his mother badly at the end, but he doesn't feel like repenting, so he
continues to be irritated at her. He even blames her for continuing to cause trouble with her
tombs and cults. He assumes that she is in heaven now, but his religion is of the " Sterilized
Public School brand," and he avoids thinking about anything too deep or supernatural. He
plans on putting up a simple plaque in England with his half-brother and sister, and that will
be enough of a memorial.
Ronny hopes that Adela will decide to break off their engagement and leave India too. He can't
marry her now without ruining his career, but he hopes that she will take the initiative in
politely backing out and leaving. She remains at Fielding's college, an embarrassment to
herself and the English, as the Turtons won't take her back. Aziz is suing her for damages, and
Ronny decides to save any discussion about their relationship for after a decision is made
regarding the lawsuit.
Chapter 29
Sir Gilbert, the lieutenant-governer of the province, comes to Chandrapore to survey the
results of the trail, telling Mr. Fielding that he is re-invited to the English club, and then leaves
Chandrapore satisfied that all is well.
The college stays closed. Mr. Fielding eats and sleeps at Hamidullah's house, so Adela
continues to live at the college. Fielding suggests her to write an apology to Aziz. Fielding
brings up that Mrs. Moore to shame Aziz about Adela. Aziz was very upset when he learns of
Mrs. Moore's death. He wept and ordered his children to weep as well. Finally, Aziz agrees to
be merciful and drop the demand and decides to move to a Moslem State where the English
can't touch him.
Ronny is to be transferred to another province, and he visits Adela to break off the
engagement, telling Fielding that he has arranged for a passage back to England for Adela as
well. Fielding and Adela say farewell and promise to write each other. Ten days later Adela
leaves for England. The servant Antony accompanies her and starts a rumor among the boat's
passengers that she was Fielding's mistress. Adela starts to feel better as the ship approaches
Europe, and befriends an American missionary on the ship. She decides to look up Ralph and
Stella, Mrs. Moore's other children, as soon as she arrives in England.
Chapter 30
Another consequence of the trial is a brief respite in the factional disagreements between
Hindus and Muslims in Chandrapore. Dr. PannaLal asks Dr. Aziz to write a poem for " the
general Indian," to be published in his brother's magazine. Aziz agrees, but is unable to find a
theme not related to Islam. Hamidullah, frustrated by disagreements with his wife, suggests
that Aziz write about Indian women, who are supposed to be oppressed by their husbands, but
who in reality run and control their husbands' lives. During this time, a rumour, started by
Adela's servant ( Antony ). According to the rumour, Adela and Fielding spent Adela's last
weeks in the city as lovers. Aziz makes a joke out of this, again mocking Adela for not being
beautiful, but suddenly he has an outburst of anger and says everyone has betrayed him.
Chapter 31
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Aziz believes the rumour. He suspects that Fielding intends to marry Adela, which would
explain why he was so anxious for Aziz not to sue for any of her money. When Fielding reveals
that he is sailing soon for England, Aziz becomes even more angry of his friend, and their
relationship begins to strain. At last, Aziz takes his children on a holiday. Fielding writes him a
letter, to which Aziz replies coldly. When Fielding leaves, Aziz is not in Chandrapore to see
him off.
Chapter 32
Fielding enjoys his journey back to Europe, and when the ship docks at Venice, he can’t help
admiring the beauty of the architecture. He feels almost disloyal to India in doing so, but the
buildings of Venice all seem to be “in the right place,” whereas the Indian temples and even the
hills themselves seem lumpy and formless.
In other words, when he arrives in Venice, on the way to England, Fielding is overwhelmed by
the beauty of the city, where everything seems to be placed right that is placed wrong in India.
In other words, England is completely different than India which is full of confusion and
muddles. As the early summer blooms across Europe, Fielding is touched by romantic feelings
he thought were long behind him.
He writes post cards to his Indian friends, but feels that they will not be able to share his joy in
European architecture, as they do not have proper appreciation for “civilization that has
escaped muddle.” Fielding finally arrives in England in the spring, and feels old romantic
feelings rekindled within himself.
This is Forster’s most explicit use of architecture as an example of cultural difference. Forster,
like Fielding, takes comfort in the form and beauty of Venetian architecture. For Forster, such
beauty is an example of a positive result of the logic and rationality of the Western mindset,
while India’s architecture, by contrast, represents the worst of the country’s “muddle,” as it
feels formless and random. Forster looks ahead to Fielding’s marriage.
Plot
Part Two – Caves
The day of the visit to the Marabar Caves arrives and, except for the absence of Fielding and
his assistant, Professor Godbole, who miss the early morning train, the expedition begins
successfully. An elephant transports the party into the hills and a picnic breakfast awaits Aziz's
guests when they reach their goal near the caves. However, things begin to change when they
visit the first cave. Mrs. Moore nearly faints when she feels herself crammed in the dark and
loses sight of Adela and Dr. Aziz. She feels something strike her face and hears a terrifying
echo: The echo in a Marabar Cave is …. Entirely devoid of distinction. Whatever is said, the
same monotonous noise replies, and quivers up and down the walls until it is absorbed into the
roof. " Boum" is the sound as far as the human alphabet can express it, or " bou-oum", or
"ou-boum," – utterly dull. Hope, politeness, the blowing of a nose, the squeak of a boot, all
produce " boum" …. Coming at a moment when Mrs. Moore chanced to be fatigued, it had
managed to murmur: " Pathos, piety, courage – they exist, but are identical, and so is filth.
Everything exists, nothing has value." If one had spoken vileness in that place, or quoted lofty
poetry, the comment would have been the same – " ou-boum."
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The echo lingers in Mrs. Moore's mind and begins " in some indescribable way to undermine
her hold on life." She suddenly realizes that she no longer wants to communicate with her
children, Aziz, God or anyone else, and sinks into a state of apathy and cynicism.
Meanwhile, Aziz and Adela are en route to visit more of the caves. Preoccupied by thoughts of
her marriage and by the disturbing realization that she and Ronny do not love each other,
Adela inadvertently offends her host by asking a poorly thought-out question. Aziz is
momentarily annoyed and slips into one of the caves " to recover his balance." Adela loses
sight of him and also enters one of the caves. When Aziz reappears, he catches a glimpse of
Adela running down the hill towards an approaching car. Thinking that she has merely gone
off to meet Ronny, Aziz returns to the camp and learns that Adela has unexpectedly driven
away. The remaining members of the expedition take the train back to Chandrapore. Upon
their return, Dr. Aziz is arrested and charged with making insulting advances to Miss Quested
in the Marabar Caves.
That evening, there is a meeting at the Club and Fielding stands alone against his countrymen
by stating his belief that Aziz is innocent. Adela remains ill for several days, hovering "
between common sense and hysteria" and, like Mrs. Moore, is plagued by the sound of the
echo. She begins to have doubts about what happened in the cave and eventually tells Ronny
that she may have made a mistake. Mrs. Moore supports Adela's belief that Aziz is innocent
but Ronny insists that the trial must proceed and sends his mother back to England. When
Adela takes the stand, she feels herself returned to the Marabar Hills and finds the exact reply
to all the questions put to her. However, she is unable to say for sure whether Aziz followed her
into the cave; she could see herself in one of the caves, but could not locate Aziz. Finally, she
tells the court that she has made a mistake and that Dr. Aziz never followed her into the cave.
The superintendent withdraws the charges and Aziz is released " without one stain on his
character."
After the trial, Adela receives the news of Mrs. Moore's death at the sea and can no longer bear
Ronny's company. He eventually breaks off their engagement because marrying her would
now ruin his career. Before her voyage back to England, Adela is subjected to one final
adventure when her servant, Antony, attempts to blackmail her by claiming she was Fielding's
mistress. By this time, Fielding, who believes that Adela should not suffer for her mistake, has
managed to convince Aziz to renounce his right to monetary compensation. Aziz begins to
regret that decision when he hears the rumour concerning his two friends. The
misunderstanding is complicated when Aziz learns that Fielding is also returning to England.
Aziz suspects that his friend intends to marry Adela for her money and leaves Chandrapore
before Fielding can explain or say Good-bye.
Symbols
Green Bird
Just after Adela and Ronny agree for the first time, in chapter 7, to break off their
engagement, they notice a green bird sitting in the tree above them. Neither of them can
8
positively identify the bird. For Adela, the bird symbolizes the unidentifiable quality of all of
India; Just when she thinks she can understand any aspect of India, that aspect changes and
disappears. In this sense, the green bird symbolizes the muddle of India. In another capacity,
the bird points to a different tension between the English and the Indians. The English are
obsessed with knowledge, literalness, and naming. They use these tools as a means of gaining
and maintaining power. The Indians, in contrast, are more attentive to nuance, undertone, and
the emotions behind words. While the English insist on labeling and describing things, the
Indians recognize that labels can blind one to important details and differences. The
unidentifiable green bird suggests the disagreement of the English obsession with classification
and order with the shifting quality of India itself. The land is, in fact, a " hundred Indias " that
defy labeling and understanding.
The wasp
It appears several times in A passage to India, usually in conjunction with the Hindu vision of
the oneness of all living things. The wasp is usually depicted as the lowest creature the Hindus
connect with their vision of universal unity. Mrs. Moore is closely associated with the wasp, as
she finds one in her room and is gently appreciative of it. Her peaceful regard for the wasp
signifies her own openness to the Hindu idea of collectivity, and to the mysticism and
indefinable quality of India in general. However, as the wasp is the lowest creature that the
Hindus visualize, it also represents the limits of the Hindu vision. The vision is not a panacea,
but merely a possibility for unity and understanding in India.
They defy both English and Indians to act as guides to them, and their strange beauty and
menace unsettles visitors. The caves' alien quality also has the power to make visitors such as
Mrs. Moore and Adela confront parts of themselves or the universe that they have not
previously recognized. The all-reducing echo of the caves causes Mrs. Moore to see the darker
side of her spirituality – a waning commitment to the world of relationships and a growing
ambivalence about God. Adela confronts the shame and embarrassment for her realization
that she and Ronny are not actually attracted to each other, and that she might be attracted to
no one. In this sense, the caves both destroy meaning, in reducing all utterances to the same
sound, and expose or narrate the unspeakable, the aspects of the universe that the caves'
visitors have not yet considered.