A Passage to India by E.M. Forester?
Why is the setting of this novel important and also what are some examples of the theme. One example i can think of is how Adela accused Aziz of rape with no evidence yet Aziz was thrown into jail because he was an indian.
Thanks For The Help In Advance
Comments
I'm not going to do your homework for you, but I'll help you do it for yourself. (If you haven't read the novel, though, you're out of luck.)
It's helpful to remember how long ago the novel was written (85 years). Great Britain's empire was still intact, meaning that fully a quarter of the world was, one way or another, under British dominion. But all was not serene; struggles for independence, such as Gandhi's, were emerging. So the setting (India) will resonate differently in the novel than it would today, and you might find it useful to look up the history of India as a British colony.
You don't have to, however, as long as you remember that relationships between India and Britain, as between any colony and its ruler, were complicated. In other words, in looking for themes, expect disunity and contradiction, rather than harmony.
Play the game of "the blind men and the elephant," only use India (as it appears in the novel) as your elephant. Ask "What is India in the mosque scene?" "What is India in the scenes set in the British club?" "What is India in the Marabar Caves?" "What is India in the festival of Krishna?" Don't just list adjectives; be precise and concrete: "As we see in the mosque, India is a place where . . .." Then, gather all of your impressions and see where the continuities and discontinuities lie.
Think back to the cave episode and ask yourself why Adele reacts this way? What is it about the cave (remember... it is by definition, hollow) and her solitude in that cave that causes such an unsettling reaction? The symbolism of the broken binoculars shouldn't be ignored. Also, return to the mosque episode and review Mrs. Moore's statements to Dr. Aziz.