The Colonial Discourse in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India

This paper differs from the work of scholars who misinterpret E. M. Forster’s political novel A Passage to India as a story emphasizing the importance of cross-cultural friendship between English characters and Indians. While some overlook the fact that Forster employs this intimacy to justify English imperial practices in India, this paper argues otherwise. Throughout his novel, Forster does not imply that the British occupiers do not have the right to rule India or that Indians are equal to the British. On the contrary, he depicts Indians as an inferior race incapable of self-governance, thereby justifying the presence of English colonizers in India. English characters are portrayed as superior citizens, and those who communicate with Indians are at risk of punishment for sedition and anti-patriotism. The Indian mutiny in the novel symbolizes the need for India’s liberation and the end of British oppression.