Forster, E. M.: 1879-1970

A Passage to India, 1924 - Summary

The personal and the political collide head-on in E.M. Forster's A Passage to India. Set in India during British rule, the novel follows the relationship between Dr. Aziz, an Indian, and Cyril Fielding, an English teacher. The two men share a deep personal bond which is strained to the breaking point when Aziz is accused of trying to rape an English woman. Despite Fielding's faith in his friend and their friendship, forces on both sides of the colonial divide work to make their friendship practically impossible. Although set in the historical particulars of colonial India, the story of men trying to connect with one another despite a world fractured along lines of race, gender, and nationality is timeless.
From PBS