Analysis Of E.M. Forster’s Suzerain Consciousness In A Passage To India--from The Perspective Of Orientalism

E. M. Forster is one of the most influential writers in the 20 th British literary circle. Including A Passage to India, he has published 6 novels, all of which have won him great fame. A Passage to India has gained research focus since its publication and it is regarded as "the last traditional realistic work in the 20 th century".Scholars has analyzed and interpreted this novel from various perspectives such as its rhythm, connotation of religion, politics and culture, etc. Though most researches emphasized Forster’s anti-British and pro-Indian attitude. However, by means of close reading, it can be found out that Forster, as a citizen of a suzerain state, was not immune to the influence of suzerain consciousness when writing this novel, though he showed considerable sympathy to Indians. Put forward by Edward Said in his Orientalism, the theory of Orientalism not only discloses the way in which the suzerain Occident perceives the Orient but also points out that the perception is related to colonialism and imperialism. It also indicates how the strong Occident dominates and reconstructs the weak Orient.Therefore, this thesis aims at revealing Forster’s suzerain consciousness in A Passage to India with the aid of Said’s Orientalism.The thesis falls into four chapters apart from Introduction and Conclusion.Introduction offers background information to E.M. Forster and his masterpiece A Passage to India. It also elaborates on literature review on Forster and this novel at home and abroad. Besides theoretical basis, definitions to key words, thesis significance and structure can also be found in this part.Through close reading of the novel, the thesis, equipped with Orientalism, analyzes in detail Forster’s suzerain consciousness displayed in the novel in the following four chapters. Chapter One reveals the author’s suzerain consciousness through analysis of characterization in the novel, such as the contrasting descriptions of British and Indians and the building of unfavorable Indian images. Chapter Two summarizes contempt for Hinduism and Islam in the novel and meanwhile, with the aid of Orientalism, analyzes the author’s reasons and purposes leading to such depictions. Chapter Three discloses the author’s suzerain consciousness through examining the negative descriptions of Indian environment, including living and natural environment. Chapter Four sums up Forster’s suzerain consciousness in discourse descriptions on the basis of relationship between discourse and power.Conclusion points out the research results, limitation of this thesis and potential research perspectives. What’s more important, this part makes a brief discussion of the significance of Orientalism to studying post-colonial literary works.