A Passage To India A Passage To Interrelationship

This thesis deals with the theme in E. M. Forster's masterpiece A Passage to India. Personal interrelationship is Forster's persistent theme and main preoccupation. He especially cherishes mutual understanding and sincere connection between man and man. He believes that good and harmonious personal relationships are the prerequisite for perfect life. The themes of this novel not only lie in revealing the gulf in personal interrelationship, but, more importantly, exploring how to bridge the gulf and establish harmonious interrelationship.This thesis falls into two parts. Part One analyzes the gulf in personal interrelationship. According to the causes that engender gulf, the gulf can be classified into three kinds: racial gulf, cultural gulf and religious gulf. An impassable racial gulf exists between the British rulers and the native Indians. Different cultural backgrounds between the East and the West lead to cultural gulf. Religious gulf describes the conflict and exclusion of the three religions: Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Part Two presents five bridges to harmonious interrelationship. The first bridge is what Mrs. Moore advocates-good will and more good will and more good will. The second one is what Fielding believes in-good will plus culture and intelligence. The third is the doctrine of Hinduism-total acceptance and complete inclusion, represented by Professor Godbole. The fourth one-Only connect ?is a way advocated and appealed for by Forster to solve human conflicts and contradictions. The last bridge is the overthrowal of the colonial rule, with Aziz as its representative.The valuable point of this book lies in that it points out the importance of political equality between nations. Although Forster has not offered one means which can solve human conflicts and gulf for good and all, his attitude is not pessimistic. He places hope on the future. He firmly believes that good and harmonious personal interrelationship can be established in the future.