| This thesis, based on the study of the distance between India image in A Passage to India and that in collective imagination, delves into how Foster's India image inherits and subverts that of the British collective imagination. This present thesis intends to investigate the subversion of India Image in the novel from the following aspects: landscapes, Indian people and social relations. What's more, the deep social and individual factors lurking behind its subversion are revealed.It is found that, India image in British collective imagination is the blind simplification of India image, either as a fantastic land or an evil place. However, Foster depicts a complex and round India with a balanced view of India, combining both the positive and negative elements into his depiction. Foster's rethinking of 'the other' is closely related with the diminishing power of British imperialism and the cultural crisis in the West. His view of India also owes much debt to anti-imperialism stance and his personal sympathy for India. |
