The Conflict Between Microscopic Social Relationships And Macroscopic Social Relationships

A Passage to India is a masterpiece by E. M. Forster, a distinguished British novelist. The novel gives a vivid description of the Indian society under the Raj and renders embodiment to the Forsterian view of the"Only Connect". In order to carry out further investigation into the"Only Connect", this thesis develops a new analytical perspective—the conflict between microscopic social relationships and macroscopic social relationships, which is based upon the western theory of typological psychology by the German psychologist Kurt Lewin. The Chinese thought about nature by Lao-tzu also gives inspiration to the author in the establishment of the aforementioned analytical perspective.The introduction is devoted to the introduction of the conflict between microscopic social relationships and macroscopic social relationships. From Chapter One to Chapter Four, four main characters in the novel—Aziz, Fielding, Mrs. Moore and Adela are analyzed as concrete cases of the above-mentioned conflict. Then the thesis arrives at its conclusion. The four main characters in the novel have not achieved the"Only Connect"in the conflict between microscopic social relationships and macroscopic social relationships. They leave the India directly under the Raj in different manners and to different extents. In that way, they enter new systems of macroscopic social relationships. It can be thereby inferred that Forster attaches the hope of the attainment of the"Only Connect"to the breaking of unreasonable social orders and the formation of new systems of macroscopic social relationships. In the new model of the conflict between microscopic social relationships and macroscopic social relationships established thereby, the"Only Connect"may be attained.