How Forster Shows the Racial Tension Between the Indians and the British

How Forster Shows the Racial Tension Between the Indians and the British

If we look closely at the words racial and tension, we can see that it

is a difficult feeling or nervousness of fear or anger, between two

groups of people who do not trust each other. Therefore it can now be

closely analysed exactly what is being asked, as within A Passage to

India there are several ways in which this subject is addressed. It

can be shown from the way the British have been racist in the way that

they have intruded upon India. This significantly corrupted the

Indians style of life and conclusively caused the racial tension which

I am investigating.

Most fluidly racial tension can be identified from the snide comments

which are repeatedly made by the British "You're superior…Aryan

Brother". These racist comments made by the British show extreme

hatred for the Indian culture, as "Aryan Brother" is a term made up by

the British to call an Indian person. The suggestion that someone

could call another human being by a term and not by a name is not only

a severe sign of immaturity, but also creates tension as it secludes

the British from the Indian's, it segregates them into a superior

minority. To add to this point, not only are the British

discriminating in this way but are actually classing themselves as

"superior". Not only does this way of thinking segregate again, it

further causes a view that they should treat the natives as if they

are unworthy, as they feel they are higher in class so they don't

deserve their respect. These ways further Forster's way of increasing

the tension between the Indians and the British.

Although, it can be s...

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...in which the British are simply ignorant of

religions and how they are expressed within India. A perfect example

of this is "stood with their backs to the company and their faces

pressed into a bank of shrubs". This quote shows that the British are

blindly not observing why these women cannot participate, within the

party held for Mrs Moore and Miss Quested, as it is part of their

religion not to. Religion and beliefs within India make up a

significant part of the tradition within India; this ignorance leads

me to believe that this is the main factor as to why the racial

tension is portrayed so significantly by Forster. Had this additional

factor not been included with A Passage to India the suggestion I feel

that Forster may have wanted to make about the racial tension would

have had a completely the different effect.