Theme Of Friendship In A Passage To India

The British Raj caused communal tension amongst those inhabiting India due to conflicting ideologies and prejudices between the Western and Eastern cultures. Although this is seen in the novel A Passage to India, Aziz and Fielding, who are two of the main characters of the novel, connect with each other because they believed that the opposing cultures could work harmoniously together. However, as the ruling of the English progressed, nationalism overcame the two main characters and resulted in a friendship that fell apart. Moreover, the underlying issue causing the friendship to fail never finds a resolution causing the two to part ways. In A Passage to India, the friendship between Aziz and Fielding portrays two misfits from opposing cultures

Aziz and Fielding are not prejudice against one another’s culture. By keeping an open mind, their friendship develops into a brotherhood. The unlikely friendship reflects the possibility that people from different cultures can bridge the gap of understanding. From the moment when the English arrive, Aziz makes it a personal goal of his to please the English and Fielding is happy to reciprocate his kindness. Fielding, unlike the other Englishmen, does not view the Indians as an inferior race. Aziz expresses an analogy of his friendship with Fielding by stating “[…] Kindness, more kindness, and even that more kindness [….] We can’t build up India except on what we feel. What is the use of all these reforms, and Conciliations Committees for Mohurram, and shall we cut the tazia short or shall we carry it another route, and Councils of Notables and official parties where the English sneer at our skins?” (Forster 107). As Fielding is responding to Aziz’s proposed friendship with kindness, this reflects symbolically how Britain should also approach India with affection. However, due to racism, the English population display hostility towards a culture they know little about. According to Aziz’s belief, personal friendships reflect a true model for international

Aziz and Fielding are characters who are searching for social acceptance. They try to find it using each other, however, their opposing personalities prohibit this union. Aziz is well educated, poetic, emotional and quite imaginative, while Fielding is more reserved, keeps his thoughts to himself, and he is more factual. This is symbolic of the relationship between England and India. When the British Raj began, the English came in and unbeknownst to the Indians, they invaded the country. The Indian population were not aware of England’s plans to take advantage, economically, of their country. Whilst the Indians are constantly asking questions, the English deliberately withhold knowledge from them. This leads to many conflicts as the British Raj ruins India’s natural resources and make the average man poorer by the day by imposing ridiculous tax rates. The country suffers and finally on the last page of the novel, the characters have an epiphany: “[but] the horses didn’t want it- they swerved apart; the earth didn’t want it… they didn’t want it, they said in hundred voices, “No, not yet,” and the sky said, “No, not there” (Forster 306). This passage not only reveals that there are apparent issues, but finally opens the possibilities of positive change within the country once the English leave. This reveals how