E. M. Forster’s Spiritual Journey in A Passage to India: Focused on Human Relations and Hinduism

At first glance, A Passage to India is an account of a cultural exchange between two groups of people in conflict in British India in the 1920s. However, the real story is not that of the cultural contact or conflicts of Adela, Dr. Aziz, or any of the main characters. It is the spiritual journey of the author, E. M. Forster himself, as he tries to find the fundamentals of life under conflict, and ultimately peace, through the lens of a foreign religion, Hinduism. Hinduism is manifested in this story through the symbolic Marabar caves, the birth ritual of Krishna, and characters like Professor Godbole. There is, in addition, a context within which Hinduism is to play out—that of human relationships intertwined with the Hindu teaching of “nothingness.” Forster reveals a Hinduism that is inviting, but without a promise of anything tangible. It ultimately offers only an atmosphere, an atmosphere of peace beyond understanding. Still adhered to the idea of universal peace, Forster, though not completely devout, believes that Hinduism is one way to eventually acquire universal peace. In this way, A Passage to India, Forster’s last and greatest novel, portrays his spiritual and religious journey on a meta-level delineated through his characters and the conflict-driven experiences they undergo.