Lit Engl An3 Sem2 Sorop 07

8/8/2019 Lit Engl An3 Sem2 Sorop 07

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Curs de literatura engleza anul III sem II

Lector univ. dr. Aloisia Sorop

Postcolonial literature

The field of Postcolonial Studies has been gaining prominence since the 19!s. Some "ould date its rise in

the #estern academ$ from the publication of %d"ard Said&s influential criti'ue of #estern constructions of

the (rient in his 19) boo* +(rientalism,. The gro"ing currenc$ "ithin the academ$ of the term

-postcolonial- sometimes h$phenated/ "as consolidated b$ the appearance in 19)9 of +The %mpire #rites

0ac* Theor$ and Practice in Post2Colonial Literatures, b$ 0ill Ashcroft3 4areth 4riffiths3 and 5elen Tiffin.Since then3 the use of cognate terms -Common"ealth- and -Third #orld- that "ere used to describe the

literature of %urope&s former colonies has become rarer. Although there is considerable debate over the

precise parameters of the field and the definition of the term -postcolonial3- in a ver$ general sense3 it is thestud$ of the interactions bet"een %uropean nations and the societies the$ colonized in the modern period.

The %uropean empire is said to have held s"a$ over more than )67 of the rest of the globe b$ the time of

the 8irst #orld #ar3 having consolidated its control over several centuries. The sheer etent and duration of

the %uropean empire and its disintegration after the Second #orld #ar have led to "idespread interest in postcolonial literature and criticism in our o"n times

The list of former colonies of %uropean po"ers is a long one. The$ are divided into settler eg. Australia3

Canada/ and non2settler countries India3 :amaica3 ;igeria3 Senegal3 Sri Lan*a/. Countries such as SouthAfrica "ere partiall$ settled b$ colonial populations complicate even this simple division bet"een settler

and non2settler. The "idel$ divergent eperiences of these countries suggest that -postcolonial- is a ver$loose term. In strictl$ definitional terms3 for instance3 the


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as a particular period/ in that the cultural productions and social formations of the colon$ long before

colonization are used to better understand the eperience of colonization. >oreover3 the -postcolonial-

sometimes includes countries that have $et to achieve independence3 or people in 8irst #orld countries "ho

are minorities3 or even independent colonies that no" contend "ith -neocolonial- forms of sub?ugationthrough epanding capitalism and globalization. In all of these senses3 the -postcolonial3- rather than

indicating onl$ a specific and materiall$ historical event3 seems to describe the second half of the t"entieth2

centur$ in general as a period in the aftermath of the he$da$ of colonialism. %ven more genericall$3 the

-postcolonial- is used to signif$ a position against imperialism and %urocentrism. #estern "a$s of*no"ledge production and dissemination in the past and present then become ob?ects of stud$ for those

see*ing alternative means of epression. As the foregoing discussion suggests3 the term thus $o*es a

diverse range of eperiences3 cultures3 and problems@ the resultant confusion is perhaps predictable.

The epansiveness of the -postcolonial- has given rise to livel$ debates. The overhast$ celebration of

independence mas*s the march of neocolonialism in the guise of modernization and development in an age

of increasing globalization and transnationalism@ mean"hile3 there are colonized countries that are still

under foreign control. The emphasis on colonizercolonized relations3 moreover3 obscures the operation ofinternal oppression "ithin the colonies. Still others berate the tendenc$ in the #estern academ$ to be more

receptive to postcolonial literature and theor$ that is compatible "ith postmodern formulations of h$bridit$3

s$ncretization3 and pastiche "hile ignoring the critical realism of "riters more interested in the specifics of

social and racial oppression. The lionization of diasporic "riters li*e Salman Bushdie for instance3 might be

seen as a privileging of the transnational3 migrant sensibilit$ at the epense of more local struggles in the postcolon$. 8urther3 the rise of Postcolonial Studies at a time of gro"ing transnational movements of

capital3 labor3 and culture is vie"ed b$ some "ith suspicion in that it is thought to deflect attention a"a$

from the material realities of eploitation both in the 8irst and the Third #orld

The follo"ing 'uestions suggest some of the ma?or issues in the field

5o" did the eperience of colonization affect those "ho "ere colonized "hile also influencing thecolonizers 5o" "ere colonial po"ers able to gain control over so large a portion of the non2#estern

"orld #hat traces have been left b$ colonial education3 science and technolog$ in postcolonial societies

5o" do these traces affect decisions about development and modernization in postcolonies #hat "ere the

forms of resistance against colonial control 5o" did colonial education and language influence the cultureand identit$ of the colonized 5o" did #estern science3 technolog$3 and medicine change eisting

*no"ledge s$stems #hat are the emergent forms of postcolonial identit$ after the departure of thecolonizers To "hat etent has decolonization a reconstruction free from colonial influence/ been

possible Are #estern formulations of postcolonialism overemphasizing h$bridit$ at the epense ofmaterial realities Should decolonization proceed through an aggressive return to the pre2colonial past

5o" do gender3 race3 and class function in colonial and postcolonial discourse Are ne" forms of

imperialism replacing colonization and ho"

Along "ith these 'uestions3 there are some more that are particularl$ pertinent to postcolonial literature

Should the "riter use a colonial language reach a "ider audience or return to a native language more

relevant to groups in the postcolon$ #hich "riters should be included in the postcolonial canon 5o" can

tets in translation from non2colonial languages enrich our understanding of postcolonial issues 5as the preponderance of the postcolonial novel led to a neglect of other genres.

""".leafc$cles.com=ocumentsPostColonialTheor$.pdf


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:oseph Conrad +5eart of =ar*ness,

5eart of =ar*ness centers around >arlo"3 an introspective sailor3 and his ?ourne$ up the Congo Biver to

meet Durtz3 reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. >arlo" ta*es a ?ob as a riverboat captain "ith

the Compan$3 a 0elgian concern organized to trade in the Congo. As he travels to Africa and then up the

Congo3 >arlo" encounters "idespread inefficienc$ and brutalit$ in the Compan$,s stations. The nativeinhabitants of the region have been forced into the Compan$,s service3 and the$ suffer terribl$ from

over"or* and ill treatment at the hands of the Compan$,s agents. The cruelt$ and s'ualor of imperial

enterprise contrasts sharpl$ "ith the impassive and ma?estic ?ungle that surrounds the "hite man,s

settlements3 ma*ing them appear to be tin$ islands amidst a vast dar*ness.

>arlo" arrives at the Central Station3 run b$ the general manager3 an un"holesome3 conspiratorial

character. 5e finds that his steamship has been sun* and spends several months "aiting for parts to repair

it. 5is interest in Durtz gro"s during this period. The manager and his favorite3 the bric*ma*er3 seem tofear Durtz as a threat to their position. Durtz is rumored to be ill3 ma*ing the dela$s in repairing the ship all

the more costl$. >arlo" eventuall$ gets the parts he needs to repair his ship3 and he and the manager set

out "ith a fe" agents "hom >arlo" calls pilgrims because of their strange habit of carr$ing long3 "ooden

staves "herever the$ go/ and a cre" of cannibals on a long3 difficult vo$age up the river. The dense ?ungle

and the oppressive silence ma*e ever$one aboard a little ?ump$3 and the occasional glimpse of a nativevillage or the sound of drums "or* the pilgrims into a frenz$.

>arlo" and his cre" come across a hut "ith stac*ed fire"ood3 together "ith a note sa$ing that the "ood isfor them but that the$ should approach cautiousl$. Shortl$ after the steamer has ta*en on the fire"ood3 it is

surrounded b$ a dense fog. #hen the fog clears3 the ship is attac*ed b$ an unseen band of natives3 "ho fire

arro"s from the safet$ of the forest. The African helmsman is *illed before >arlo" frightens the natives

a"a$ "ith the ship,s steam "histle. ;ot long after3 >arlo" and his companions arrive at Durtz,s InnerStation3 epecting to find him dead3 but a half2crazed Bussian trader3 "ho meets them as the$ come ashore3

assures them that ever$thing is fine and informs them that he is the one "ho left the "ood. The Bussian

claims that Durtz has enlarged his mind and cannot be sub?ected to the same moral ?udgments as normal

people. Apparentl$3 Durtz has established himself as a god "ith the natives and has gone on brutal raids inthe surrounding territor$ in search of ivor$. The collection of severed heads adorning the fence posts

around the station attests to his Emethods.F The pilgrims bring Durtz out of the station2house on a stretcher3and a large group of native "arriors pours out of the forest and surrounds them. Durtz spea*s to them3 and

the natives disappear into the "oods.

The manager brings Durtz3 "ho is 'uite ill3 aboard the steamer. A beautiful native "oman3 apparentl$

Durtz,s mistress3 appears on the shore and stares out at the ship. The Bussian implies that she is someho"

involved "ith Durtz and has caused trouble before through her influence over him. The Bussian reveals to>arlo"3 after s"earing him to secrec$3 that Durtz had ordered the attac* on the steamer to ma*e them

believe he "as dead in order that the$ might turn bac* and leave him to his plans. The Bussian then leaves

b$ canoe3 fearing the displeasure of the manager. Durtz disappears in the night3 and >arlo" goes out in

search of him3 finding him cra"ling on all fours to"ard the native camp. >arlo" stops him and convinceshim to return to the ship. The$ set off do"n the river the net morning3 but Durtz,s health is failing fast.

>arlo" listens to Durtz tal* "hile he pilots the ship3 and Durtz entrusts >arlo" "ith a pac*et of personaldocuments3 including an elo'uent pamphlet on civilizing the savages "hich ends "ith a scra"led messagethat sa$s3 E%terminate all the brutesGF The steamer brea*s do"n3 and the$ have to stop for repairs. Durtz

dies3 uttering his last "ordsHEThe horrorG The horrorGFHin the presence of the confused >arlo". >arlo"

falls ill soon after and barel$ survives. %ventuall$ he returns to %urope and goes to see Durtz,s Intended

his fiance/. She is still in mourning3 even though it has been over a $ear since Durtz,s death3 and she praises him as a paragon of virtue and achievement. She as*s "hat his last "ords "ere3 but >arlo" cannot

bring himself to shatter her illusions "ith the truth. Instead3 he tells her that Durtz,s last "ord "as her

name.


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>a?or Characters

Although >arlo" appears in several of Conrad,s other "or*s3 it is important not to vie" him as merel$ asurrogate for the author. >arlo" is a complicated man "ho anticipates the figures of high modernism "hile

also reflecting his Jictorian predecessors. >arlo" is in man$ "a$s a traditional hero tough3 honest3 an

independent thin*er3 a capable man. Ket he is also Ebro*enF or Edamaged3F li*e T. S. %liot,s :. Alfred

Prufroc* or #illiam 8aul*ner,s uentin Compson. The "orld has defeated him in some fundamental "a$3and he is "ear$3 s*eptical3 and c$nical. >arlo" also mediates bet"een the figure of the intellectual and that

of the E"or*ing tough.F #hile he is clearl$ intelligent3 elo'uent3 and a natural philosopher3 he is not

saddled "ith the angst of centuries, "orth of #estern thought. At the same time3 "hile he is highl$ s*illed

at "hat he doesHhe repairs and then abl$ pilots his o"n shipHhe is no mere manual laborer. #or*3 forhim3 is a distraction3 a concrete alternative to the posturing and ecuse2ma*ing of those around him.

>arlo" can also be read as an intermediar$ bet"een the t"o etremes of Durtz and the Compan$. 5e is

moderate enough to allo" the reader to identif$ "ith him3 $et open2minded enough to identif$ at least partiall$ "ith either etreme. Thus3 he acts as a guide for the reader. >arlo",s intermediar$ position can be

seen in his eventual illness and recover$. ariner3 destined3 as purgation or penance3 to repeat his stor$ toall "ho "ill listen.

Durtz3 li*e >arlo"3 can be situated "ithin a larger tradition. Durtz resembles the archet$pal Eevil geniusFthe highl$ gifted but ultimatel$ degenerate individual "hose fall is the stuff of legend. Durtz is related to

figures li*e 8austus3 Satan in >ilton,s Paradise Lost3 >ob$2=ic*,s Ahab3 and #uthering 5eights,s

5eathcliff. Li*e these characters3 he is significant both for his st$le and elo'uence and for his grandiose3

almost megalomaniacal scheming. In a "orld of mundanel$ malicious men and Eflabb$ devils3F attractingenough attention to be "orth$ of damnation is indeed something. Durtz can be criticized in the same terms

that 5eart of =ar*ness is sometimes criticized st$le entirel$ overrules substance3 providing a ?ustification

for amoralit$ and evil.

In fact3 it can be argued that st$le does not ?ust override substance but actuall$ mas*s the fact that Durtz is

utterl$ lac*ing in substance. >arlo" refers to Durtz as Ehollo"F more than once. This could be ta*ennegativel$3 to mean that Durtz is not "orth$ of contemplation. 5o"ever3 it also points to Durtz,s abilit$ to

function as a Echoice of nightmaresF for >arlo" in his essential emptiness3 he becomes a cipher3 a siteupon "hich other things can be pro?ected. This emptiness should not be read as benign3 ho"ever3 ?ust as

Durtz,s elo'uence should not be allo"ed to overshado" the malice of his actions. Instead3 Durtz provides

>arlo" "ith a set of paradoes that >arlo" can use to evaluate himself and the Compan$,s men.

Indeed3 Durtz is not so much a full$ realized individual as a series of images constructed b$ others for their

o"n use. As >arlo",s visits "ith Durtz,s cousin3 the 0elgian ?ournalist3 and Durtz,s fiance demonstrate3

there seems to be no true Durtz. To his cousin3 he "as a great musician@ to the ?ournalist3 a brilliant

politician and leader of men@ to his fiance3 a great humanitarian and genius. All of these contrast "ith>arlo",s version of the man3 and he is left doubting the validit$ of his memories. Ket Durtz3 through his

charisma and larger2than2life plans3 remains "ith >arlo" and "ith the reader.

>a?or themesThe 5$pocris$ of Imperialism

5eart of =ar*ness eplores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated "a$s. As >arlo" travels

from the (uter Station to the Central Station and finall$ up the river to the Inner Station3 he encounters

scenes of torture3 cruelt$3 and near2slaver$. At the ver$ least3 the incidental scener$ of the boo* offers aharsh picture of colonial enterprise. The impetus behind >arlo",s adventures3 too3 has to do "ith the

h$pocris$ inherent in the rhetoric used to ?ustif$ imperialism. The men "ho "or* for the Compan$ describe

"hat the$ do as Etrade3F and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent pro?ect ofEcivilization.F Durtz3 on the other hand3 is open about the fact that he does not trade but rather ta*es ivor$


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b$ force3 and he describes his o"n treatment of the natives "ith the "ords EsuppressionF and

EeterminationF he does not hide the fact that he rules through violence and intimidation. 5is perverse

honest$ leads to his do"nfall3 as his success threatens to epose the evil practices behind %uropean activit$

in Africa.

5o"ever3 for >arlo" as much as for Durtz or for the Compan$3 Africans in this boo* are mostl$ ob?ects

>arlo" refers to his helmsman as a piece of machiner$3 and Durtz,s African mistress is at best a piece of

statuar$. It can be argued that 5eart of =ar*ness participates in an oppression of non"hites that is muchmore sinister and much harder to remed$ than the open abuses of Durtz or the Compan$,s men. Africans

become for >arlo" a mere bac*drop3 a human screen against "hich he can pla$ out his philosophical and

eistential struggles. Their eistence and their eoticism enable his self2contemplation. This *ind of

dehumanization is harder to identif$ than colonial violence or open racism. #hile 5eart of =ar*ness offersa po"erful condemnation of the h$pocritical operations of imperialism3 it also presents a set of issues

surrounding race that is ultimatel$ more troubling.

>adness Caused b$ Imperialism

>adness is closel$ lin*ed to imperialism in this boo*. Africa is responsible for mental disintegration as

"ell as for ph$sical illness. >adness has t"o primar$ functions. 8irst3 it serves as an ironic device to

engage the reader,s s$mpathies. Durtz3 >arlo" is told from the beginning3 is mad. 5o"ever3 as >arlo"3

and the reader3 begin to form a more complete picture of Durtz3 it becomes apparent that his madness is

onl$ relative3 that in the contet of the Compan$ insanit$ is difficult to define. Thus3 both >arlo" and thereader begin to s$mpathize "ith Durtz and vie" the Compan$ "ith suspicion. >adness also functions to

establish the necessit$ of social fictions. Although social mores and eplanator$ ?ustifications are sho"n

throughout 5eart of =ar*ness to be utterl$ false and even leading to evil3 the$ are nevertheless necessar$for both group harmon$ and individual securit$. >adness3 in 5eart of =ar*ness3 is the result of being

removed from one,s social contet and allo"ed to be the sole arbiter of one,s o"n actions. >adness is thus

lin*ed not onl$ to absolute po"er and a *ind of moral genius but to man,s fundamental fallibilit$ Durtz has

no authorit$ to "hom he ans"ers but himself3 and this is more than an$ one man can bear.The Absurdit$ of %vil

This novella is3 above all3 an eploration of h$pocris$3 ambiguit$3 and moral confusion. It eplodes the idea

of the proverbial choice bet"een the lesser of t"o evils. As the idealistic >arlo" is forced to align himself"ith either the h$pocritical and malicious colonial bureaucrac$ or the openl$ malevolent3 rule2def$ing

Durtz3 it becomes increasingl$ clear that to tr$ to ?udge either alternative is an act of foll$ ho" can moralstandards or social values be relevant in ?udging evil Is there such thing as insanit$ in a "orld that has

alread$ gone insane The number of ridiculous situations >arlo" "itnesses act as reflections of the largerissue at one station3 for instance3 he sees a man tr$ing to carr$ "ater in a buc*et "ith a large hole in it. At

the (uter Station3 he "atches native laborers blast a"a$ at a hillside "ith no particular goal in mind. The

absurd involves both insignificant silliness and life2or2death issues3 often simultaneousl$. That the serious

and the mundane are treated similarl$ suggests a profound moral confusion and a tremendous h$pocris$ itis terrif$ing that Durtz,s homicidal megalomania and a lea*$ buc*et provo*e essentiall$ the same reaction

from >arlo".

>a?or Issues

(bservation and %avesdropping

>arlo" gains a great deal of information b$ "atching the "orld around him and b$ overhearing others,conversations3 as "hen he listens from the dec* of the "rec*ed steamer to the manager of the Central

Station and his uncle discussing Durtz and the Bussian trader. This phenomenon spea*s to the impossibilit$

of direct communication bet"een individuals information must come as the result of chance observation

and astute interpretation. #ords themselves fail to capture meaning ade'uatel$3 and thus the$ must be ta*enin the contet of their utterance. Another good eample of this is >arlo",s conversation "ith the

bric*ma*er3 during "hich >arlo" is able to figure out a good deal more than simpl$ "hat the man has to

sa$.Interiors and %teriors


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Comparisons bet"een interiors and eteriors pervade 5eart of =ar*ness. As the narrator states at the

beginning of the tet3 >arlo" is more interested in surfaces3 in the surrounding aura of a thing rather than

in an$ hidden nugget of meaning deep "ithin the thing itself. This inverts the usual hierarch$ of meaningnormall$ one see*s the deep message or hidden truth. The priorit$ placed on observation demonstrates that

penetrating to the interior of an idea or a person is impossible in this "orld. Thus3 >arlo" is confronted

"ith a series of eteriors and surfacesHthe river,s ban*s3 the forest "alls around the station3 Durtz,s broad

foreheadHthat he must interpret. These eteriors are all the material he is given3 and the$ provide him "ith perhaps a more profound source of *no"ledge than an$ falsel$ constructed interior E*ernel.F

=ar*ness

=ar*ness is important enough conceptuall$ to be part of the boo*,s title. 5o"ever3 it is difficult to discerneactl$ "hat it might mean3 given that absolutel$ ever$thing in the boo* is cloa*ed in dar*ness. Africa3

%ngland3 and 0russels are all described as gloom$ and someho" dar*3 even if the sun is shining brightl$.

=ar*ness thus seems to operate metaphoricall$ and eistentiall$ rather than specificall$. =ar*ness is the

inabilit$ to see this ma$ sound simple3 but as a description of the human condition it has profoundimplications. 8ailing to see another human being means failing to understand that individual and failing to

establish an$ sort of s$mpathetic communion "ith him or her.

>a?or S$mbols

8og

8og is a sort of corollar$ to dar*ness. 8og not onl$ obscures but distorts it gives one ?ust enough

information to begin ma*ing decisions but no "a$ to ?udge the accurac$ of that information3 "hich oftenends up being "rong. >arlo",s steamer is caught in the fog3 meaning that he has no idea "here he,s going

and no idea "hether peril or open "ater lies ahead.

The E#hited SepulchreF

The E"hited sepulchreF is probabl$ 0russels3 "here the Compan$,s head'uarters are located. A sepulchre

implies death and confinement3 and indeed %urope is the origin of the colonial enterprises that bring death

to "hite men and to their colonial sub?ects@ it is also governed b$ a set of reified social principles that both

enable cruelt$3 dehumanization3 and evil and prohibit change. The phrase E"hited sepulchreF comes fromthe biblical 0oo* of >atthe". In the passage3 >atthe" describes E"hited sepulchresF as something

beautiful on the outside but containing horrors "ithin the bodies of the dead/@ thus3 the image isappropriate for 0russels3 given the h$pocritical 0elgian rhetoric about imperialism,s civilizing mission.

0elgian colonies3 particularl$ the Congo3 "ere notorious for the violence perpetuated against the natives./#omen

0oth Durtz,s Intended and his African mistress function as blan* slates upon "hich the values and the

"ealth of their respective societies can be displa$ed. >arlo" fre'uentl$ claims that "omen are the *eepersof naive illusions@ although this sounds condemnator$3 such a role is in fact crucial3 as these naive illusions

are at the root of the social fictions that ?ustif$ economic enterprise and colonial epansion. In return3 the

"omen are the beneficiaries of much of the resulting "ealth3 and the$ become ob?ects upon "hich men can

displa$ their o"n success and status.

The Biver

The Congo Biver is the *e$ to Africa for %uropeans. It allo"s them access to the center of the continent"ithout having to ph$sicall$ cross it@ in other "ords3 it allo"s the "hite man to remain al"a$s separate or

outside. Africa is thus reduced to a series of t"o2dimensional scenes that flash b$ >arlo",s steamer as he

travels upriver. The river also seems to "ant to epel %uropeans from Africa altogether its current ma*es

travel upriver slo" and difficult3 but the flo" of "ater ma*es travel do"nriver3 bac* to"ard Ecivilization3Frapid and seemingl$ inevitable. >arlo",s struggles "ith the river as he travels upstream to"ard Durtz

reflect his struggles to understand the situation in "hich he has found himself. The ease "ith "hich he

?ourne$s bac* do"nstream3 on the other hand3 mirrors his ac'uiescence to Durtz and his Echoice ofnightmares.F


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""".spar*notes.com

uestions

1.#hich characters voice concers about colonisation and imperialism

M.#hich s$mbols refer overtl$ to colonization

%.>.8orster +A Passage to India,

T"o %nglish"omen3 the $oung >iss Adela uested and the elderl$ >rs. >oore3 travel to India. Adela

epects to become engaged to >rs. >oore,s son3 Bonn$3 a 0ritish magistrate in the Indian cit$ of

Chandrapore. Adela and >rs. >oore each hope to see the real India during their visit3 rather than cultural

institutions imported b$ the 0ritish.

At the same time3 Aziz3 a $oung >uslim doctor in India3 is increasingl$ frustrated b$ the poor treatment he

receives at the hands of the %nglish. Aziz is especiall$ anno$ed "ith >a?or Callendar3 the civil surgeon3

"ho has a tendenc$ to summon Aziz for frivolous reasons in the middle of dinner. Aziz and t"o of hiseducated friends3 5amihdullah and >ahmoud Ali3 hold a livel$ conversation about "hether or not an

Indian can be friends "ith an %nglishman in India. That night3 >rs. >oore and Aziz happen to run into

each other "hile eploring a local mos'ue3 and the t"o become friendl$. Aziz is moved and surprised that

an %nglish person "ould treat him li*e a friend.

>r.Turton3 the collector "ho governs Chandrapore3 hosts a part$ so that Adela and >rs. >oore ma$ have

the opportunit$ to meet some of the more prominent and "ealth$ Indians in the cit$. At the event3 "hich

proves to be rather a"*"ard3 Adela meets C$ril 8ielding3 the principal of the government college inChandrapore. 8ielding3 impressed "ith Adela,s open friendliness to the Indians3 invites her and >rs. >oore

to tea "ith him and the 5indu professor 4odbole. At Adela,s re'uest3 8ielding invites Aziz to tea as "ell.

At the tea3 Aziz and 8ielding immediatel$ become friendl$3 and the afternoon is over"helmingl$ pleasantuntil Bonn$ 5easlop arrives and rudel$ interrupts the part$. Later that evening3 Adela tells Bonn$ that she

has decided not to marr$ him. 0ut that night3 the t"o are in a car accident together3 and the ecitement of

the event causes Adela to change her mind about the marriage.

;ot long after"ard3 Aziz organizes an epedition to the nearb$ >arabar Caves for those "ho attended

8ielding,s tea. 8ielding and Professor 4odbole miss the train to >arabar3 so Aziz continues on alone "ith

the t"o ladies3 Adela and >rs. >oore. Inside one of the caves3 >rs. >oore is unnerved b$ the enclosed

space3 "hich is cro"ded "ith Aziz,s retinue3 and b$ the uncann$ echo that seems to translate ever$ soundshe ma*es into the noise Eboum.F

Aziz3 Adela3 and a guide go on to the higher caves "hile >rs. >oore "aits belo". Adela3 suddenl$realizing that she does not love Bonn$3 as*s Aziz "hether he has more than one "ifeHa 'uestion heconsiders offensive. Aziz storms off into a cave3 and "hen he returns3 Adela is gone. Aziz scolds the guide

for losing Adela3 and the guide runs a"a$. Aziz finds Adela,s bro*en field2glasses and heads do"n the hill.

0ac* at the picnic site3 Aziz finds 8ielding "aiting for him. Aziz is unconcerned to learn that Adela has

hastil$ ta*en a car bac* to Chandrapore3 as he is over?o$ed to see 8ielding. 0ac* in Chandrapore3 ho"ever3Aziz is unepectedl$ arrested. 5e is charged "ith attempting to rape Adela uested "hile she "as in the

caves3 a charge based on a claim Adela has made.


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8ielding3 believing Aziz to be innocent3 angers all of 0ritish India b$ ?oining the Indians in Aziz,s defense.

In the "ee*s before the trial3 the racial tensions bet"een the Indians and the %nglish flare up considerabl$.

>rs. >oore is distracted and miserable because of her memor$ of the echo in the cave and because of her

impatience "ith the upcoming trial. Adela is emotional and ill@ she too seems to suffer from an echo in hermind. Bonn$ is fed up "ith >rs. >oore,s lac* of support for Adela3 and it is agreed that >rs. >oore "ill

return to %ngland earlier than planned. >rs. >oore dies on the vo$age bac* to %ngland3 but not before she

realizes that there is no Ereal IndiaFHbut rather a comple multitude of different Indias.

At Aziz,s trial3 Adela3 under oath3 is 'uestioned about "hat happened in the caves. Shoc*ingl$3 she declares

that she has made a mista*e Aziz is not the person or thing that attac*ed her in the cave. Aziz is set free3

and 8ielding escorts Adela to the 4overnment College3 "here she spends the net several "ee*s. 8ielding

begins to respect Adela3 recognizing her braver$ in standing against her peers to pronounce Aziz innocent.Bonn$ brea*s off his engagement to Adela3 and she returns to %ngland.

Aziz3 ho"ever3 is angr$ that 8ielding "ould befriend Adela after she nearl$ ruined Aziz,s life3 and the

friendship bet"een the t"o men suffers as a conse'uence. Then 8ielding sails for a visit to %ngland. Azizdeclares that he is done "ith the %nglish and that he intends to move to a place "here he "ill not have to

encounter them.

T"o $ears later3 Aziz has become the chief doctor to the Ba?ah of >au3 a 5indu region several hundred

miles from Chandrapore. 5e has heard that 8ielding married Adela shortl$ after returning to %ngland. Azizno" virulentl$ hates all %nglish people. (ne da$3 "al*ing through an old temple "ith his three children3 he

encounters 8ielding and his brother2in2la". Aziz is surprised to learn that the brother2in2la",s name is

Balph >oore@ it turns out that 8ielding married not Adela uested3 but Stella >oore3 >rs. >oore,sdaughter from her second marriage.

Aziz befriends Balph. After he accidentall$ runs his ro"boat into 8ielding,s3 Aziz rene"s his friendship

"ith 8ielding as "ell. The t"o men go for a final ride together before 8ielding leaves3 during "hich Aziztells 8ielding that once the %nglish are out of India3 the t"o "ill be able to be friends. 8ielding as*s "h$

the$ cannot be friends no"3 "hen the$ both "ant to be3 but the s*$ and the earth seem to sa$ E;o3 not $et. .

. . ;o3 not there.

>a?or characters

=r.Aziz seems to be a mess of etremes and contradictions3 an embodiment of 8orster,s notion of theEmuddleF of India. Aziz is impetuous and flight$3 changing opinions and preoccupations 'uic*l$ and

"ithout "arning3 from one moment to the net. 5is moods s"ing bac* and forth bet"een etremes3 from

childli*e elation one minute to utter despair the net. Aziz even seems capable of shifting careers and

talents3 serving as both ph$sician and poet during the course of A Passage to India. Aziz,s some"hat$outhful 'ualities3 as evidenced b$ a sense of humor that leans to"ard practical ?o*ing3 are offset b$ his

attitude of iron$ to"ard his %nglish superiors.

8orster3 though not blatantl$ stereot$ping3 encourages us to see man$ of Aziz,s characteristics ascharacteristics of Indians in general. Aziz3 li*e man$ of his friends3 disli*es blunt honest$ and directness3

preferring to communicate through confidences3 feelings underl$ing "ords3 and indirect speech. Aziz has a

sense that much of moralit$ is reall$ social code. 5e therefore feels no moral compunction about visiting prostitutes or reading 8ielding,s private mailHboth because his intentions are good and because he *no"she "ill not be caught. Instead of living b$ merel$ social codes3 Aziz guides his action through a code that is

nearl$ religious3 such as "e see in his etreme hospitalit$. >oreover3 Aziz3 li*e man$ of the other Indians3

struggles "ith the problem of the %nglish in India. (n the one hand3 he appreciates some of the

modernizing influences that the #est has brought to India@ on the other3 he feels that the presence of the%nglish degrades and oppresses his people.

=espite his contradictions3 Aziz is a genuinel$ affectionate character3 and his affection is often based onintuited connections3 as "ith >rs. >oore and 8ielding. Though 8orster holds up Aziz,s capacit$ for


9/25

imaginative s$mpath$ as a good trait3 "e see that this imaginativeness can also betra$ Aziz. The deep

offense Aziz feels to"ard 8ielding in the aftermath of his trial stems from fiction and misinterpreted

intuition. Aziz does not stop to evaluate facts3 but rather follo"s his heart to the eclusion of all other

methodsHan approach that is sometimes "rong.

>an$ critics have contended that 8orster portra$s Aziz and man$ of the other Indian characters

unflatteringl$. Indeed3 though the author is certainl$ s$mpathetic to the Indians3 he does sometimes present

them as incompetent3 subservient3 or childish. These some"hat valid criti'ues call into 'uestion the realismof 8orster,s novel3 but the$ do not3 on the "hole3 corrupt his eploration of the possibilit$ of friendl$

relations bet"een Indians and %nglishmenHarguabl$ the central concern of the novel.

(f all the characters in the novel3 C$ril 8ielding is clearl$ the most associated "ith 8orster himself. Amongthe %nglishmen in Chandrapore3 8ielding is far and a"a$ most the successful at developing and sustaining

relationships "ith native Indians. Though he is an educator3 he is less comfortable in teacher2student

interaction than he is in one2on2one conversation "ith another individual. This latter st$le serves as

8orster,s model of liberal humanismH8orster and 8ielding treat the "orld as a group of individuals "hocan connect through mutual respect3 courtes$3 and intelligence.

8ielding3 in these vie"points3 presents the main threat to the mentalit$ of the %nglish in India. 5e educates

Indians as individuals3 engendering a movement of free thought that has the potential to destabilize %nglish

colonial po"er. 8urthermore3 8ielding has little patience for the racial categorization that is so central to the%nglish grip on India. 5e honors his friendship "ith Aziz over an$ alliance "ith members of his o"n race

Ha reshuffling of allegiances that threatens the solidarit$ of the %nglish. 8inall$3 8ielding Etravels light3F as

he puts it he does not believe in marriage3 but favors friendship instead. As such3 8ielding implicitl$'uestions the domestic conventions upon "hich the %nglishmen,s sense of E%nglishnessF is founded.

8ielding refuses to sentimentalize domestic %ngland or to venerate the role of the "ife or motherHa far cr$

from the other %nglishmen3 "ho put Adela on a pedestal after the incident at the caves.

8ielding,s character changes in the aftermath of Aziz,s trial. 5e becomes ?aded about the Indians as "ell as

the %nglish. 5is %nglish sensibilities3 such as his need for proportion and reason3 become more prominent

and begin to grate against Aziz,s Indian sensibilities. 0$ the end of A Passage to India3 8orster seems to

identif$ "ith 8ielding less. #hereas Aziz remains a li*able3 if fla"ed3 character until the end of the novel38ielding becomes less li*able in his increasing identification and sameness "ith the %nglish.

Adela uested arrives in India "ith >rs. >oore3 and3 fittingl$3 her character develops in parallel to >rs.

>oore,s. Adela3 li*e the elder %nglish"oman3 is an individualist and an educated free thin*er. Thesetendencies lead her3 ?ust as the$ lead >rs. >oore3 to 'uestion the standard behaviors of the %nglish to"ard

the Indians. Adela,s tendenc$ to 'uestion standard practices "ith fran*ness ma*es her resistant to being

labeledHand therefore resistant to marr$ing Bonn$ and being labeled a t$pical colonial %nglish "ife. 0oth

>rs. >oore and Adela hope to see the Ereal IndiaF rather than an arranged tourist version. 5o"ever3"hereas >rs. >oore,s desire is bolstered b$ a genuine interest in and affection for Indians3 Adela appears

to "ant to see the Ereal IndiaF simpl$ on intellectual grounds. She puts her mind to the tas*3 but not her

heartHand therefore never connects "ith Indians.

Adela,s eperience at the >arabar Caves causes her to undergo a crisis of rationalism against spiritualism.

#hile Adela,s character changes greatl$ in the several da$s after her alleged assault3 her testimon$ at the

trial represents a return of the old Adela3 "ith the sole difference that she is plagued b$ doubt in a "a$ she"as not originall$. Adela begins to sense that her assault3 and the echo that haunts her after"ard3 arerepresentative of something outside the scope of her normal rational comprehension. She is pained b$ her

inabilit$ to articulate her eperience. She finds she has no purpose inHnor love forHIndia3 and suddenl$

fears that she is unable to love an$one. Adela is filled "ith the realization of the damage she has done to

Aziz and others3 $et she feels paral$zed3 unable to remed$ the "rongs she has done. ;onetheless3 Adelaselflessl$ endures her difficult fate after the trialHa course of action that "ins her a friend in 8ielding3 "ho

sees her as a brave "oman rather than a traitor to her race.


10/25

As a character3 >rs. >oore serves a double function in A Passage to India3 operating on t"o different

planes. She is initiall$ a literal character3 but as the novel progresses she becomes more a s$mbolic

presence. (n the literal level3 >rs. >oore is a good2hearted3 religious3 elderl$ "oman "ith m$stical

leanings. The initial da$s of her visit to India are successful3 as she connects "ith India and Indians on anintuitive level. #hereas Adela is overl$ cerebral3 >rs. >oore relies successfull$ on her heart to ma*e

connections during her visit. 8urthermore3 on the literal level3 >rs. >oore,s character has human

limitations her eperience at >arabar renders her apathetic and even some"hat mean3 to the degree that

she simpl$ leaves India "ithout bothering to testif$ to Aziz,s innocence or to oversee Bonn$ and Adela,s"edding.

After her departure3 ho"ever3 >rs. >oore eists largel$ on a s$mbolic level. Though she herself has human

fla"s3 she comes to s$mbolize an ideall$ spiritual and race2blind openness that 8orster sees as a solution tothe problems in India. >rs. >oore,s name becomes closel$ associated "ith 5induism3 especiall$ the 5indu

tenet of the oneness and unit$ of all living things. This s$mbolic side to >rs. >oore might even ma*e her

the heroine of the novel3 the onl$ %nglish person able to closel$ connect "ith the 5indu vision of unit$.

;onetheless3 >rs. >oore,s literal actionsHher sudden abandonment of IndiaHma*e her less than heroic.

Bonn$ 5easlop,s character does not change much over the course of the novel@ instead3 8orster,s emphasis

is on the change that happened before the novel begins3 "hen Bonn$ first arrived in India. 0oth >rs.

>oore and Adela note the difference bet"een the Bonn$ the$ *ne" in %ngland and the Bonn$ of 0ritish

India. 8orster uses Bonn$,s character and the changes he has undergone as a sort of case stud$3 aneploration of the restrictions that the %nglish colonials, herd mentalit$ imposes on individual personalities.

All of Bonn$,s previousl$ individual tastes are effectivel$ dumbed do"n to meet group standards. 5e

devalues his intelligence and learning from %ngland in favor of the E"isdomF gained b$ $ears ofeperience in India. The open2minded attitude "ith "hich he has been brought up has been replaced b$ a

suspicion of Indians. In short3 Bonn$,s tastes3 opinions3 and even his manner of spea*ing are no longer his

o"n3 but those of older3 ostensibl$ "iser 0ritish Indian officials. This *ind of group thin*ing is "hat

ultimatel$ causes Bonn$ to clash "ith both Adela and his mother3 >rs. >oore.

;onetheless3 Bonn$ is not the "orst of the %nglish in India3 and 8orster is some"hat s$mpathetic in his

portra$al of him. Bonn$,s ambition to rise in the ran*s of 0ritish India has not completel$ destro$ed his

natural goodness3 but merel$ perverted it. Bonn$ cares about his ?ob and the Indians "ith "hom he "or*s3if onl$ to the etent that the$3 in turn3 reflect upon him. 8orster presents Bonn$,s failing as the fault of the

colonial s$stem3 not his o"n.

>a?or ThemesThe =ifficult$ of %nglish2Indian 8riendship

A Passage to India begins and ends b$ posing the 'uestion of "hether it is possible for an %nglishman and

an Indian to ever be friends3 at least "ithin the contet of 0ritish colonialism. 8orster uses this 'uestion as aframe"or* to eplore the general issue of 0ritain,s political control of India on a more personal level3

through the friendship bet"een Aziz and 8ielding. At the beginning of the novel3 Aziz is scornful of the

%nglish3 "ishing onl$ to consider them comicall$ or ignore them completel$. Ket the intuitive connectionAziz feels "ith >rs. >oore in the mos'ue opens him to the possibilit$ of friendship "ith 8ielding. Throughthe first half of the novel3 8ielding and Aziz represent a positive model of liberal humanism 8orster

suggests that 0ritish rule in India could be successful and respectful if onl$ %nglish and Indians treated

each other as 8ielding and Aziz treat each otherHas "orth$ individuals "ho connect through fran*ness3

intelligence3 and good "ill.

Ket in the aftermath of the novel,s climaHAdela,s accusation that Aziz attempted to assault her and her

subse'uent disavo"al of this accusation at the trialHAziz and 8ielding,s friendship falls apart. The strainson their relationship are eternal in nature3 as Aziz and 8ielding both suffer from the tendencies of their


11/25

cultures. Aziz tends to let his imagination run a"a$ "ith him and to let suspicion harden into a grudge.

8ielding suffers from an %nglish literalism and rationalism that blind him to Aziz,s true feelings and ma*e

8ielding too stilted to reach out to Aziz through conversations or letters. 8urthermore3 their respective

Indian and %nglish communities pull them apart through their mutual stereot$ping. As "e see at the end ofthe novel3 even the landscape of India seems to oppress their friendship. 8orster,s final vision of the

possibilit$ of %nglish2Indian friendship is a pessimistic one3 $et it is 'ualified b$ the possibilit$ of

friendship on %nglish soil3 or after the liberation of India. As the landscape itself seems to impl$ at the end

of the novel3 such a friendship ma$ be possible eventuall$3 but Enot $et.FThe uslim3 5induism also pla$s a

large thematic role in the novel. The aspect of 5induism "ith "hich 8orster is particularl$ concerned is thereligion,s ideal of all living things3 from the lo"liest to the highest3 united in love as one. This vision of the

universe appears to offer redemption to India through m$sticism3 as individual differences disappear into a

peaceful collectivit$ that does not recognize hierarchies. Individual blame and intrigue is forgone in favor

of attention to higher3 spiritual matters. Professor 4odbole3 the most visible 5indu in the novel3 is 8orster,smouthpiece for this idea of the unit$ of all living things. 4odbole alone remains aloof from the drama of

the plot3 refraining from ta*ing sides b$ recognizing that all are implicated in the evil of >arabar. >rs.

>oore3 also3 sho"s openness to this aspect of 5induism. Though she is a Christian3 her eperience of India

has made her dissatisfied "ith "hat she perceives as the smallness of Christianit$. >rs. >oore appears to

feel a great sense of connection "ith all living creatures3 as evidenced b$ her respect for the "asp in her bedroom.

Ket3 through >rs. >oore3 8orster also sho"s that the vision of the oneness of all living things can beterrif$ing. As "e see in >rs. >oore,s eperience "ith the echo that negates ever$thing into EboumF in

>arabar3 such oneness provides unit$ but also ma*es all elements of the universe one and the sameHa

realization that3 it is implied3 ultimatel$ *ills >rs. >oore. 4odbole is not troubled b$ the idea that negation

is an inevitable result "hen all things come together as one. >rs. >oore3 ho"ever3 loses interest in the"orld of relationships after envisioning this lac* of distinctions as a horror. >oreover3 though 8orster

generall$ endorses the 5indu idea of the oneness of all living things3 he also suggests that there ma$ be

inherent problems "ith it. %ven 4odbole3 for eample3 seems to recognize that somethingHif onl$ a stone

Hmust be left out of the vision of oneness if the vision is to cohere. This problem of eclusion is3 in asense3 merel$ another manifestation of the individual difference and hierarch$ that 5induism promises to

overcome.The E>uddleF of India

8orster ta*es great care to stri*e a distinction bet"een the ideas of EmuddleF and Em$ster$F in A Passage to

India. E>uddleF has connotations of dangerous and disorienting disorder3 "hereas Em$ster$F suggests a

m$stical3 orderl$ plan b$ a spiritual force that is greater than man. 8ielding3 "ho acts as 8orster,s primar$

mouthpiece in the novel3 admits that India is a Emuddle3F "hile figures such as >rs. >oore and 4odbolevie" India as a m$ster$. The muddle that is India in the novel appears to "or* from the ground up the ver$

landscape and architecture of the countr$side is formless3 and the natural life of plants and animals defies

identification. This muddled 'ualit$ to the environment is mirrored in the ma*eup of India,s native

population3 "hich is mied into a muddle of different religious3 ethnic3 linguistic3 and regional groups.

The muddle of India disorients Adela the most@ indeed3 the events at the >arabar Caves that trouble her so

much can be seen as a manifestation of this muddle. 0$ the end of the novel3 "e are still not sure "hatactuall$ has happened in the caves. 8orster suggests that Adela,s feelings about Bonn$ become eternalizedand muddled in the caves3 and that she suddenl$ eperiences these feelings as something outside of her.

The muddle of India also affects Aziz and 8ielding,s friendship3 as their good intentions are derailed b$ the

chaos of cross2cultural signals.

Though 8orster is s$mpathetic to India and Indians in the novel3 his over"helming depiction of India as a

muddle matches the manner in "hich man$ #estern "riters of his da$ treated the %ast in their "or*s. As

the noted critic %d"ard Said has pointed out3 these authors, EorientalizingF of the %ast made #estern logic


12/25

and capabilit$ appear self2evident3 and3 b$ etension3 portra$ed the #est,s domination of the %ast as

reasonable or even necessar$.

The ;egligence of 0ritish Colonial 4overnment

Though A Passage to India is in man$ "a$s a highl$ s$mbolic3 or even m$stical3 tet3 it also aims to be a

realistic documentation of the attitudes of 0ritish colonial officials in India. 8orster spends large sections of

the novel characterizing different t$pical attitudes the %nglish hold to"ard the Indians "hom the$ control.

8orster,s satire is most harsh to"ard %nglish"omen3 "hom the author depicts as over"helmingl$ racist3self2righteous3 and viciousl$ condescending to the native population. Some of the %nglishmen in the novel

are as nast$ as the "omen3 but 8orster more often identifies %nglishmen as men "ho3 though

condescending and unable to relate to Indians on an individual level3 are largel$ "ell2meaning and invested

in their ?obs. 8or all 8orster,s criticism of the 0ritish manner of governing India3 ho"ever3 he does notappear to 'uestion the right of the 0ritish %mpire to rule India. 5e suggests that the 0ritish "ould be "ell

served b$ becoming *inder and more s$mpathetic to the Indians "ith "hom the$ live3 but he does not

suggest that the 0ritish should abandon India outright. %ven this lesser criti'ue is never overtl$ stated in the

novel3 but implied through biting satire.

>a?or issues.

The %cho

The echo begins at the >arabar Caves first >rs. >oore and then Adela hear the echo and are haunted b$ it

in the "ee*s to come. The echo,s sound is EboumFHa sound it returns regardless of "hat noise or utterance

is originall$ made. This negation of difference embodies the frightening flip side of the seemingl$ positive5indu vision of the oneness and unit$ of all living things. If all people and things become the same thing3

then no distinction can be made bet"een good and evil. ;o value s$stem can eist. The echo plagues >rs.

>oore until her death3 causing her to abandon her beliefs and cease to care about human relationships.

Adela3 ho"ever3 ultimatel$ escapes the echo b$ using its message of impersonalit$ to help her realizeAziz,s innocence.

%astern and #estern Architecture

8orster spends time detailing both %astern and #estern architecture in A Passage to India. Threearchitectural structuresHthough one is naturall$ occurringHprovide the outline for the boo*,s three

sections3 E>os'ue3F ECaves3F and ETemple.F 8orster presents the aesthetics of %astern and #esternstructures as indicative of the differences of the respective cultures as a "hole. In India3 architecture is

confused and formless interiors blend into eterior gardens3 earth and buildings compete "ith each other3and structures appear unfinished or drab. As such3 Indian architecture mirrors the muddle of India itself and

"hat 8orster sees as the Indians, characteristic inattention to form and logic. (ccasionall$3 ho"ever3 8orster

ta*es a positive vie" of Indian architecture. The mos'ue in Part I and temple in Part III represent the

promise of Indian openness3 m$sticism3 and friendship. #estern architecture3 mean"hile3 is describedduring 8ielding,s stop in Jenice on his "a$ to %ngland. Jenice,s structures3 "hich 8ielding sees as

representative of #estern architecture in general3 honor form and proportion and complement the earth on

"hich the$ are built. 8ielding reads in this architecture the self2evident correctness of #estern reasonHan

order that3 he laments3 his Indian friends "ould not recognize or appreciate.4odbole,s Song

At the end of 8ielding,s tea part$3 4odbole sings for the %nglish visitors a 5indu song3 in "hich a mil*maid pleads for 4od to come to her or to her people. The song,s refrain of EComeG comeF recurs throughout APassage to India3 mirroring the appeal for the entire countr$ of salvation from something greater than itself.

After the song3 4odbole admits that 4od never comes to the mil*maid. The song greatl$ disheartens >rs.

>oore3 setting the stage for her later spiritual apath$3 her simultaneous a"areness of a spiritual presence

and lac* of confidence in spiritualism as a redeeming force. 4odbole seemingl$ intends his song as amessage or lesson that recognition of the potential eistence of a 4od figure can bring the "orld together

and erode differencesHafter all3 4odbole himself sings the part of a $oung mil*maid. 8orster uses the

refrain of 4odbole,s song3 EComeG come3F to suggest that India,s redemption is $et to come.


13/25

>a?or S$mbols.

The >arabar Caves

The >arabar Caves represent all that is alien about nature. The caves are older than an$thing else on the

earth and embod$ nothingness and emptinessHa literal void in the earth. The$ def$ both %nglish and

Indians to act as guides to them3 and their strange beaut$ and menace unsettles visitors. The caves, alien

'ualit$ also has the po"er to ma*e visitors such as >rs. >oore and Adela confront parts of themselves orthe universe that the$ have not previousl$ recognized. The all2reducing echo of the caves causes >rs.

>oore to see the dar*er side of her spiritualit$Ha "aning commitment to the "orld of relationships and a

gro"ing ambivalence about 4od. Adela confronts the shame and embarrassment of her realization that she

and Bonn$ are not actuall$ attracted to each other3 and that she might be attracted to no one. In this sense3the caves both destro$ meaning3 in reducing all utterances to the same sound3 and epose or narrate the

unspea*able3 the aspects of the universe that the caves, visitors have not $et considered.

The 4reen 0ird

:ust after Adela and Bonn$ agree for the first time3 in Chapter JII3 to brea* off their engagement3 the$

notice a green bird sitting in the tree above them. ;either of them can positivel$ identif$ the bird. 8or

Adela3 the bird s$mbolizes the unidentifiable 'ualit$ of all of India ?ust "hen she thin*s she can

understand an$ aspect of India3 that aspect changes or disappears. In this sense3 the green bird s$mbolizesthe muddle of India. In another capacit$3 the bird points to a different tension bet"een the %nglish and

Indians. The %nglish are obsessed "ith *no"ledge3 literalness3 and naming3 and the$ use these tools as a

means of gaining and maintaining po"er. The Indians3 in contrast3 are more attentive to nuance3 undertone3and the emotions behind "ords. #hile the %nglish insist on labeling things3 the Indians recognize that

labels can blind one to important details and differences. The unidentifiable green bird suggests the

incompatibilit$ of the %nglish obsession "ith classification and order "ith the shifting 'ualit$ of India itself

Hthe land is3 in fact3 a Ehundred IndiasF that def$ labeling and understanding.The #asp

The "asp appears several times in A Passage to India3 usuall$ in con?unction "ith the 5indu vision of the

oneness of all living things. The "asp is usuall$ depicted as the lo"est creature the 5indus incorporate intotheir vision of universal unit$. >rs. >oore is closel$ associated "ith the "asp3 as she finds one in her room

and is gentl$ appreciative of it. 5er peaceful regard for the "asp signifies her o"n openness to the 5induidea of collectivit$3 and to the m$sticism and indefinable 'ualit$ of India in general. 5o"ever3 as the "asp

is the lo"est creature that the 5indus visualize3 it also represents the limits of the 5indu vision. The visionis not a panacea3 but merel$ a possibilit$ for unit$ and understanding in India.

""".spar*notes.com

uestions

1.5o" is the relationship bet"een the 0ritish and Indians depicted in the novel

M.#hich ma?or s$mbols spea* about ho" The 0ritish considered India

N.5o" is 8orster,s perspective of colonization rendered in the novel


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Salman Bushdie +>idnight,s Children,

The novel opens "ith the narrator Saleem Sinai&s description of his birth at midnight on August 16th3 19O3

"hich coincided "ith the precise moment of India&s independence. In Dashmir in 19163 Saleem&s

grandfather3 Aadam Aziz decides he does not "holl$ believe3 nor "holl$ disbelieve3 in the eistence of

4od. =octor Aziz learns that 4hani the lando"ner,s daughter ;aseem has gro"n ill. ;aseem stands behinda sheet during his eamination of her3 and a single hole cut in the sheet allo"s Aadam to eamine the area

of concern. ;aseem eperiences man$ ailments over the $ears3 but because she never develops pains in her

head3 Aadam does not la$ e$es upon her face until the da$ on "hich #orld #ar I ends3 at "hich point he

falls even further in love "ith her. ;aseem and Aadam get married3 and ;aseem3 also *no"n as Beverend>other bears five children "ith Aadam Alia3 >umtaz3 5anif3 >ustapha and %merald.

A significant pro2Indian >uslim political figure3 >ian Addullah3 dies at the hands of assassins during a

visit to the universit$ campus "ith his personal secretar$ ;adir Dhan. ;adir3 ho"ever3 escapes3 and =octorAziz hides him in his cellar3 despite ;aseem&s resistance3 "hich manifests itself in her oath of silence.

>umtaz attends to ;adir Dhan&s needs during his sta$ in the cellar and falls in love "ith him. >umtaz and

;adir Dhan marr$3 and t"o $ears later3 Aadam discovers that >umtaz has remained a virgin. ;aseem

finall$ brea*s her vo" of silence to spea* against the marriage. >ean"hile3 the $oungest daughter3

%merald3 brea*s her promise of secrec$ b$ notif$ing her lover >a?or ulfi*ar of ;adir&s presence. ;adirescapes from the cellar3 leaving a note divorcing himself from >umtaz3 "ho remarries to Ahmed Sinai and

"ho changes her name to Amina Sinai. Amina becomes pregnant and the Times of India announces that it

"ill a"ard a prize to an$ mother "ho gives birth to a child at the precise instance of India&s independence.

>ar$ Pereira3 a mid"ife3 becomes distressed over rumors of :oseph =,Costa3 her lover,s relationship "ith

her sister. At midnight on August 16th3 19O3 both Amina Sinai and Janita give birth to sons@ Janita dies

during childbirth. #ishing to please her lover3 >ar$ s"itches the t"o babies3 condemning the son of"ealth$ parents to a life of povert$ and guaranteeing Janita&s son a life of comfort. In his infanc$3 Saleem

gro"s at an incredible pace. Ahmed receives a formal letter notif$ing him of the freezing of all his assets.

Amina begins to gamble at the racetrac*s3 despite her belief in the sinful nature of the activit$. (ne night a

commotion in the nearb$ "atchto"er stirs the members of the Sinai household3 and "hen the police arrivethe$ discover that :oseph =&Costa has planted several eplosives in the "atchto"er. >ean"hile Saleem&s

mother gives birth to Saleem&s bab$ sister The 0rass >on*e$.

The 0rass >on*e$ develops into a mischievous $oung child3 but high epectations remain for Saleem&s$oung life. Saleem begins to hide in his mother&s "ashing2 chest "hen the outside "orld over"helms him@

on one such da$3 Saleem hears his mother ans"er the telephone and repeatedl$ call out ;adir&s name "hile

masturbating. A pa?ama cord becomes lodged up in Saleem&s nose and he soon discovers his abilit$ to listen

to others& thoughts. #hen he announces this ne" s*ill to his famil$3 the$ react "ith anger and scorn andSaleem apologizes.

Saleem forms the >.C.C.3 the >idnight Children&s Conference. Saleem secretl$ accompanies his mother on

one of her supposedl$ urgent shopping trips3 and3 hiding in the bac* of her car3 "itnesses his mother&srendezvous "ith ;adir Dhan. #hen Saleem arrives at the hospital after he loses half his middle finger in a

slammed door3 the doctor announces that he shares neither Ahmed&s nor Amina&s blood t$pe. Amina

terminates her affair "ith ;adir after an ac'uaintance&s ?ealous husband *ills his "ife and her lover in a fitof rage.

In 196)3 >ar$ Pereira3 consumed b$ guilt3 finall$ divulges the secret of the s"itched births eleven $ears

previous. After the Sinais& marriage deteriorates even further3 Amina leaves Ahmed3 "ith the 0rass >on*e$

and Saleem3 to move to Pa*istan3 "here Saleem finds he has lost his abilit$ to read others& thoughts. The0rass >on*e$ soon discovers her tremendous singing talent and becomes *no"n b$ the name of -:amila

Singer.-


15/25

Amina3 :amila3 and Saleem return to 0omba$ after Ahmed has heart troubles3 and Amina and her husband

fall deepl$ in love. Ahmed and Amina tric* Saleem into an operation in "hich doctors clear out his nasal

passages@ upon a"a*ening3 Saleem can no longer read others& thoughts. Amina soon convinces her husband

to emigrate to Pa*istan. Saleem realizes his some"hat incestuous love for his sister3 but his confession ofthis love renders :amila horrified and ashamed. Amina becomes pregnant once again3 but "hen the Indo2

Pa*istani "ar of 19Q6 erupts3 a bomb *ills Amina3 her unborn child3 Ahmed and her sister Alia.

Saleem ?oins the Pa*istani arm$3 "here he cannot seem to retrieve an$ of his memories nor feel an$emotions. Saleem and three other soldiers enter the ?ungle of The Sundarbans. A poisonous sna*e bites

Saleem3 causing him to miraculousl$ recover from his memor$ loss. 5o"ever3 his first name3 m$steriousl$3

still eludes him. #hen Saleem encounters Parvati2the2"itch3 her eclamations at last result in Saleem&s

recollection of his name. Through her magic Parvati enables Saleem to travel bac* to India b$ hiding in a bas*et.

8rustrated b$ her unre'uited affection for Saleem3 Parvati2the2"itch summons Shiva3 "ho impregnates her.

Parvati has become pregnant in order to convince a supposedl$ impotent Saleem to marr$ her. After theirmarriage3 Parvati gives birth to Aadam Sinai on :une M6th3 1963 on the stro*e of midnight. The bab$ is

perfectl$ formed but has a set of colossal ears@ he also does not spea* a single "ord during his entire

infanc$.

(n ;e" Kear&s =a$3 193 a nurse administers anaesthetic to Saleem and the doctors perform a vasectom$on him@ finall$ his self2professed infertilit$ has in fact come true. The$ also s$stemicall$ perform

operations on all of the living midnight&s children in order to render it impossible for them to give birth.

Saleem encounters increasingl$ forceful reminders of his mortalit$3 and senses imminent death. AadamSinai3 "ho has not spo*en a "ord in the more than three $ears since his birth3 sa$s3 -Abracadabra.- (n his

thirt$2first birthda$3 Saleem epects to marr$Padma soon3 but also becomes over"helmed "ith the

multiplicit$ of his various lives and "ith the specter of death lur*ing in his ps$che.

The ma?or characters

The novel&s protagonist3 Salem Sinai is born on August 16th3 19O at the stro*e of midnight3 the precise

moment of India&s independence from 0ritish rule. 8rom the moment his mother announces his conception3his life becomes ver$ public3 and Saleem reiterates throughout the novel that -to understand me3 $ou&ll have

to s"allo" a "orld.- This idea underscores the lin* Bushdie establishes in this novel bet"een the personaland the public. Saleem e'uates his life path "ith that of India&s path as a ne" nation3 and dra"s upon man$

metaphors to illustrate this connection.

Saleem searches to understand his o"n fragmented identit$. 0ecause Saleem is the child of multiplenations3 religions3 languages3 and political parties3 he has a conflicted and often contradictor$ sense of self.

Saleem&s grandfather also eperienced a similar sensation. In Saleem&s description of his grandfather

immediatel$ before his death3 Bushdie densel$ pac*s several of the main themes of the novel. 5e "rites3

-#hat lea*ed into me from Aadam Aziz a certain vulnerabilit$ to "omen3 but also its cause3 the hole at thecenter of himself caused b$ his "hich is also m$/ failure to believe or disbelieve in 4od. And something

else as "ell 2 something "hich3 at the age of eleven3 I sa" before an$one also noticed. >$ grandfather had

begun to crac*.- Saleem ac*no"ledges his inheritance of some of his grandfather&s personalit$ traits andtendencies3 despite the fact that he has no biological relation to him. Second3 he addresses both of the men&suncertaint$ regarding their faith. Third3 the theme of fragmentation manifests itself in this description of the

-crac*s- in his bod$. These crac*s represent the failure of an effort to formulate identit$ or meaning.

Shiva3 named after the 5indu deit$3 acts as Saleem&s lifelong rival. The t"o midnight children "ere born at precisel$ the same moment3 and >ar$ Pereira s"itched them at birth3 condemning Shiva to a life of povert$

and promoting Saleem from a life of povert$ to one of "ealth and comfort. Throughout the novel3 Saleem

remains a"are that Shiva ma$ tr$ to claim his birthright b$ acting "ith some aggression to"ard him.


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Saleem and Shiva&s intense rivalr$ alludes to that bet"een the 5indu deities 0rahma and Shiva. According

to 5indu legend3 0rahma created the "orld "hen Shiva3 "ho had been assigned the tas*3 "ent into a

thousand2$ear abstinence. Angered b$ 0rahma&s preemptive creation3 Shiva returns to destro$ the "orld

"ith fire. Appeased3 he castrates himself and plants his -linga- there. This m$th pla$s a central role in>idnight&s Children because it suggests an aesthetic competition bet"een Saleem and Shiva3 as "ell as

imagining the competition bet"een Shiva and Saleem to be one bet"een -the t"o valid forms of creation.-

0rahma dreams the "orld3 "hile Shiva allo"s it to eist b$ declining to use his immeasurable po"er

to"ard its destruction. The Shiva of >idnight&s Children shares the deit$&s characteristics3 and becomesfamous for his fighting abilities "hile enlisted in the Indian arm$.

Salman Bushdie has invented Padma&s character for several reasons. Perhaps even more importantl$ than

her integral part in Saleem&s life3 especiall$ later in the novel3 Padma3 in accordance "ith the tradition ofstor$telling3 represents the listener. The narrator Saleem repeatedl$ spea*s directl$ to Padma3 and even

includes her criti'ues on3 and reactions to3 the narration. Bushdie often inserts parentheses to indicate these

interactions "ith Padma.

Bushdie&s inclusion of these interactions "ith Padma lends her the role of a sort of co2producer of the

narration. #hile Saleem adopts an impassive or indifferent tone to"ard events that are etraordinar$3

Padma responds emotionall$ to these events. In addition3 Padma assists Saleem3 "ho is susceptible to

follo"ing his "andering thoughts in an$ number of directions3 in remaining committed to a vaguel$

coherent stor$line. 5er role in the novel also addresses the difficulties and ?o$s of the creative process3 in anovel in "hich the recording of histor$ and lives ta*es on such importance.

The transformation of The 0rass >on*e$ into :amila Singer touches upon man$ of the novel&s themes.8irst3 the "hite sil* chadar :amila "ears to maintain her modest$ onstage3 "ith a hole cut out for her

mouth3 bears a stri*ing resemblance to the -perforated sheet- through "hich ;aseem 4hani allo"s =octor

Aadam Aziz to eamine her. In addition3 a $oung man named >utasim becomes obsessed "ith the notion

of seeing her face3 much as Aadam had gro"n so eager to see ;aseem&s visage. These connections create ac$clical 'ualit$ that addresses the continuation of famil$ tradition and histor$.

Second3 Saleem epresses his concern that :amila has become sub?ect to -the eaggerations and

simplifications of self "hich are the unavoidable side2effects of stardom3 so that the blind and blindingdevoutness and the right2or2"rong nationalism "hich had alread$ begun to emerge in her no" began to

dominate her personalit$3 to the eclusion of almost ever$thing else.- The 0rass >on*e$ had had such aforceful personalit$ that Saleem becomes shoc*ed to "itness her ne" loo*3 attitude3 and profession. 5e

argues that due to her position as one $ear $ounger than he3 she has become sub?ect to an entirel$ differentset of standards and influences. Bushdie emplo$s :amila&s character in order to address the >uslim ideals

of purit$ and submissiveness to"ard "hich :amila strives. 5e also uses :amila to ma*e the statement that

one must al"a$s 'uestion societal norms and political assumptions in order to contribute to the "orld.

>a?or Themes

The Belationship bet"een Personal Life and 5istor$

>idnight&s Children eplores the "a$s in "hich histor$ is given meaning through the telling of individual

eperience. 8or protagonist Saleem Sinai3 born at the instance of India&s independence from 0ritain3 his life

becomes inetricabl$ lin*ed "ith the political3 national3 and religious events of his time. ;ot onl$ doesSaleem eperience man$ of the crucial historical events3 but he also claims some degree of involvement inthem. Saleem epresses his observation that his private life has been remar*abl$ public3 from the ver$

moment of his conception. In a broader sense3 Bushdie is relating Saleem&s generation of ->idnight&s

Children- to the generation of Indians "ith "hom he "as born and raised.

The 8ragmentation of Identit$

The reader of >idnight&s Children must piece together Saleem Sinai&s narrative to etract meaning from it.

As the narrative involves sudden shifts bac* and forth in time3 as "ell as man$ instances of illusion3 thereader must solve the puzzle of Saleem Sinai&s life. Similarl$3 the characters in the novel3 in the process of


17/25

their search for self2definition3 must attempt to solve the puzzle of their o"n identities. 8or eample3

Aadam Aziz gains a familiarit$ "ith ;aseem 4hani3 "ho "ill one da$ become his "ife3 through a "hite

perforated sheet. Aadam ma$ move the hole in the sheet to eamine an$ given area. In this "a$ Aadam

piece together a puzzle of ;aseem&s appearance.

he role of fragmentation in the formation of identit$ also applies to nations3 particularl$ to India. The

fragmentation of the large 0ritish colonial territor$ into Pa*istan3 India3 and 0angladesh3 "hose cultural3

religious3 political3 and linguistic traditions differ3 presented a tremendousl$ comple and intimidating tas*.Therefore3 India&s earl$ da$s as an independent nation "ere fraught "ith division and strife. Bushdie dra"s

a comparison bet"een India&s struggles "ith its neighboring peoples and Saleem&s struggles "ith various

famil$ members and "ith the other members of the >idnight Children&s Club. Bushdie also demonstrates

Saleem&s fragmentation through his actual ph$sical mutilations3 both on the school pla$ground and underthe doctor&s *nife.

Bushdie also uses metaphorical allusions to fragmentation or disintegration that indicate the loss of a sense

of identit$. 8or eample3 Bushdie describes both Aadam Aziz and Saleem Sinai as possessing a void or ahole in their centers as a result of their uncertaint$ of 4od&s eistence. In their respective last da$s3 Bushdie

describes the -crac*ing- and eventual disintegration of their eteriors.

The Search for Parental 8igures

(ver the course of his life Saleem identifies man$ people as his parents. 5is biological parents #ee #illieand Janita3 are in some "a$s the least important of all his -parents.- >an$ different individuals

metaphoricall$ father Saleem@ the novel even suggests that time or histor$ fathers Saleem. %ach time

Saleem finds a ne" father3 he eperiences a rebirth of sorts. This multiple metaphorical parentage alsorelates to the feelings of homelessness and eile as "ell to the fragmentation of identit$ and memor$ that

plague Saleem throughout the novel. After its liberation from %nglish rule3 India has arrived at a t$pe of

double parentage@ that is3 both native and colonial traditions have shaped the nation.

>a?or issues

Shifts in Time

The constant shift bac* and forth in time during Saleem&s narration becomes a dominant element in the

telling of Saleem&s life stor$. The narrator fre'uentl$ refers to events or feelings that ta*e place much laterin his life. As a result of these shifts in time3 Bushdie refers to almost ever$ life event far before its

occurrence and full description in the novel. This method not onl$ spea*s to the tric*s time pla$s3 and to theunreliabilit$ of measures of time and the telling of histor$3 but also to the theme of fragmentation. >uch as

Saleem must piece together the numerous elements and phases of his life and his heritage3 the narrator calls

upon the reader to solve the puzzle of Saleem&s narration3 "hich does not follo" chronological or linear

logic3 but rather rides the "ave of his emotions.Sensor$ %perience

Salman Bushdie&s "riting emphasizes sensor$ eperience as a means of epressing or receiving emotion.

Smells3 tastes3 sights3 sounds3 and feelings abound in Busdie&s descriptions of life eperiences. Bushie alsoestablishes an intimate connection bet"een sensor$ eperience and memor$.

Changes in ;arrative St$le

(ne of these trends involves the st$le of narration. The first2person narrative st$le not onl$ conve$s to thereader the innermost thoughts and emotions of Saleem Sinai3 but also at times spea*s directl$ to the reader.

The st$le also hints at the influence of stream2of2consciousness "riting on Bushdie. Although he emplo$s

more punctuation than other stream2of2consciousness "riters3 his "riting reflects the rephrasing and

re"or*ing of a "riter&s or a narrator&s mind. 5e also addresses the reader in the informal second person3 andin so doing engages the reader in his life stor$ much as a stor$teller engages his listeners. The narrative

st$le largel$ resembles more of an oral than a "ritten eperience.

The


18/25

Salman Bushdie does not al"a$s accuratel$ recount the events in recent Indian histor$ during the course of

>idnight&s Children. At times he ma*es mista*es on details or dates3 but he ma*es them intentionall$3 in

order to comment on the unreliabilit$ of historical and biographical accounts. 8or eample3 Saleem informs

the reader that an old lover of his shot him through the heart@ ho"ever3 in the ver$ net chapter heconfesses to having fabricated the circumstances of his death.

>a?or S$mbols

The Silver Spittoon

The s$mbolic role of the spittoon allo"s the narrative to circle bac* on itself "ithout losing its for"ardmomentum. As the silver spittoon continues to appear in different contets3 Bushdie builds meaning into

the image and provides the reader "ith a familiar angle of insight into the meaning of his tale. A

particularl$ etraordinar$ silver spittoon inlaid "ith lapis lazuli appears at the beginning of the stor$ and

follo"s the course of the narrative almost until the end3 "here it is eventuall$ buried under the rubble ofcivic reconstruction b$ a bulldozer. The silver spittoon becomes a lin* to realit$ for Saleem.

Colors

In a novel rich "ith s$mbolism3 Bushdie ma*es fre'uent use of colors to highlight national or religious

affiliations. Throughout the boo*3 Bushdie refers to the colors of the Indian flag3 saffron3 "hite3 and green.At times Bushdie also places saffron and green in opposition to one another@ saffron3 prominentl$ placed on

India&s national flag3 has significance in 5induism as s$mbolic of courage and determination. Pa*istan&s

flag3 on the other hand3 features green and "hite@ the green sections3 larger in area3 represent Pa*istan&s>uslim ma?orit$. The color blue also pla$s a central s$mbolic role in the novel. Bushdie connects the color

blue to Dashmir and to idealism. The priest in this novel attempts to convince >ar$ Pereira that :esus

Christ "as blue3 much as the 5indu deit$ Drishna "as blue. 5ere blue also represents possible saviorhood3

although in this novel saviorhood is onl$ potential3 never realized.Pic*les

Bushdie has cleverl$ designed the chapters of >idnight&s Children. 5e refers to each of the thirt$ chapters

as a ?ar of pic*les. The process of -chutnification- refers to the process of -pic*ling3- or "riting about3historical and life events.

""".spar*notes.com

uestions

1. 5o" is India,s independence rendered in the novel

M. #hich characters voice their vie"s on India,s situation

N. Comment on the s$mbols that refer to issues of colonization in the novel.

Toni >orrison + 0eloved,


19/25

0eloved begins in 1)N in Cincinnati3 (hio3 "here Sethe3 a former slave3 has been living "ith her eighteen2

$ear2old daughter =enver. Sethe,s mother2in2la"3 0ab$ Suggs3 lived "ith them until her death eight $ears

earlier. :ust before 0ab$ Suggs,s death3 Sethe,s t"o sons3 5o"ard and 0uglar3 ran a"a$. Sethe believesthe$ fled because of the malevolent presence of an abusive ghost that has haunted their house at 1MO

0luestone Boad for $ears. =enver3 ho"ever3 li*es the ghost3 "hich ever$one believes to be the spirit of her

dead sister.

(n the da$ the novel begins3 Paul =3 "hom Sethe has not seen since the$ "or*ed together on >r. 4arner,s

S"eet 5ome plantation in Dentuc*$ approimatel$ t"ent$ $ears earlier3 stops b$ Sethe,s house. 5is

presence resurrects memories that have lain buried in Sethe,s mind for almost t"o decades. 8rom this point

on3 the stor$ "ill unfold on t"o temporal planes. The present in Cincinnati constitutes one plane3 "hile aseries of events that too* place around t"ent$ $ears earlier3 mostl$ in Dentuc*$3 constitutes the other. This

latter plane is accessed and described through the fragmented flashbac*s of the ma?or characters.

Accordingl$3 "e fre'uentl$ read these flashbac*s several times3 sometimes from var$ing perspectives3 "ith

each successive narration of an event adding a little more information to the previous ones.

8rom these fragmented memories3 the follo"ing stor$ begins to emerge Sethe3 the protagonist3 "as born in

the South to an African mother she never *ne". #hen she is thirteen3 she is sold to the 4arners3 "ho o"n

S"eet 5ome and practice a comparativel$ benevolent *ind of slaver$. There3 the other slaves3 "ho are all

men3 lust after her but never touch her. Their names are Sio3 Paul =3 Paul A3 Paul 83 and 5alle. Sethechooses to marr$ 5alle3 apparentl$ in part because he has proven generous enough to bu$ his mother,s

freedom b$ hiring himself out on the "ee*ends. Together3 Sethe and 5alle have t"o sons3 5o"ard and

0uglar3 as "ell as a bab$ daughter "hose name "e never learn. #hen she leaves S"eet 5ome3 Sethe is also pregnant "ith a fourth child. After the eventual death of the proprietor3 >r. 4arner3 the "ido"ed >rs.

4arner as*s her sadistic3 vehementl$ racist brother2in2la" to help her run the farm. 5e is *no"n to the

slaves as schoolteacher3 and his oppressive presence ma*es life on the plantation even more unbearable

than it had been before. The slaves decide to run.

Schoolteacher and his nephe"s anticipate the slaves, escape3 ho"ever3 and capture Paul = and Sio.

Schoolteacher *ills Sio and brings Paul = bac* to S"eet 5ome3 "here Paul = sees Sethe for "hat he

believes "ill be the last time. She is still intent on running3 having alread$ sent her children ahead to hermother2in2la" 0ab$ Suggs,s house in Cincinnati. Invigorated b$ the recent capture3 schoolteacher,s

nephe"s seize Sethe in the barn and violate her3 stealing the mil* her bod$ is storing for her infantdaughter.


20/25

>ean"hile3 Paul = has endured torturous eperiences in a chain gang in 4eorgia3 "here he "as sent after

tr$ing to *ill 0rand$"ine3 a slave o"ner to "hom he "as sold b$ schoolteacher. 5is traumatic eperiences

have caused him to loc* a"a$ his memories3 emotions3 and abilit$ to love in the Etin tobacco boF of his

heart. (ne da$3 a fortuitous rainstorm allo"s Paul = and the other chain gang members to escape. 5etravels north"ard b$ follo"ing the blossoming spring flo"ers. Kears later3 he ends up on Sethe,s porch in

Cincinnati.

Paul =,s arrival at 1MO commences the series of events ta*ing place in the present time frame. Prior tomoving in3 Paul = chases the house,s resident ghost a"a$3 "hich ma*es the alread$ lonel$ =enver resent

him from the start. Sethe and Paul = loo* for"ard to a promising future together3 until one da$3 on their

"a$ home from a carnival3 the$ encounter a strange $oung "oman sleeping near the steps of 1MO. >ost of

the characters believe that the "omanH"ho calls herself 0elovedHis the embodied spirit of Sethe,s deaddaughter3 and the novel provides a "ealth of evidence supporting this interpretation. =enver develops an

obsessive attachment to 0eloved3 and 0eloved,s attachment to Sethe is e'uall$ if not more intense. Paul =

and 0eloved hate each other3 and 0eloved controls Paul = b$ moving him around the house li*e a rag doll

and b$ seducing him against his "ill.

#hen Paul = learns the stor$ of Sethe,s Erough choiceFHher infanticideHhe leaves 1MO and begins

sleeping in the basement of the local church. In his absence3 Sethe and 0eloved,s relationship becomes

more intense and eclusive. 0eloved gro"s increasingl$ abusive3 manipulative3 and parasitic3 and Sethe is

obsessed "ith satisf$ing 0eloved,s demands and ma*ing her understand "h$ she murdered her. #orried b$the "a$ her mother is "asting a"a$3 =enver leaves the premises of 1MO for the first time in t"elve $ears in

order to see* help from Lad$ :ones3 her former teacher. The communit$ provides the famil$ "ith food and

eventuall$ organizes under the leadership of %lla3 a "oman "ho had "or*ed on the ista*ing him for schoolteacher3

Sethe runs at >r. 0od"in "ith an ice pic*. She is restrained3 but in the confusion 0eloved disappears3never to return.

After"ard3 Paul = comes bac* to Sethe3 "ho has retreated to 0ab$ Suggs,s bed to die. >ourning 0eloved3

Sethe laments3 EShe "as m$ best thing.F 0ut Paul = replies3 EKou $our best thing3 Sethe.F The novel thenends "ith a "arning that ERthis is not a stor$ to pass on.F The to"n3 and even the residents of 1MO3 have

forgotten 0eloved ERli*e an unpleasant dream during a troubling sleep.F

>a?or characters

Sethe3 the protagonist of the novel3 is a proud and noble "oman. She insists on se"ing a proper "edding

dress for the first night she spends "ith 5alle3 and she finds schoolteacher,s lesson on her Eanimal

characteristicsF more debilitating than his nephe"s, seual and ph$sical abuse. Although the communit$,s

shunning of Sethe and bab$ Suggs for thin*ing too highl$ of themselves is unfair3 the fact that Sethe prefersto steal food from the restaurant "here she "or*s rather than "ait on line "ith the rest of the blac*

communit$ sho"s that she does consider herself different from the rest of the blac*s in her neighborhood.

Ket3 Sethe is not too proud to accept support from others in ever$ instance. =espite her independence andher distrust of men/3 she "elcomes Paul =. and the companionship he offers.

Sethe,s most stri*ing characteristic3 ho"ever3 is her devotion to her children.


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she ac*no"ledges 0eloved,s identit$3 Sethe sho"s herself to be still enslaved b$ the past3 because she

'uic*l$ succumbs to 0eloved,s demands and allo"s herself to be consumed b$ 0eloved. (nl$ "hen Sethe

learns to confront the past head2on3 to assert herself in its presence3 can she etricate herself from its

oppressive po"er and begin to live freel$3 peacefull$3 and responsibl$ in the present.

Sethe,s daughter =enver is the most d$namic character in the novel. She is sh$3 intelligent3 introspective3

sensitive3 and inclined to spend hours alone in her Eemerald closet3F a s$lvan space formed b$ bo"ood

bushes. 5er mother considers =enver a EcharmedF child "ho has miraculousl$ survived3 and throughoutthe boo* =enver is in close contact "ith the supernatural.

=espite =enver,s abilities to cope3 she has been stunted emotionall$ b$ $ears of relative isolation. Though

eighteen $ears old3 she acts much $ounger3 maintaining an intense fear of the "orld outside 1MO and a perilousl$ fragile sense of self. Indeed3 her self2conception remains so tentative that she feels slighted b$

the idea of a "orld that does not include herHeven the "orld of slaver$ at S"eet 5ome. =enver defines

her identit$ in relation to Sethe. She also defines herself in relation to her sisterHfirst in the form of the

bab$ ghost3 then in the form of 0eloved. #hen she feels that she is being ecluded from her famil$,sattentionsHfor eample3 "hen her mother devotes her energies to Paul =H=enver feels threatened and

angr$. Correspondingl$3 she treats Paul = coldl$ much of the time.

In the face of 0eloved,s escalating malevolence and her mother,s submissiveness3 =enver is forced to step

outside the "orld of 1MO. 8illed "ith a sense of dut$3 purpose3 and courage3 she enlists the help of thecommunit$ and cares for her increasingl$ self2involved mother and sister. She enters a series of lessons

"ith >iss 0od"in and considers attending (berlin College someda$. 5er last conversation "ith Paul =

underscores her ne"found maturit$ she presents herself "ith more civilit$ and sincerit$ than in the pastand asserts that she no" has her o"n opinions.

0eloved,s elusive3 comple identit$ is central to our understanding of the novel. She ma$3 as Sethe

originall$ believes3 be an ordinar$ "oman "ho "as loc*ed up b$ a "hite man and never let out of doors.5er limited linguistic abilit$3 neediness3 bab$2soft s*in3 and emotional instabilit$ could all be eplained b$

a lifetime spent in captivit$. 0ut these traits could also support the theor$ that is held b$ most of the

characters in the novel3 as "ell as most readers 0eloved is the embodied spirit of Sethe,s dead daughter.

0eloved is the age the bab$ "ould have been had it lived3 and she bears the name printed on the bab$,stombstone. She first appears to Sethe soa*ing "et3 as though ne"l$ born3 and Sethe has the sensation of her

"ater brea*ing "hen she sees her. Additionall$3 0eloved *no"s about a pair of earrings Sethe possessedlong ago3 she hums a song Sethe made up for her children3 she has a long scar under her chin "here her

death2"ound "ould have been dealt3 and her breath smells li*e mil*.

A third interpretation vie"s 0eloved as a representation of Sethe,s dead mother. In Chapter MM3 0eloved

recounts memories that correspond to those that Sethe,s mother might have had of her passage to America

from Africa. 0eloved has a strange manner of spea*ing and seems to "ear a perpetual smileHtraits "e aretold "ere shared b$ Sethe,s mother. 0$ Chapter MQ3 0eloved and Sethe have s"itched places3 "ith 0eloved

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