Character List
Dr. Aziz - An
intelligent, emotional Indian doctor in Chandrapore. Aziz attempts
to make friends with Adela Quested, Mrs. Moore, and Cyril Fielding.
Later, Adela falsely accuses Aziz of attempted rape after an expedition
to the Marabar Caves, but the charges are dropped after Adela's
testimony at the trial. Aziz enjoys writing and reciting poetry.
He has three children;
his wife died several years before the beginning of
the novel.
Cyril Fielding -
The principal of the government college near Chandrapore.
Fielding is an independent man who believes in educating the Indians
to be individuals—a much more sympathetic attitude toward the native population
than that held by most English in India. Fielding befriends Dr.
Aziz, taking the doctor's side against the rest of the English in
Chandrapore when Aziz is accused of attempting to rape Adela Quested.
Miss Adela Quested -
A young, intelligent, inquisitive, but somewhat repressed
Englishwoman. Adela travels to India with Mrs. Moore in order to
decide whether or not to marry Mrs. Moore's son Ronny. Miss Quested begins
with an openminded desire to get to know Indians and see the real
India. Later, she falsely accuses Aziz of attempting to rape her
in the Marabar Caves.
Mrs. Moore - An
elderly Englishwoman who voyages to India with Adela Quested. Mrs.
Moore wishes to see the country and hopes that Adela will marry
her son Ronny. Mrs. Moore befriends Dr. Aziz, as she feels some
spiritual connection with him. She has an unsettling experience with
the bizarre echoes in the Marabar Caves, which cause her to feel
a sense of dread, especially about human relationships. Mrs. Moore
hurries back to England, and she dies at sea during the journey.
Ronny Heaslop - Mrs.
Moore's son, the magistrate at Chandrapore. Ronny, though well educated
and open-minded at heart, has become prejudiced and intolerant of
Indians ever since he moved to India—as is standard for most Englishmen
serving there. Ronny is briefly engaged to Adela Quested, though
he does not appear particularly passionate about her.
Mr. Turton - The
collector, the man who governs Chandrapore. Mr. Turton is officious
and stern, though more tactful than his wife.
Mrs. Turton - Turton's
wife. In her interactions with Indians, Mrs. Turton embodies the
novel's stereotype of the snobby, rude, and prejudiced English colonial
wife.
Mr. McBryde - The
superintendent of police in Chandrapore, who has an elaborate theory
that he claims explains the inferiority of darkâ‘skinned races to
lightâ‘skinned ones. McBryde, though condescending, actually shows
more tolerance toward Indians than most English do. Not surprisingly,
he and Fielding are friendly acquain-tances. McBryde himself stands
up against the
group mentality of the English at Chandrapore when he divorces his
wife after having an affair with
Miss Derek.
Major Callendar -
The civil surgeon at Chandrapore, Dr. Aziz's superior.
Major Callendar is a boastful, cruel, intolerant, and ridiculous
man.
Professor Godbole -
A Brahman Hindu who teaches at Fielding's college.
Godbole is very spiritual and reluctant to become involved in human
affairs.
Hamidullah - Dr.
Aziz's uncle and friend. Hamidullah, who was educated at Cambridge,
believes that friendship between the English and Indians is more
likely possible in England than in India. Hamidullah was a close friend
of Fielding before Fielding and Aziz met.
Mahmoud Ali - A
lawyer friend of Dr. Aziz who is deeply pessimistic about the English.
The Nawab Bahadur -
The leading loyalist in Chandrapore. The Nawab Bahadur
is wealthy, generous, and faithful to the English. After Aziz's
trial, however, he gives up his title in protest.
Dr. Panna Lal - A
lowâ‘born Hindu doctor and Aziz's rival.
Dr. Panna Lal intends to testify against Aziz at the trial, but
he begs forgiveness after Aziz is set free.
Stella Moore - Mrs.
Moore's daughter from her second marriage. Stella marries Fielding
toward the end of the novel.
Ralph Moore - Mrs.
Moore's son from her second marriage, a sensitive young man.
Miss Derek - A
young Englishwoman who works for a wealthy Indian family and often
steals their car. Miss Derek is easygoing and has a fine sense of
humor, but many of the English at Chandrapore resent her, considering
her presence unseemly.
Amritrao - The
lawyer who defends Aziz at his trial. Amritrao is a highly antiâ‘British
man.
