Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What do Adela
and Mrs. Moore hope to get out of their visit to India? Do they
succeed?
2. What causes
Adela's breakdown? Why does she accuse Aziz? What qualities enable
her to admit the truth at the trial?
3. What purpose
does Part III, “Temple,” play in
A Passage to India?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What is Forster's primary
critique of the British in India? What does he appear to think of
the Empire in general?
2. Evaluate the role of negation
in the novel. Look for instances of the word “nothing,” descriptions
that use lack or negativity, and plot points in which “nothing”
happens, though characters think something does happen. What does negation
signify and how is it used?
3. What is the role of nature
in A Passage to India?
4. What part does sexuality play
in the novel? Consider any differences of opinion about sexuality
between Fielding and Aziz and between Ronny and Adela.
5. Compare Forster's depiction
of the English in Chandrapore with his depiction of Aziz's Indian
community. Do the two groups have any similarities? Does Forster
portray one group more sympathetically?
