Landscape And Geography In “A Passage To India”

The first one is E .M Forster’s major work: “A Passage to India”. Its main focus is the study of two worlds divorced. The second “Heat and Dust” has made its author Ruth Prawer Jhabvala win the Booker –Prize. In her novel, we get a picture of India by two English women separated by fifty years.

Both of the novels present an enigmatic India. This is of a primary importance for the following study as we will try to understand what kind of role the geography and landscape of India play in the novels. First, we will examine the symbolism of the landscape used by the writers of “A Passage to India” and “Heat and Dust”. This will then lead us to the second part which tries to show how the Indian setting influences the characters of the novels and especially the Westerners.

From the beginning of each book, the reader guesses that the Indian atmosphere is going to play a major role in the novels. The title of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is literal in that sense: “Heat and Dust” makes it clear that the hot weather conditions are the causes of the following action. Reader

“there was a little spring which came freshly bubbling out of a cleft between some stones. It was the sound of this spring that together with the bird-song, filled that green grove. The Nawab squatted down and dabbled his fingers in the water.”

“nothing in India is identifiable, the mere asking of a question causes it to disappear or to merge in something else.” (p.73)

“On this second rise is laid out the little Civil Station, and viewed hence Chandrapore appears to be a totally different place. It is a city of gardens. It is no city, but a forest sparsely scattered with huts. It is a tropical pleasance washed by a noble river.” (p.3)

Water is erotic at the shrine. The Nawab who is aware of this makes the most of the situation but it is no longer a relief for Olivia as she cannot stand the Nawab’s intense glance anymore.

The Indian landscape is meticulously described as it is rich in symbolism. Forster and Jhabvala not only describe the Indian setting, they bring to it many emotions and feeling s which explain the character’s reactions. Geography actively participates to create the special atmosphere in which the characters are plunged into; they react in a way they would not normally because they are overwhelmed by India. As we have demonstrated above, Westerners usually react strongly to the Indian nature and weather so that their future is upset by their Indian experience. The Indian landscape therefore contributes decisively to the total effect produced in the two works.

Some topics in this essay:
Baba Firdaus, Prawer Jhabvala, Passage India”, Indeed Ronnie, Marabar Caves, Adela Olivia, Himalayas Olivia, Guest House, Forster Jhabvala, England Forster, “heat dust”, “a passage, “a passage india”, passage india”, heat dust, marabar caves, adela olivia, shrine baba firdaus, landscape geography, character’s reactions, atmospheric conditions, forster jhabvala, passage india” “heat, india” “heat dust”, ruth prawer jhabvala,