A Passage to India.docx
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APassagetoIndia
APassagetoIndia
E.M.Forster
II
Abandoninghisbicycle,whichfellbeforeaservantcouldcatchit,theyoungmansprangupontotheveranda.Hewasallanimation.“Hamidullah,Hamidullah!
AmIlate?
”hecried
“Donotapologize,”saidhishost.“Youarealwayslate.”
“Kindlyanswermyquestion.AmIlate?
HasMahmoudAlieatenallthefood?
IfsoIgoelsewhere.Mr.MahmoudAli,howareyou?
”
“Thankyou,Dr.Aziz,Iamdying.”
“Dyingbeforeyourdinner?
Oh,poorMahmoudAli!
”
“Hamidullahhereisactuallydead.Hepassedawayjustasyourodeuponyourbike.”
“Yes,thatisso,”saidtheother.“Imagineusbothasaddressingyoufromanotherabdahappierworld.”
“Doestherehappentobesuchathingasahookahinthathappierworldofyours?
”
“Aziz,don’tchatter.Wearehavingaverysadtalk.”
Thehookahhadbeenpackedtootight,aswasusualinhisfriend’shouse,andbubbledsulkily.Hecoaxedit.Yieldingatlast,thetobaccojettedupintohislungsandnostrils,drivingoutthesmokeofburningcow-dungthathadfilledthemasherodethroughthebazaar.Itwasdelicious.Helayinatrance,sensuousbuthealthy,throughwhichthetalkofthetwoothersdidnotseemparticularlysad—theywerediscussingastowhetherornoitispossibletobefriendswithanEnglishman.MahmoudAliarguedthatitwasnot,Hamidullahdisagreed,butwithsomanyreservationsthattherewasnofrictionbetweenthem.Deliciousindeedtolieonthebroadverandawiththemoonrisinginfrontandtheservantspreparingdinnerbehind,andnotroublehappening.
“Well,lookatmyownexperiencethismorning.”
“IonlycontendthatitispossibleinEngland,”repliedHamidullah,whohadbeentothatcountrylongago,beforethebigrush,andhadreceivedacordialwelcomeatCambridge.
“Itisimpossiblehere.Aziz!
Thered-nosedboyhasagaininsultedmeincourt.Idonotblamehim.Hewastoldthatheoughttoinsultme.Untillatelyhewasquiteaniceboy,buttheothershavegotholdofhim.”
“Yes,theyhavenochancehere,thatismypoint.Theycomeoutintendingtobegentlemen,andaretolditwillnotdo.LookatLesley,lookatBlakiston,nowitisyourre-nosedboy,andFieldingwillgonext.WhyIrememberwhenTurtoncameoutfirst.ItwasinanotherpartoftheProvince.Youfellowswillnotbelieveme,butIhavedrivenwithTurtoninhiscarriage—Turton!
Ohyes!
wewereoncequiteintimate.Hehasshownmehisstampcollection!
”
“Hewouldexpectyoutostealitnow.Thurton!
Butred-nosedboywillbefarworsethanTurton!
”
“Idonotthinkso.Theyallbecomeexactlythesame—notworse,notbetter.IgiveanyEnglishmantwoyears,beheTurtonorBurton.Itisonlythedifferenceofaletter.AndIgiveanyEnglisnwomansixmonths.Allareexactlyalike.Doyounotagreewithme?
”
……
III
…andMissQuested,whoalwayssaidexactlywhatwasinhermind,announcedanewthatshewasdesirousofseeingtherealIndia.
Ronnywasinhighspirits.Therequeststruckhimascomic,andhecalledouttoanotherpass-by:
“Fielding!
How’sonetoseetherealIndia?
”
“TryseeingIndians,”themananswered,andvanished.
“whowasthat?
”
“Ourschoolmaster—GovernmentCollege.”
“Asifonecouldavoidseeingthem,”sighedMrsLesley.
“I’veavoided,”saidQuested.“Exceptingmyownservant,I’vescarcelyspokentoanIndiansincelanding.”
“Oh,luckyyou..”
“ButIwanttoseethem.”
Shebecamethecentreofanamusedgroupofladies.Onesaid:
“WantingtoseeIndians!
Hownewthatsounds!
”Another:
“Natives!
Why,fancy!
”Athird,moreserious,said,“Letmeexplain.Nativesdon’trespectoneanythemoreaftermeetingone,yousee.”
“Thatoccursaftersomanymeetings.”
Butthelady,entirelystupidandfriendly,continued:
“WhatImeanis,Iwasanursebeforemymarriage,andcameacrossthemagreatdeal,soIknow.IreallydoknowthetruthaboutIndians.AmostunsuitablepositionforanyEnglishwoman—IwasanurseinaNativeState.One’sonlyhopewastoholdsternlyaloof.”
“Evenfromone’spatients?
”
“Why,thekindestthingonecandotoanativeistolethimdie,”saidMrsCallendar.
“Howifhewenttoheaven?
”askedMrs.Moore,withagentlebutcrookedsmile.
“Hecangowherehelikesaslongashedoesn’tcomenearme.Theygivemethecreeps.”
“AsamatteroffactIhavethoughtaboutwhatyouweresayingaboutheaven,andthatiswhyIamagainstmissionaries,”saidtheladywhohadbeenanurse.“Iamallforchaplains,butallagainstmissionaries.Letmeexplain.”
ButbeforeshecoulddosotheCollectorintervened.
“DoyoureallywanttomeettheAryanBrother,MissQuested?
Thatcanbeeasilyfixedup.Ididn’trealizehe’damuseyou.”Hethoughtamoment.“Youcanpracticallyseeanytypeyoulike.Takeyourchoice.IknowtheGovernmentpeopleandthelandowners,Heaslopherecangetholdofthebarristercrew,whileifyouwanttospecializeoneducationwecancomedownonFielding.”
“I’mtiredofseeingpicturesquefigurespassbeforemeasafrieze,”thegirlexplained.“Itwaswonderfulwhenwelanded,butthatsuperficialglamoursoondoes.”
HerimpressionswereofnointeresttotheCollector;hewasonlyconcernedtogiveheragoodtime.WouldshelikeaBridgeParty?
Heexplainedtoherwhatthatwas—notthegame,butapartytobridgethegulfbetweenEastandWest;theexpressionwashisowninvention,andamusedallwhoheardit.
……
ChapterV
TheBridgePartywasnotasuccess-atleastitwasnotwhatMrs.MooreandMissQuestedwereaccustomedtoconsiderasuccessfulparty.Theyarrivedearly,sinceitwasgivenintheirhonour,butmostoftheIndianguestshadarrivedevenearlier,andstoodmassedatthefurthersideofthetennislawn,doingnothing.
“Itisonlyjustfive,”saidMrs.Turton.“Myhusbandwillbeupfromhisofficeinamomentandstartthething.Ihadnoideawhatwehavetodo.It’sthefirsttimewe’veevergivenapartylikethisattheClub.Mr.Heaslop,whenI’mdeadandgonewillyougivepartieslikethis?
It’senoughtomaketheoldtypeofBurraSahibturninhisgrave.”
Ronnylaugheddeferentially.“Youwantedsomethingnotpicturesqueandwe’veprovidedit,”heremarkedtoMissQuested.“WhatdoyouthinkoftheAryanBrotherinatopiandspats?
”
Neithershenorhismotheranswered.Theyweregazingrathersadlyoverthetennislawn.No,itwasnotpicturesque;theEast,abandoningitssecularmagnificence,wasdescendingintoavalleywhosefurthersidenomancansee.
“Thegreatpointtorememberisthatnoonewho’sherematters;thosewhomatterdon’tcome.Isn’tthatso,Mrs.Turton?
”
“Absolutelytrue,”saidthegreatlady,leaningback.Shewas“savingherselfup”,asshecalledit—notforanythingthatwouldhappenthatafternoonoreventhatweek,butforsomevaguefutureoccasionwhenahighofficialmightcomealongandtaxherstrength.Mostofherpublicappearancesweremarkedbythisairofreserve.
Assuredofherapprobation,Ronnycontinued,“TheeducatedIndianswillbenogoodtousifthere’sarow,it’ssimplynotworthwhileconciliatingthem,that’swhytheydon’tmatter.Mostofthepeopleyouseeareseditiousatheart,andtherest’drunsquealing.Thecultivator—he’sanotherstory.ThePathan—he’samanifyoulike.Butthesepeople—don’timaginethey’reIndia.”Hepointedtotheduskylinebeyondthecourt,andhereandthereitflashedapince-nezorshuffledashoe,asifawarethathewasdespisingit.Europeancostumehadlightedlikealeprosy.Fewhadyieldedentirely,butnonewereuntouched.Therewasasilencewhenhehadfinishedspeaking,onbothsidesofthecourt;atleast,moreladiesjoinedtheEnglishgroup,buttheirwordsseemedtodieassoonasuttered.Somekiteshoveredoverhead,impartial,overthekitespassedthemassofavulture,and,withanimpartialityexceedingall,thesky,notdeeplycolouredbuttruculent,pouredlightfromitswholecircumference.Itseemedunlikelythattheseriesstoppedhere.Beyondtheskymustnottherebesomethingthatoverarchesalltheskies,moreimpartialeventhanthey?
Beyondwhichagain….
Theyhadtriedtoreproducetheirownattitudetolifeuponthestage,andtodressupasthemiddle-classEnglishpeopletheyactuallywere.NextyeartheywoulddoQualityStreetorTheYeomenoftheGuard.Saveforthisannualincursion,theyleftliteraturealone.Themenhadnotimeforit,thewomendidnothingthattheycouldnotsharewiththemen.Theirignoranceoftheartswasnotable,andtheylostnoopportunityofproclaimingittooneanother;itwasthepublic-schoolattitude,flourishingmorevigorouslythanitcanyethopetodoinEngland.IfIndianswereshop,theartswerebadform,andRonnyhadrepressedhismotherwhensherequiredafterhisviola;aviolawasalmostademerit,andcertainlynotthesortofinstrumentonementionedinpublic.Shenoticednowhowtolerantandconventionalhisjudgmentshadbecome;whenshehadseenCousinKateinLondontogetherinthepast,hehadscornedit;nowhepretendedthatitwasagoodplay,inordertohurtnobody’sfeelings.An“unkindnotice”hadappearedinthelocalpaper,“thesortofthingnowhitemancouldhavewritten,”asMrsLesleysaid.Theplaywaspraised,tobesure,andsowerethestagemanagementandtheperformanceasawhole,butthenoticecontainedthefollowingsentence:
“MissDerek,thoughshecharminglylookedherpart,lackedthenecessaryexperience,andoccasionallyforgotherwords.”Thistinybreathofgenuinecriticismhadgivendeepoffence,notindeedtoMissDerek,whowasashardasnails,buttoherfriends.MissDerekdidnotbelongtoChandrapore.ShewasstoppingforafortnightwiththeMcBrydes,thepolicepeople,andshehadbeensogoodastofillupagapinthecastatthelastmoment.Anice
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