Post-Colonial Feminist Approach in A Passage To India

NAME : MUHAMMAD WASEEM
ROLL NO : BSF1800781
CLASS : BS ENGLISH 7TH SEMESTER
ASSIGNMENT : A POSTCOLONIAL FEMINIST STUDY OF “ PASSAGE
TO INDIA”
SUBMITTED TO : MAM TASMIA
Abstract
This research paper investigates and analyzes Post-colonial Feminist aspect in

the novel A passage to India by E.M Froster. Who was the great British novelist in
the first half of twentieth century, achieved his worldwide fame by writing A
passage to India. He is the first outstanding British novelist that criticizes in his
novel British colonialism in India. Through a qualitative method, this paper
presents the theory of postcolonial feminism. Postcolonial feminism emphasizes
on the collusion of patriarchy and colonialism. This novel is the account of two
British women, Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore, who question the standard
behaviors of the English toward the Indians and suffer permanently from their
unsettling experience in India. Although the whole story evolves, around these
two women, the emphasis is more on their failure than on their success. There
are three groups of women in A Passage to India: the first group are married
British women who have passively accepted the colonial oppression. They follow
the colonizer’s policy in their dealings with the natives. The single British women
form the second group. The women of this group resist the British oppression and
they intend to deliver the natives from such an oppression. From their
postcolonial stance, this group fails to represent the demands of the native
women with their variety of race, culture, and ethnicity. The second group of
women suppress the native women through their representation. The third group
of women in the novel are the native women who are triply oppressed.
1. Introduction
Postcolonial feminism argues that by using the term "woman" as a universal
group, women are then only defined by their gender and not by social class, race,
ethnicity, or sexual preference. Postcolonial feminism began simply as a critique
of both Western feminism and postcolonial theory, but later became a method of
analysis to address key issues within both fields. postcolonial feminist theorists
are interested in analyzing why postcolonial theory fails to address issues of
gender.
Postcolonial feminist theory is primarily concerned with the representation of
women in once colonized countries and in western locations. A woman suffers
from “double colonization” as she simultaneously experiences the oppression of
colonialism and patriarchy. She has to resist the control of colonial power not only
as a colonized subject, but also as a woman. In this oppression, her colonized
brother is no longer her supporter, but her oppressor. In his struggle against the
colonizer, male even exploits woman by misrepresenting her in the nationalist
discourses. Not only that, she also suffers at the hand of Western male colonizers
but also from the women of colonizers.
A Passage to India takes a critical stance to the colonialism and this make the
Forster’s work as the greatest “anti-colonial” novel in English literature. The first
half of twentieth century witnessed the decline and collapse of British empire and
this context contributed to the formation of Forster’s thought and creation of his
novel. The central role of women in the novel has made it possible to analyze the
relationship between women and the colonial experience. In the novel women
show a range of reactions to colonialism, from supporting it to resisting against it.
These two aspects of Forster’s novel has drawn the attention of postcolonial and
feminist scholars.
2. Research Questions :
What was the condition and social status of women in Post-colonial time period?
How the rights of colonized-women were exploited by their own men?
Why British women were considered Superior to native women despite of same
gender?
Objectives of the study :

The main objective of the this is to point out the difficulties that women had to
face in the Post-colonial times.
To highlight the status of suppressed women of India.
To clarify the concept of Feminism and Postcolonial feminism.
To seek the effects of Colonialism on feminism.
3. Methodology
This research is of qualitative approach and introduces the basic concepts of
postcolonial feminism, and studies the position of Forster in postcolonial
discourse to analyze Forster’s women’s approach to the colonial experience. From
postcolonial feminist perspective, this paper focuses on female characters
in Passage to India and classifies them into three categories: Anglo-Indian
women, single British Women, and Indian women. After, the reaction of each
category to the experience of colonialism will be investigated. Furthermore, the
application of postcolonial feminist approach to the novel will uncover the
interaction among the three groups.
4. Analysis and Results

this novel is the account of two British women, Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore,
who question the standard behaviors of the English toward the Indians and suffer
permanently from their unsettling experience in India. However, although the
whole story evolves, around these two women, the emphasis is more on their
failure than on their success.
Mrs. Moore is a good-hearted, religious and elderly woman. The initial days of her
visit to India are successful, as she connects with India and Indians on an intuitive
level. But in the second part of the novel, she reaches to nihilism after visiting the
cave. Her approach to the world has been in fact conditioned by the special
mentality and sensibility of western civilization. However, unlike other English
people in the story that want to impose their British categories on that nation,
Mrs. Moore is more open to the world of the India. Therefore, in experiencing the
echo in the cave, she lost all of her willingness, and life becomes meaningless for
her. Though provoking a little disappointment at first, the gradual disclosure of
the character of Mrs. Moore unveils her venerable wisdom and receptive
magnanimity.
However, whereas Mrs. Moore’s desire is bolstered by a genuine interest in and

affection for Indians, Adela Quested appears to want to see the “real India”, with
her naïve passion, simply on intellectual grounds. She puts her mind to the task,
but not her heart, and therefore never connects with Indians. After the excursion
to Marabar Cave in the company of a young Indian doctor, Dr. Aziz, she returns
alone and distressed. She accuses him of attempted assault, but later withdraws
her accusation. Whatever happens or does not in the cave, it causes ruin to her
“own kind”, the imperial British. Forster depicts this British woman as a complex,
unidentified intruder. Thus, although "They had no race-consciousness—Mrs.
Moor is too old Miss. Quested too new and they behaved to Aziz as to any young
man who had been kind to them in the country they both fail after experiencing
the crisis to see real India.
Upon questioning whether the real crime is Adela's accusation or Aziz's assault, A
Passage to India sets up an opposition between the English Woman and Indian
man. Aziz’s trial bring out all the racial tensions and between Indians and the
British colonists who rule India.
However, besides the story of these two British women, the double colonization
of Indian women is also obvious in this novel. They are both victim of patriarchy
and imperialism in their society. The focus of this paper is on a postcolonial
feminism point concentrated around women, both Western and Indians, and the
behavior and thought of native Indian men toward them.
The Anglo-Indian women, the first group, place themselves in the position of
colonizers in their dealings with the natives. By introducing the single British
women, the second group, in his novel, Forster focus on the topic of women in
colonial discourse. A study of their representation in Passage to India reveals the
encounter between colonial power and its internal critics, on the one hand, and
the second group’s tendency to appropriate all differences among women in its
challenge to colonial power. The second group of women have failed to achieve
all their goals. They have been mainly successful in inspiring change in native
males (Dr. Aziz) to resist the colonial system. But they have offered an image of
women generally. Racial, ethnic, cultural, social varieties and the relevant
experience of each of these conditions for the non-western women is rendered
trivial in western feminism and it has led to a return to former structures of
dominance and colonialism. A Passage to India shows that Forster is conscious of
the painful condition of native women. The image of native women here
corresponds with notion that if the male colonized are dominated by colonial
rule, women in colonial societies suffer doubly. They are dominated both by
colonial rule and their patriarchal societies .
5. Conclusion
E.M Froater’s novel is true mirror of the society of in Post-colonial society.

Forster skillfully brings up two important concerns of postcolonial feminism in his
novel. Women in Passage to India can be divided into three groups. The first
group includes the wives of colonial staff in India. In fact, they are female replica
of male colonizers. They emphasize on colonial binaries and regard themselves
superior to the natives racially and inferior to the British males because of their
gender. Like the natives, they are exposed to colonial suppression and are
generally passive. The second group, the single british women, are considerably
active. They claim that they want to establish a bridge between themselves and
the natives and criticize the colonial experience. They are more responsive to the
oppression of male natives but show no interest in speaking out the oppression
the native females or Anglo-females suffer. They can be regarded as
representatives of white feminism that ignores racial and cultural differences
particular to native women. They are responsible for the formation of a new kind
of suppression within the discourse of feminism. The third group are native
women in the novel. They are, similar to the first group, exposed to direct
oppression but for them it is tripled. Firstly, the colonial structure oppresses them
and this oppression is intensified by patriarchal dominance over them. Their
painful oppression if enhanced further when they are ignored by western
feminism and thereby represented by them.
The End

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NAME : MUHAMMAD WASEEM

This research paper investigates and analyzes Post-colonial Feminist aspect in

Objectives of the study :

4. Analysis and Results

However, whereas Mrs. Moore’s desire is bolstered by a genuine interest in and

E.M Froater’s novel is true mirror of the society of in Post-colonial society.

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