Passage to India

E.M. Forster's "A Passage to India" deals directly with the position of Britain as the ruler of India and its affect on personal relationships. One of these relationships is between the elderly British woman Mrs. Moore and her son Ronnie. Britain rule changes the social balance of India and, like many other relationships, causes Mrs. Moore and Ronnie to lose connection.

Mrs. Moore is a very respectful, kind, and open woman. She demonstrates these qualities when she takes off her shoes in the mosque and when she befriends Doctor Aziz. Mrs. Moore represents the genuinely good people in society. She holds an air of innocence when witnessing prejudice against the Indian people. She judges people based on merit, not race. Mrs. Moore is motivated by her passion for life, her internal goodness, and her desire to expand her worldview. Ronnie, on the other hand, is very unlike his mother. He is a strict follower of the rules set by his government and his society. He is also very emotionally detached, as he so demonstrates through his attitude toward Adela.

Ronnie represents the viewpoints of the majority of the English during the time of Imperialism. He finds the Indians inferior to himself and acts towards them accordingly. Ronnie is motivated by his need to uphold his image and position in society.

Because of Britain's control over India, Ronnie is able to work as a magistrate there. This alters his relationship with his mother. Firstly, Mrs. Moore is forced to travel a great distance just to see her son. When she does visit Ronnie, she is faced with the disappointment of his unwillingness to show her the "real India". Oppositely, Ronnie is upset and even embarrassed for his mother when he finds her socializing with the Indian people. Neither mother nor son understand each other's behavior. The dynamic between the two changes greatly. Consequently, Mrs. Moore consults Adela and tells her to second guess marrying her son. Ronnie, fearing his mother may openly voice her good opinion of Aziz, sends her back to England. Mrs. Moore and Ronnie both come to the realization that although they are relatives, their viewpoints could not be more foreign to one another.