E. M. Forster's A Passage to India stands as a complex engagement with British colonialism in India, interrogating the moral and cultural contradictions of the imperial project through the lens of liberal humanism. Forster's advocacy of empathy, connection, and individual moral responsibility is evident throughout the narrative, especially in the idealistic but fraught friendship between Dr. Aziz and Mr. Fielding. Yet, the novel ultimately reveals the inadequacy of liberal humanist ideals in the face of the structural injustices and cultural alienation inherent in the colonial system. By examining the symbolism of the Marabar Caves, the disintegration of personal relationships, and the portrayal of institutional and epistemological divides, this paper explores how A Passage to India simultaneously embodies and critiques the limits of humanist reconciliation in a colonized world. Forster's novel acknowledges the philosophical appeal of 'only connect,' but undercuts its feasibility under imperial domination, marking an important transition in modern British literature from liberal idealism to postcolonial skepticism.
Research Scholar, Department of English, Magadh University, Bodh-Gaya
