E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India (1924) stands tall among the greatest literary masterpieces of the 20th century, earning its place on Time magazines list of the top 100 English-language novels of all time. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling British Raj, the novel explores the deep-rooted religious and cultural rifts between India’s Hindu and Muslim populations, which historically undermined the local powers needed to challenge colonial rule. Forster skillfully illustrates how these divisions are challenged by a growing collective resistance to the racism, oppression, and socio-political mismanagement of British rule. The narrative is particularly renowned for its nuanced character relationships, fraught with a spectrum of cultural, social, political, and economic dualities such as Occident vs. Orient, imperialist vs. colonial, and men vs. women. Through the lens of his celebrated phrase “only connect” (from Howards End), Forster delves into the complexities and often insurmountable challenges of forging connections across racial, sexual, religious, and social divides. - Summary by Kirsten Wever

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