The Bridge party seems to be a significant event for the Indians, who consider it with appropriate scepticism they seem to believe that the motivation for the party is not to bridge the gap between the English and Indian societies but however to give a sense of dictatorship by the English over the Indians.
In this chapter Forster presents the character of the Nawab Bahadur, who is a respected member of the Indian society whose decisions are respected, he believes that those who are invited should accept the invitation as they really have no other choice.
The theme of invitations seem to relate to the theme of muddle and mystery (Fielding himself belives that “mystery is a muddle, and India itself is a muddle”) as many times the invitations from the English to the Indians or vice versa seem to not go as expected. Dr. Aziz does not turn up to the Bridge Party and is later on in the chapter interrogated by Dr. Panna Lal, who had earlier on invited Aziz to attend the Bridge Party with him and his carriage so he could save himself “the indignity of cycling”.
At the Bridge party the theme of Invitations is changed into that of mystery and muddles as it was said to be “unsuccessful” this was mainly due to that fact that the different cultures had different aspects of time and the Indians did not want to be late for the English dominated Bridge party so as not to seem even more inferior. The Indians arrived even earlier than the English people who thought they were early, thus causing even more muddle and mishap within the cultures. “The Bridge Party was not a success-at least it was not what Mrs. Moore and Miss. Quested were accustomed to consider a successful party. They arrived early… but most of the Indian guests had arrived even earlier, and stood massed at the farther side of the tennis lawns doing nothing.”
In page 37, Mr. Fielding invites Adela, Mrs. Moore and Dr. Aziz to his house for a tea party, where the Indian seeking English Mrs. Moore and Adela want to see; “The real India” and meet Dr. Aziz and Fielding and Aziz form a strong friendship which is very rare between the English and the Indians. Here Forster is using Fielding as an interaction between the Indians and the English; he builds the bridge between the two cultures. During the tea party Aziz buoyantly promises to take Mrs. Moore and Adela to see the Marabar Caves, a distant cave complex that everyone talks about but no one seems to actually visit.
Aziz's Marabar invitation was one of those casual promises that people often make and never intend to keep. But when he learns that the women are really offended that he has not followed through, he arranges the outing at great expense to himself. Fielding and Godbole were supposed to accompany the little expedition, but they miss the train. This invitation was one that was misrepresented by the Indians and misunderstood by the English therefore lasting in even more muddle and chaos.
‘He thought again of his bungalow in horror. Good heavens the stupid girl had taken him at his word! What was he to do “yes that’s all settled!” he cried, “I invited you all to see me in the Marabar Caves.”’
Through the invitations that Fielding made to Aziz, they became very close friends and he vows that Aziz is innocent, (this is interesting as perhaps if Fielding had not invited Aziz in the first place then they would not have become so firm friends and Aziz may have been found guilty?) Fielding emerges as being the pragmatic voice of reason, and the only English character who makes sense of the ‘attack’, there seems to be a sharp divide between the other English characters, who are united against Fielding and Aziz.
Invitations led to the increase in muddle and obscurity of India and their culture, they also led to disastrous occurrences but also to their cure. Invitations brought Fielding and Dr. Aziz together as close friends even though there was a culture divide between them and this friendship helped to solve the muddle and mishap that the other invitation, that of the Marabar caves visit made.
