What do chapters 17 and 18 reveal about Forster’s art as a novelist?
Chapters seventeen and eighteen are two of my favourite chapters of the novel. Forster makes his view on the British very clear. He makes some important points during these chapters and Forster reveals the British to us in a whole new light which I will be discussing. This chapter also seems to reveal to the readers the extent of Forster’s dislike of the British in India. In the essay I will try to discuss the attitude which the British take against the Indians and the way in which they group together like a tribe.
The first of the important chapters which these chapters make is the way in which Adela is turned into a martyr from her assault. The first hint that she has become somewhat saintly is during Mr Turton’s speech to the ladies of the club ‘Miss Derek and – the victim herself’ he nearly breaks down and is unable to say Adela’s name. The abstinence of using her name gives the effect that she has become too holy to be named. This is particularly significant in the novel for before her assault she had not been very popular within the British Community but since the assault she has become the most popular lady who they all seem to want to have an intimacy with. This only accentuated the British ladies’ shallow personalities. Once news of the assault on Miss Quested reaches the British they group together in a tribal manner; the ladies and men are given instruction what to do from Turton and they become secretive. The British are described as ‘sinking themselves in their community’. This shows all the British retracting into their tribe; they have no individual movements, they all move together, acting as one. This allows no individual emotion or friendships with the Indians. Turton then mutters to himself about the Indians ‘I know what you’re like at last; you shall pay for this, you shall squeal’ his repetition of you shall makes him sounds manic. Turton blames all the Indians, even if Aziz is guilty then its unjust to blame India as a whole. It shows the reader the echoing resentment that the British feel against the Indians. The British assume that they have privileges; Aziz is seen as guilty for having seen prostitutes in Calcutta, despite the Superintendent of Police himself having seen prostitutes in Calcutta when he was the same age as Aziz. The British assume that because Aziz Is Indian and McBryde is British McBryde is allowed to on the basis of his nationality. As Chapter eighteen ends McBryde says ‘lord help us, the lord help us all’ this lets the reader know that McBryde assumes that God will be on the unjust side of the British.
