E. M. Forster.ppt

E M Forster 1879 1970 EdwardMorganForsterwasbornintoacomfortableLondonfamilyin1879 Forsterprovedtobeabrightstudent andhewentontoattendCambridgeUniversity graduatingin1901 Hespentmuchofthenextdecadetravelingandlivingabroad dividinghistimebetweenworkingasajournalistandwritingshortstoriesandnovels ManyofForster sobservationsandexperiencesfromthistimefigureinhisfiction mostnotablyARoomwithaView 1908 whichchroniclestheexperiencesofagroupofEnglishpeoplevacationinginItaly TwoyearsafterARoomwithaView thenovelHowardsEnd 1910 inwhichForstercriticizedtheclassdivisionsandprejudicesofEdwardianEngland solidifiedhisreputationasasocialcriticandamasterofincisivelyobservationalfiction LongbeforeForsterfirstvisitedIndia hehadalreadygainedavividpictureofitspeopleandplacesfromayoungIndianMuslimnamedSyedRossMasood AtthetimeofForster svisit theBritishgovernmenthadbeenofficiallyrulingIndiasince1858 afterthefailedSepoyRebellionin1857 inwhichIndiansattemptedtoregainrulefromtheBritishEastIndiaCompany BythetimeofForster svisit Britain scontroloverIndiawascomplete EnglishgovernorsheadedeachprovinceandwereresponsibletoParliament ThoughEnglandhadpromisedtheIndianpeoplearoleingovernmentinexchangefortheiraidduringWorldWarI Indiadidnotwinindependenceuntilthreedecadeslater in1949 ForsterspenttimewithbothEnglishmenandIndiansduringhisvisit andhequicklyfoundhepreferredthecompanyofthelatter HewastroubledbytheracialoppressionanddeepculturalmisunderstandingsthatdividedtheIndianpeopleandtheBritishcolonists TheprevailingattitudeamongtheBritishinIndiawasthatthecolonistswereassumingthe whiteman sburden ofgoverningthecountry becausetheIndianscouldnothandletheresponsibilitythemselves Forster ahomosexuallivinginasocietyanderalargelyunsympathetictohislifestyle hadlongexperiencedprejudiceandmisunderstandingfirsthand Itisnosurprise then thatForsterfeltsympathetictowardtheIndiansideofthecolonialargument Indeed Forsterbecamealifelongadvocatefortoleranceandunderstandingamongpeopleofdifferentsocialclasses races andbackgrounds ForsterbeganwritingAPassagetoIndiain1913 justafterhisfirstvisittoIndia Publishedin1924 APassagetoIndiaexaminestheracialmisunderstandingsandculturalhypocrisiesthatcharacterizedthecomplexinteractionsbetweenIndiansandtheEnglishtowardtheendoftheBritishoccupationofIndia Forster sstyleismarkedbyhissympathyforhischaracters hisabilitytoseemorethanonesideofanargumentorstory andhisfondnessforsimple symbolictalesthatneatlyencapsulatelarge scaleproblemsandconditions ThesetendenciesareallevidentinAPassagetoIndia whichwasimmediatelyacclaimedasForster smasterpieceuponitspublication Itisatraditionalsocialandpoliticalnovel unconcernedwiththetechnicalinnovationofsomeofForster smodernistcontemporariessuchasGertrudeSteinorT S Eliot APassagetoIndiaisconcerned however withrepresentingthechaosofmodernhumanexperiencethroughpatternsofimageryandform APassagetoIndiawasthelastinastringofForster snovelsinwhichhiscraftimprovedmarkedlywitheachnewwork Afterthenovel spublication however Forsterneveragainattainedthelevelofcraftorthedepthofobservationthatcharacterizedhisearlywork Inhislaterlife hecontentedhimselfprimarilywithwritingcriticalessaysandlectures mostnotablyAspectsoftheNovel 1927 In1946 ForsteracceptedafellowshipatCambridge whereheremaineduntilhisdeathin1970 TheRoadfromColonus Genre ShortStoryKeywords Aging Caregivers Communication DeathandDying Depression Empathy FamilyRelationships Father DaughterRelationship Suffering Summary Mr Lucas anEnglishman isgrowingold HehasalwayswantedtovisitGreeceandhasfinallyachievedthis accompaniedbyhisunmarrieddaughter Ethel whowill ithasbeenassumed dedicateherlifetotakingcareofhiminhisoldage InGreece Mr Lucasbecomesrestlessandresistanttotheideaofanexpectedpassive peacefuldeathfromoldage Hewantsto diefighting Somethingmysterioushappens hefindsagreatoldhollowtreefromwhichaspringofwaterflows Heclimbsintothetreeandexperiencesanepiphany hesuddenlyseesallthingsas intelligibleandgood Butwhentherestofhispartyfindhim heisoddlyrepelledbythem Hedoesnotfeelthatanyonecansharetherevelationhehasexperienced andhebecomesafraidthatifheleavestheplacehewilllosethefeelinghimself Hedecidesnottoleave andsaysheplanstostayataninnneartheoldtree buttheothersarehorrified andforcehimtoleavewiththem BackinEngland sometimelater Ethelisnowabouttobemarried Mr Lucashasbecomeaperpetuallydisgruntledoldman complainingabouteverything especiallythesoundofwaterintheplumbing themysticalGreekspringhasbeenreducedtothisannoyance hesays there snothingIdislikemorethanrunningwater Hissister Julia whomhehates isgoingtotakecareofhimonceEthelismarried ThenagiftarrivesfromafriendinGreece wrappedinaGreeknewspaper InitEthelreadsthenewsthatonthenighttheyleft theoldtreewasblowndown andfellonthefamilywhokepttheinnnearby killingthemall Ethelisupset andsayshowluckyitwasthattheyhadn tstayedtherethatnight callingita marvelousdeliverance butMr Lucasdismissesthestorywithoutinterest Henolongercares Commentary ForsteranchorsthisstoryinGreektragedy explicitlyidentifyingMr LucaswithOedipusandEthelwithhisdaughter Antigone Thestory smeaninglieslargelyinitsdeparturefromtheGreekone Afterdiscoveringthehorribletruthofhisparentageandputtingouthisowneyes attheendofOedipustheKing OedipusleavesThebesandheandAntigonewanderuntiltheyreachColonus Herefusestoleavetheplaceanddiesthere seeSophocles sOedipusatColonus ForOedipusthereisnoroadfromColonus InForster sversion Mr Lucasisforcedtorelinquishhisvisionofmeaningandthedramaticdeathhedesiredandwhichwas evidently awaitinghiminthetree sfall HemustreturntoEngland tobeabandonedbyhisAntigone andtoageanddieslowlyandwithoutmuchdignity Inreturn heabandonshisglimpseofmeaningandhisdreamofagooddeath becomingdisaffectedandselfishandlonely TheGreekkindoftragedywithitsheroismanditssensethattheworldisintelligibleevenwhenmostpainfulisreplacedbyamoremodernkindoftragedy wheremeaningislosttofailedcommunicationandsocialdictates theEnglishpartywon tstayattheinnbecausetheyconsidertheGreekfamilydirtyandforeignandlow class Apowerfulreminderoftheimportanceofrespectingtheinsightsandneedsoftheaging TheotherspatronizeMr Lucasbecauseheseemsunreasonable evenincompetent Theythinktheyhaverescuedhim Insteadhehasbeendiminished fatally CriticalReading BinariesinE M Forster sTheRoadfromColonus Tounderstandandanalyzenarrativestructure wecantrytofindoutbinaryoppositionsinthestory Therearethreepairsofactants subject object helper opponentandsender receiver InE M Forster sTheRoadfromColonus theprotagonist Mr Lucas traveledtoGreecewithhisdaughter Ethel andtwootherEnglishtravelers Mrs FormanandMr Graham TheypassedthroughasmallvillageandMr Lucaswasattractedtotheenvironmentandafamilywhoranacountryinnthere Mr Lucasdecidedtostayatthecountryinn butwasforcedtoleavebyEthel Theresultwasaspiritualdegenerationfortheprotagonist AccordingtoGreimas theory wefindthatMr Lucasisthesubjectandtheobjectisthemomentofescapehewassearchingfor Ithinkescapeheremeansanescapefromsocialconventions inMr Lucas case theconventionthatheoughttobetakencareofbyEthelandabidebywhatEthelsaid ThisconventionwassolidifiedafterMrs FormanconstantlycomparedLucastoOedipusandEtheltoAntigone Theideaofescapedidn tjuststartduringtheirtriptoGreece butstartedfortyyearsago whenMr Lucas caughtthefeverofHellenism andhethoughthislifewouldnotbeinvainifhehadachancetovisitGreece Inabroadersense Mr Lucasalsowantedtoescapefromthesocialconventionthatanoldpersoncouldn tbeindependentfromhiscaretakerandwouldbeconsideredabsurdandunreasonableifhetriedtoactindependently Mr Lucas daughter Ethel seemstobehishelper butactuallysheisnot Ethel alongwithMr GrahamandMrs Forman areallopponentstotheprotagonist ssearchforescape EthelhinderedMr Lucasfromactingindependentlybytreatinghimlikeachild Shewaspraisedthatshecouldmanageherfatherwellandoncesheevencomplainedtoothersthatherfatherwas absolutelyunmanageable WhenMr Lucaswas unmanageable Mr GrahamwouldgiveahandtoEthel e g whenMr Lucasrefusedtocontinuethetripwiththem Mr Grahamforcedhimtositonthemuleandtoleave Seemingly GrahamistheherointhisstorybecausehesolvedtheproblemsEthelcouldn thandlealone ButIthinkheisafalsehero becausehisinterventionmakesLucas escapeimpossible Seemingly GrahamsavedtheprotagonistfromtheGreeks butbecauseofhisintervention Lucasfailedtoseizethemomentofescapeandthatledtohisspiritualdegenerationeventually Anotherpatternofbinaryoppositionevolvesaroundtwogroupsofpeople OnegroupistheGreekfamilywhoranthecountryinn theothergroupconsistsoftheEnglishtravelers TheimageofGreekfamilychangeddramatically WhenLucas alone discoveredtheGreekcountryinn theGreekfamilypresentedaharmonious peacefulimagetohim Hefoundameaningineverymoveofeverymemberintheinn Butlater asLucaslefttheinnwithhiscompanions theGreekstriedtoattackthemviolently ThesetwoimagesofthesamegroupofGreeksformavividbinaryopposition AsfortheEnglishtravelers theywerethemostfamiliarpeopletoMr Lucasduringthistrip comparedtotheGreeksintheinnwhomMr Lucasactuallydidn ttalkwith AfterLucasformedthegraciouspictureoftheGreekfamily hefeltthathisEnglishcompanionssuddenlybecameunfamiliar Thisisanotherbinaryopposition theoppositionbetweenfamiliarityandunfamiliarity SeveralbinariescouldbefoundinMr Lucas attitudetowardtheGreekfamilyandhisintimaterelations Throughouthisvisittothecountryinn heneverspoketoanyonethere buthe lovedthemashelovedeverythingthatmovedorbreathed However whenhethoughtofhisrelationsinEngland forinstance hissisterandhischildren hefeltindifference fear andevenhatred Mr Lucas lovetowardtheGreeksandhisindifferencetowardhisEnglishrelationsmightbeonemorebinary butIstillhavedoubtshowhecouldloveagroupofpeoplewhomheneverspoketo Infact IthinkhislovetowardtheGreekfamilywasowingtoanillusionhemadeupinhismindaboutthebeautyaroundthecountryinn Animportantsymbolinthestoryis water IntheGreekvillage Mr Lucaswasa