Unveiling Orientalism in A Passage to India: A Journey through the Exotic Unknown

This research seeks to examine how orientalism is portrayed in E.M. Forster's A Passage to India and how the novel reflects British stereotyping of Indians through the lens of postcolonial theory. This research has used both the meta- analysis and meta- synthesis method through which a thorough analysis of the text A Passage to India is made to exhibit the instances to prove the subdued presence of orientalist ideologies. Forster's ideas in A Passage to India exhibit many affinities with Edward Said's thoughts in his Orientalism. Therefore, postcolonial theory of orientalism and the work Culture and Imperialism by Edward Said is used as the source text to base the analysis on. There are two results of the research. The first one concerns about the representation of Indians by the British who considers Indians are inferior, primitive and barbaric. Secondly, the novel reflects the stereotyping of the Indians through the narration and the dialogues. The research further highlights how these orientalist views are embedded in the power dynamics between the colonizers and the colonized, shaping the interactions and conflicts in the novel. Additionally, it explores the way Forster critiques these stereotypes, subtly questioning the legitimacy of the British imperialist perspective.