E.M. Forster

His life and work

Early life Born in 1879 in London Edward Morgan Forster Father was an architect

Died before Edward was 2 Raised by women - mother and aunts

Used money from great aunt to travel and write later in life

Forster as a child, 1890

Childhood home, Rooksnest

College Life Attended King’s College of Cambridge 1897-1901 Member of Apostles

Discussion group Later became Bloomsbury Group

Virginia Woolf also a member

Enjoyed freedom of intellectual discussions and focus on personal relationships

After graduation Traveled with his mother to Italy and Greece

Gave him material to use later Satire of British tourists

Feared anything “foreign”

Wrote essays and stories for liberal Independent Review

Forster with mother

Tutoring 1905 - tutored in Germany for a Countess’s

son 1906 - tutored Syed Ross Masood

Indian Muslim patriot Grew fond of him

Forster, 1915

Forster with Masood, 1911

Written work 1905 - Where Angels Fear to Tread 1907 - The Longest Journey 1908 - A Room with a View 1910 - Howard’s End

Clash between business and art 1971 - Maurice

Homosexual theme

Personal life Kept personal life hidden and out of discussion 1930 - involved in a relationship with a

London policeman Also friends with his wife

Maurice published posthumously

Travel and work 1912-1913 - traveled to India with Masood 1914-1915 - worked for National Gallery in

London WWI - worked for Red Cross in Egypt

Wrote poetry while there 1921 - returned to India

Worked as private secretary to Maharajah of Dewas

India A Passage to India

Started writing it before WWI Published 1924 About India under British rule

Published nonfiction work about India

E. M. Forster

A Passage to India (1984 directed by David Lean) Plot Summary: novel film

A Passage to India Published in 1924, the last completed

novel that Forster published during his lifetime.

Major Characters in the novel: 1. Dr. Aziz: 2. Cyril Fielding 3. Adela Quested 4. Mrs. Moore 5. Professor Narayan Godbole 6. Ronny Heaslop

A Passage to India (1984 directed by David Lean) Themes: 1. the difficulty of friendship between an

Englishman (the colonist) and an Indian (the colonized)

2. the racism and oppression of the British who rule India

3. the “muddle” of Indian civilization and psychology, and the oneness (and perhaps sameness) of all life

Death and reputation Died in 1970 Known for being critical of Victorian middle

class attitudes and British colonialism Explores class differences and sexuality Used characters to critique issues

SourcesSharpe, Jenny. “The Unspeakable Limits of

Civility:A Passage to India.” Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1993.