A Passage to India

Description

The Penguin Classics series of E.M. Forster’s work collects some of the best novels from the early 20th century, all full of themes about human relationships, social positions, and personal liberty. Brief Description

Title and Author: E.M. Forster – available in Penguin Classics editions.

Genre/Category: Classic British Literature, Modernist Fiction.

Content Summary: Much of E.M. Forster’s work concerns itself with the subtleties of human relationships, the social expectations imposed, and the collision between individual desires and cultural mores. Some of the more important novels are:

A Passage to India: A novel based in the British Raj that works through tensions between colonizers who originally come from Britain and their Indian subjects, discussing issues of friendship, cultural misunderstanding, and the impact of colonialism.
Howard’s End: A tale of class, property and contradictions between materialism and idealism, as represented in the life of two drastically different families in Edwardian England.
A Room with a View: A romantic and comedic experiment in studying personal liberty in the rigid framework of Edwardian society, attempting to justify the conflict between the conventional and the personal quest for happiness.
It goes on to explore such deep themes as social class, imperialism, personal freedom and the limitations placed upon people by society, human connection, and empathy. Works by Forster criticize the strict class system of British society and advocate openness and understanding between cultures and between people.