This document analyzes various symbols in E.M. Forster's novel "A Passage to India". It discusses how characters, locations, and numbers represent broader ideas. The characters symbolize different communities in India under British rule. Locations like the mosque represent friendship between Indians and British, while the Marabar Caves symbolize misunderstanding. The number 3 implicitly represents the interaction of Europeans, Asians, and Eurasians. Overall, the document examines how Forster uses symbolism to represent relationships between groups and convey themes about colonial India.

1. Symbolism in “A Passage to
India”
Prepared by Irshad Hussain
KIU SKD Campus
Gilgit Baltistan

2. “It is a figure of speech that is used to create a
certain mood in literature.”
It is the use of an object, person, situation or word
to represent something else, like an idea. Some
common types of symbolism are:
Metaphor
 Allegory
Symbolism

3. Symbols
1. The Characters
2. The Mosque
3. The Bridge Party
4. The Caves
5. The Kawa Dol Cave
6. The Temple
7. The digit ‘3’

4. The Characters
• All Muslim and Hindu characters stand for the
natives of India and their respective communities.
• All English characters are the emblem of ruling
class(Frangis) in India.
• Dr. Aziz shows the changing outlook of natives
towards the Frangis.

5. The Characters
• Ronny shows the haughty and arrogant ruling
class.
• Miss Adela represents the weak temper of
English ladies who want to seduce the
innocents.
• Mrs. Moore and Mr. Fielding represent the
exception in English people, they are polite
and humanitarian.

6. The Mosque
• It symbolizes the place
1. Of friendship.
2. Of peace, solace and comfort.
3. Where souls are purified.
“Dr. Aziz sought solace and an everlasting
friendship is built between Aziz and Mrs.
Moore.”

7. The Bridge Party
“The word ‘Bridge’ gives a symbolic significance to
the party. As a bridge joins two strange places
together.”
likewise the Bridge party was held in order to
get together the Indians and Frangis.

8. The Marabar Caves
• Caves are the symbols of darkness,
evil, savagery, chaos, misunderstanding,
conflict and ignorance.
“Miss Adela Quested who seduce Dr. Aziz and later she
gets hallucination. The origin of confrontation is the
caves.”

9. The ‘Kawa Dol’
According to a critic “the ‘Kawa Dol’ Cave
symbolizes the fragile condition of Indians
under the foreign yoke.”
In addition an another critic says that as the
‘Kawa Dol’ Cave situated at the top, it
represents the pathetic condition of powerless
Indian rulers.

10. The Temple
• The counterpart of mosque, the temple
is also a place of peace, serene and
tranquility and above all unity.
The raised issues are resolved in the temple.
Although the ceremony was sacred for Hindus
only, yet people from every class and religion
come there and enjoy it. It shows the
universal unity among human beings.

11. The Digit ‘3’
“An implicit symbol which silently tells us that the
story is about a mixture of the communities.”
• 3 section of novel.
• 3 children of Aziz.
• 3 children of Mrs. Moore.
• 3 communities; Europeans, Asians and Eurasians.
• The novel deals with the interaction among
Muslims, Hindus and Frangis.

12. Thank You
Any Question………………………?

13. For you……
1. The phantom/ ghost
2. The green bird
3. The wasp