Symbolism in “A Passage to India”

Symbolism plays a very important part in the story of "A Passage to India". The
use of symbol imparts additional significance to the content of the novel. The
principal symbols of the Mosque, the cave, and the Temple along with
ceremonies connected with the festival of Gokul Ashtami, the figure of Mrs.
Moore and the Punkhawallah add charm to the story. The three sections with the
heading of the Mosque, the cave, and the Temple serve a significant purpose for
the idea that Forster wishes to convey through the particular section.
The Mosque serves as a symbol of understanding between Dr. Aziz and Mrs.
Moore or between East and West. Aziz, while meditating upon the glory of Islam
in the Mosque, warns Mrs. Moore not to enter without taking off her shoes. To
his pleasant surprise, Mrs. Moore has already taken off her shoes saying that she
knows that God is here. A strange bond of natural love binds the two and Aziz
feels abiding reverence for the English lady while Mrs. Moore is immensely
drowning towards India and her liking for him proves to be a lasting sentiment.
Throughout these sections, both Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested saw unusual
friendship towards the Indian and very often scoff at the arrogance of the English
officials. Thus, both the east and the west succeed in meeting a point where love
and respect can be reciprocated - Mrs. Moore says, 'I like Aziz', Aziz is my real
friend, east and west have seen to have met and formed a deep and lasting tie.
The Mosque serves as a symbol of this tie.
The Cave represents complexity which is surrounded in mystery critics hold
different views upon the symbolic meanings of Marabar Caves. It has been
described as:

1. Base, dark, echoing,

2. The very voice of that union which is the opposite of divine,
3. Womb and 
4. The soul of India.

Obviously, the caves are a symbol of evil. Their emptiness, their desolation, and
their darkness covey a sense of futility. Hostility lurks within the whole section
for which the cave serves as a heading. In this section, the sun is in dominating
presence and is hostile. Mrs. Moore's experience inside the cave is a dreadful
one. Some "vile marked thing" strikes her face and settles on her mouth. For this
instant, she goes mad. To add to her agony there is a terrified echo. This echo
represents the climax of the horror in the novel. The echo is associated with
worms and snakes both of which have an evil association. As a result of her terrific
experience in the things and people around her, Adela's visit to the cave proves
disastrous. She suffers from hallucinations and brings a serious charge against
Aziz. The cave, thus has a disintegrating influence upon two innocent foreign
women add aggravate the racial prejudice between the white and the native
people. Mrs. Moore falls into a state of despair and cynicism from which she
never recovers. Miss Quested experiences dejection and loneliness. Her
engagement with Ronny Heaslop breaks off and she fails to secure goodwill from
the English people. No doubt, the caves embody something evil and sinister
which brings doom to the personal relationship.

Mrs. Moore seems to bridge the gap between the English and the Indians. She is
a channel of communication between two races. She praises Aziz and makes all
efforts to dispel the misunderstanding between two races. Secondly, she stands
for goodness piety and charity. Mrs. Moore is a devout Christian and benign
influence. He remarks that Aziz is innocent makes Adela realize what went wrong
in the cave, on the other hand, it was the image of Mrs. Moore in the mind of
Aziz that he gave up the idea of claiming financial compensation from Miss
Quested. The personality of Mrs. Moore refines the minds of both Aziz and Adela
even Narayan Godbole thinks of her with respect in religious ceremonies.
The Punkhawallah has his share in purging Adela's mind of its illusions. A man of
low birth, he is busy pulling the punkah - rope. She is hardly aware why the court
is fuller than usual. But, something in his aloofness impress Adela and rebukes the
narrowness of her suffering the sight of this low born humble man gives rise to
the nobility of thought in Adela's mind and broadened her outlook.