A Passage to India Friendship Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
| Quote #1 "You understand me, you know what others feel. Oh, if others resembled you!" |
In this conversation, Aziz tells Mrs. Moore she is "Oriental" because she bases her friendships on intuition, rather than on knowledge: she instinctively picks her friends, rather than waiting to get to know them. Mrs. Moore's spontaneous affection makes her an "Oriental," according to Aziz.
| Quote #2 [Aziz and the soldier] reined up again, the fire of good fellowship in their eyes. But it cooled with their bodies, for athletics can only raise a temporary glow. Nationality was returning, but before it could exert its poison they parted, saluting each other. (1.6.23) |
This passage is ironic because later on in the novel, the same soldier will argue for a military crackdown on Indians in the days leading up to Aziz's trial.
| Quote #3 The world, [Fielding] believed, is a globe of men who are trying to reach one another and can best do so by the help of good will plus culture and intelligence. (1.7.2) |
This statement may very well express the novel's deepest hope: that the whole muddle of empire can be resolved through intelligent, informed dialogues conducted in good faith and with a mutual appreciation for each side's culture.
