A Passage to India · Chapter
Chapter XXXII explained
Fielding travels through Egypt, Crete, and Venice, reflecting on the beauty and harmony of European civilization compared to the muddle of India, and feeling a sense of disloyalty as he appreciates the form and order of the Mediterranean wo
What happens
Fielding travels through Egypt, Crete, and Venice, reflecting on the beauty and harmony of European civilization compared to the muddle of India, and feeling a sense of disloyalty as he appreciates the form and order of the Mediterranean world.
Themes in this chapter
Colonialism and Imperialism
Fielding's internal conflict between his appreciation for European order and his ties to India highlights the cultural divide inherent in colonial experience.
Identity and Belonging
Fielding's sense of disloyalty and his romantic fancies upon seeing European landscapes underscore his struggle with where he truly belongs.
Characters to notice
- Cyril Fielding
Travels through Egypt, Crete, and Venice, experiencing a deep appreciation for European form and harmony, and feeling disloyal to India.
Key passages
“The buildings of Venice, like the mountains of Crete and the fields of Egypt, stood in the right place, whereas in poor India everything was placed wrong.”
Fielding feels that European landscapes and architecture are perfectly arranged, while India seems chaotic and disordered.
Highlights Fielding's perception of European order versus Indian muddle.
“The Mediterranean is the human norm. When men leave that exquisite lake, whether through the Bosphorus or the Pillars of Hercules, they approach the monstrous and extraordinary; and the southern exit leads to the strangest experience of all.”
Fielding believes the Mediterranean represents the standard of human civilization, and departing from it leads to strange and monstrous experiences, especially towards the south (India).
Reflects Eurocentric views and the exoticization of non-European lands.