"[Ronny] was not enthusiastic about the picnic, but then no more were the ladies - no one was enthusiastic, yet it took place." p. 119
As someone who is sometimes obsessed with plot mechanics, I am extremely impressed about how the Caves segment of "A Passage To India" begins. Screenwriters are told to constantly remind themselves about what their characters want. Their desires should drive the action. Forster has quite cleverly taken the dynamics already set up between Aziz, Mr. Fielding, Mrs. Moore, and Miss Quested to set the journey to the caves in motion. None of the characters wants to go to the caves, but no one wants to let anyone down, either. It's a situation completely built on the assumed desires of other characters!
The first part of the novel reads so well that I truly did not even notice the groundwork that Forster was laying. It's always impressive when a writer can create plot developments through characters and not outside forces. It's astounding when he can do it without calling attention to it happening.
i definitely agree that Forster does a graet job of laying groundwork for future plot developments. This becomes especially evident as the tragic scene at the Marabar Caves unfolds. Mrs. Moore's desire to stay was effected by her suffocating experience in the first cave. Aziz's actions are driven by his ellation to have English women as his guests, and this causes him to be overly accomodating. When Miss Quested unwittingly insults his religion, he jumps into a nearby cave so as not to show her the nature of her words. It is his incredible desire to be completely accomodating that allows these events to take place. Miss Quested herself is only trying to relate to Aziz and make conversation, which is a desire we see throughout the opening section of the book.
ReplyDeleteI too couldn't help but enjoy the fluidity of the unfolding plot in this novel. Forester sets all of his characters up in such a way that a simple change of setting fuels the rest of the novel. He characterized each individual so well that we can tell how people will react in situations and it all seems to lead to the tragic scene in the Marabar Caves. It is an impressive plot line.
ReplyDelete