| This paper is a psychological reading of E. M. Forster's A Passage to India. It uses the psychological theories of C. G. Jung and the methodological postulates of Jungian literary critic, Terence Dawson, to examine the psychological implications of the text, especially in relation to the novel's characters. Attention is given to biographical material related to Forster, particularly his homosexuality, that is important for understanding the psychological implications of the text as well as Forster's art. The paper concludes that the Marabar Caves is the central psychological symbol of the narrative, representing what Jung calls the collective unconscious. Both Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore, the novel's effective protagonist, encounter heretofore unconscious material in the caves that precipitate psychological growth for each. Adela's encounter is best understood as an animus confrontation while Mrs. Moore's more profound journey is best characterized as a meeting of the self archetype. |
