E.M. Forster and The Politics of Imperialism

Book excerpt: In Howards End , Forster remarks that the Imperialist 'hopes to inherit the earth' and with the strong temptation he has to acclaim it 'as a superyeoman, who carries his country's virtue overseas'. He then adds: 'But the Imperialist is not what he thinks or seems. He is a destroyer. He prepares the way for cosmopolitanism, and though his ambitions may be fulfilled the earth that he inherits will be grey'. This simple notion is masterly expressed in A Passage to India , which provides a rich diversity of historical contexts and implies political imperatives urging us to rethink the complex relationship between East and West not as simple confrontation but rather as deeply rooted in cultural differences far beyond the realm of imperialist sensibility. With the support of material by Forster published here for the first time, this volume explores the realm of Forster's politics and imperialism.