The imagined rape of Adela: The theme of negation

One of the overarching themes of this extraordinary novel is that of negation. It is embodied in a plethora of instances in the book, illustrating how Forster was more concerned with the consequences or effects of the events on the characters rather than the events themselves. These non-events however are of great significance to the plot and context of the novel and I could not imagine this amazing piece of literature without them.

One such incident is the imagined rape of Adela. She wrongly accuses Aziz, the young Indian Muslim doctor of sexually harassing her in the Marabar Caves. I feel this mysterious insult has arisen as a result of the sexual embarrassment she is experiencing after realizing she doesn’t love Ronny, the man she is planning to marry.  In Chapter 22, when she attempts to logically analyze her experience, she becomes more and more horrified at  the thought that she might have been mistaken, displayed in her conversation with Ronny: ‘It would be so appalling if I was wrong. I should take my own life’.  ^[1] After recovering from her delirious state ^[2] and especially at the court ^[3], she becomes increasingly assured of the fact that it was simply a shadow that had pulled around her in the eerie caves, never touching her, but magnified in her mind by the deafening, creepy echo and upsetting her to the extent that her wild imagination cemented it as her host ^[4]. Thus, the trial which is the centre of much action, and specifically racial tensions never actually takes place. She testifies to Aziz’s innocence publicly in statements like : ‘ I’m afraid I have made a mistake.’ ^[5] and ‘ I withdraw everything.’  ^[6]

Withdrawal is a recurring word in the chapters surrounding the court proceedings and spurs up connotations of negation as well, The less attentive reader may question why this incident was included in the novel, echoed by Fielding in this dialogue about Adela: ‘Why make such a charge if you were going to withdraw it?’ ^[7]By describing the scenario surrounding Adela’s hallucination of being raped by Aziz, Forster is able to depict how the English were greedy for any bait they could use to implicate the Indians in anything inhumane or illegal. This is evident in the stereotypical British reaction to Aziz’s arrest: they are complacent and self-satisfied, almost as if the apparent tragedy Adela has gone through confirms their suspicions about the Indians’ immorality and backwardness.   

What caught my attention in particular in relevance to this theme was Forster’s not-so-subtle attempt to upstage the British perspective by cleverly focusing the attention of the reader on Aziz’s innocence rather than Adela’s allegation. The plot itself depicts negation in how Aziz is wronged rather than on what actually happened in the caves or who the real rapist is, naturally persuading the reader to sympathize with him.

^[1] pg 193

^[2] pg 183

^[3] pg 214

^[4] pg 215

^[5] pg 215

^[6] pg 216

^[7] pg 225