The Liberal Colonisers: Freud and Psychological Unity of a Divided Nation

Forster’s use of liberal colonials is an important technique in both merging and then shearing apart any bond between the English and the Indian figure. He not only forms the two distinguishable groups of Indians and their Anglo-Indian rulers, but also makes use of the liberal colonials, constituting Mrs. Moore, Adela Quested and Mr. Fielding. The brilliance in his technique stems from the fact that despite this group being identified as a separate body, within itself there is little common ground beyond the desire to accept Indians/India for themselves rather than as colonized subjects. Here we find the solitary figure of Dr. Aziz as the sole personified connection between the three liberal colonizers.

From my perspective, these three characters initially play to certain facets of Aziz’s psyche; Mr. Fielding the irrepressible id that brings Aziz “endless joy” as he claims “I must have you”; Adela the voice of the ego, constant in her questions and rational honesty; Mrs. Moore the superego, the voice of morality and spirituality (as they shared in the mosque) who is “perfect as always.” United at Aziz’s tea party, they induce in him such a balance that he is not simply  on top of the world, “feeling like the Emperor Babur” around the ladies, but is simultaneously humbled by the sheer gratitude he feels towards Mr. Fielding. Forster essentially uses these figures as apparent catalysts for unity in India (with erratic Aziz representing divided, ‘erratic’ India) wherein this unity brings within India the effervescent glow and rise, symbolized by Aziz’s “flight” on his “wings” from the life they jointly infused in him.

These three figures, it seems, initially represent what Forster desires in the English and Anglo-Indian; the ability to see the native as an equal and individual rather than as one of the subjugated masses. Yet this desire for individuality has seeped into themselves such that they cannot feel united as a group with shared beliefs; Aziz “expected them to love each other. They didn’t want to.”

This unity is desired, but withers before its advent, as we see them accidentally split apart in their journey to the caves; this split is crucial, for it ultimately leads to a figurative rape of them all; a split from innocent hope they once shared. Mrs. Moore becomes submerged in apathy, Adela is ‘ruined,’ Mr. Fielding begins to doubt the once-cherished Indians; Aziz finds “his wings broken” ; himself imprisoned; no longer “a Mogul Emperor who had done his duty.”

Each facet of the psyche by itself could destroy a person, and so is the case with Aziz. His psyche no longer whole, India is abandoned of the notion that liberal colonizers could save it. For Forster, the liberal colonizer is a failed figure in uniting or ‘freeing’ India— far from it, these figures only seem to subjugate India further. Each facet abandons this former role (Mrs. Moore literally departs India), and Aziz is left to claim no friendship is possible until India itself is set free of English shackles.