Discuss the theme of imperialism or colonial misrule as portrayed in the novel, especially with reference to Forster and Conrad.

Discuss the theme of imperialism or colonial misrule as portrayed in the novel, especially with reference to Forster and Conrad.

Ans. E. M. Forster (1879-1970) : We have a liberal mind in E. M. Forster. His "A Passage to Indic/' in which England said good bye to India, he shows lack of contact between East and West. His other works are, "The Hill of Dev/', "Howards Enct', "A Room with a View", "Where Angles Fear to Tread', The Longest Journey etc. Forster is the finest survivor in literature of the liberal humanist tradition of the early century. He is as modern as his younger contemporaries D. H. Lawrence, and James Joyce. The most famous and important of Forster's novel "A Passage to Indic/' portrays pre-partition India at a transitional stage in her history. Full of his characteristic, ironic humour, the novel is nevertheless a tragedy in which the failure 'to connect' and to establish human relation between the British and the Indians, leads to momentous results. Forster uses Fielding to express his own opinion.

Forster emerges as an advocate of culture, tolerance and civilization against barbarity and provincialism. His characters are rounded and vital. He studies the complexities of the character with subtlety of insight and an appreciation of the significance of the unconscious makes him truly modern.

He has great gifts for telling a story. But he disregards conventional plot construction and frequently introduces unexpected incidents. His craftsmanship/skill is of the highest order. Though his best novels often touch tragedy, his true field is comedy which is never absent from his work. He combines a style as easy as his attitude towards his problems and characters, with a gift for good dialogue, power, precision and descriptive conciseness of presentation.

Joseph Conrad ( 1857-1924)

Joseph Conrad is considered to be the greatest English novelist between Henry James and D. H. Lawrence. He was profoundly influenced by the  French masters, the Russian novelist Turgeneb and the American novelist Henry James. His novel "The Nigar of the Narcissus" gave him the first indisputable claim to classic rank. Novels such as, "Lord Jim", "Heart of Darknesi' etc. consolidated his place in English literature. "Heart of Darkness" perhaps the finest short novel in English language is drawn from his experiences in the Belgian Congo in which he dwells upon the stigma of colonialism. He is rightly regarded as the best writer about the sea and the seaman. As the greatest modern romantic, he sought his subjects wherever he could expect to find adventure in an unusual setting. His experience of the sea was of immense value to him as a writer. His view of life is tragic. However, his tragic sense of life does not lead him to a spirit of resentment or accusation.

In man's struggle against hostile forces., in his display of loyalty, courage and endurance, Conrad saw the finest thing in human life. He was a profound thinker. His aim was to present life as the senses perceived it. His novels are free from didacticism. His style and technique is one of the most individual and readily recognizable in English, although he was a pole. In an easy conversational manner through the medium of a spectator, such as Marlow, he gradually builds up a picture through a series of brief sense impressions which reveals their full significance when they finally come together in a complete whole.

The note on disillusionment with material values of life in the early 20 century was sounded by writers such as Virginia Woolf, Samuel Butler, Aldous Huxley, E. M. Forster etc. The insistence on machinery in the modern civilization was satirised by Samuel Butler in his "Erewhon". Aldous Huxley exposes post war disillusionment and immorality in his "Yellow Chrome". Kipling found romance in the present realities of life. His "Jungle Books" are replete with romance of the forest and his "Soldiers Three" with the romance of the Barrack.

The speedy development of science in the late Victorian age and in the 20th century had greatly impressed and influenced writers, such as. H. G. Wells, Robert Henlein, Izaac Asimov. They imaginatively portrayed future world with a moral message for the writers of their own era. Detective Fiction has also become quite popular. In the 1950's there appeared a group   Of novelists known as Angry Youngman in the U. K. who satirized the  modern welfare state. However, in the modern age the writers are Increasingly being unable to avoid dwelling upon the political turbulence and the socio-economic condition of their age. On the other hand, modern American novelist concentrated upon regionalism.