A Passage to India

Mr. Turton, known colloquially as the Collector, sends out invitations to a party to the Indian gentleman he knows. Mahmoud Ali, Mrs. Ram Chand, the Nawab Bahadur, and several others discuss whether to attend or not. The Nawab Bahadur decides to attend and because he is influential in the community. His status is described as “a big proprietor and a philanthropist, a man of benevolence and decision” (36). His reputation for being exceedingly generous and free with his money is not only indisputable to the other men but “if he said he would come, he would come, he would never deceive his supporters” (37). The others plan to attend in solidarity with him.

The narrator describes two missionaries, Mr. Graysford and Mr. Sorley. They attempt to soothe religious tension by assuring potential converts that there is space in Christianity for them despite their race. They attempt to make allowances in Christianity for the Hindu worships of the natural world. Mr. Sorely “became uneasy during the descent to wasps and was apt to change the conversation” (38). Though they attempt to graft Christian ideals onto local customs and beliefs, they fail to fully appreciate the nuances of the Hindu faith.