Chapter 10

When the visitors leave Aziz's house , they are struck by the oppressive heat that indicates summer is arriving. The sun is described as brutal, lacking any kind of beauty. It seems to destroy everything in its intensity. All the men disperse and rush for home to escape the heat, to repair their dignity, and to contemplate the separate natures of Indians.

The oppressive heat outside is a comparison to the oppressive atmosphere that existed inside Aziz's room as the men incessantly argued, not agreeing on anything. Ironically, it was Fielding, an Englishman, who saw the inside atmosphere as oppressive to Aziz; he drove the visitors into the outside heat so that his sick friend could get some rest. Once outside in the heat, the Moslem men become less animated, almost depressed; they quickly disperse to seek relief from the temperature in their own homes. In the last chapter, Fielding also went out into this heat and immediately felt disconcerted over his visit to Aziz.

Forster's description of the summer weather and the brutal sun is very negative. He blames part of the problem in Chandrapore on the intense climate, for it determines everything -- a man's attitude, his perceptions, his emotions of happiness or hopelessness, and even his tendency to be late to appointments. Forster also says the atmosphere of Chandrapore and its dehumanizing effect is different from that found in any western country.

Table of Contents | Printable Version