Temple

"Tukaram, Tukaram, Thou art my father and mother and everybody..." 2 years have passed and Dr. Aziz now works for the Rajah in the Hindu city, Mau. At this time, the city of Mau is celebrating the midnight birth of their lord, Krishna. Although Dr. Aziz does not believe in this god, he still enjoys his new life due to the absence of British rule; it seems Dr. Aziz still hasn't gotten over his unjust trial from the British. At least, that's how he presents himself. However, one person still causes his heart to melt at the thought of the British: Mrs. Moore. Upon meeting her son, and realizing that she was married to Fielding and not Miss Quested, Dr. Aziz attempts to maintain that hate he has for British people, but his memories of Mrs. Moore prevent him from showing her son contempt.
In a way, I see the celebration of Krishna's midnight birth a symbol, of sorts, of Dr. Aziz's emotions and experiences during that ceremony. It starts off mellow, as does he when speaking with Godbole, his dearest friend, but slowly starts to unsettle upon hearing the news of Fielding's arrival at Mau. even more unsettling, as the procesion unsettles with the joyful cries and dances of the Hindu people, is the fact that Dr. Aziz must hide the fact that Rajah is dead. Emotions continue to strangthen, like the coincidental typhoon that arrives during the celebration, as Dr. Aziz attempts to make peace with Mrs. Moore's son but explodes in one instant as Dr. Aziz, in his boat, collides with Stella and her boat. All emotions reach their peak as voices from the ceremony cry out, gunshots echo into the sky as an inmate is freed, and a tempest does its worst. then, in a flash, all peace is restored and, just like that, Dr. Aziz and Fielding are friends once again - his hate for the British seemingly extinguished.

Caves

"Except for the Marabar Caves - and they are twenty miles off - the city of Chandrapore presents nothing extraordinary" This is the very first sentence in this books and it is true to its word. From the very beginning, E.M. Forster hinted that the second section of this book, Caves, would be the most exciting and intriguing section of this book. Upon entering the Marabar Caves, Dr. Aziz and Miss Stella undergo a "bonding" experience, although it was not for the best. While exploring the caves, Miss Stella begins to question her love for her soon-to-be husband and wonders if she is doing it for the right reasons; in fact, she begins to wonder what are the "right" reasons for marrying someone. At the moment, all love that she may have had for her fiance has been replaced by disgust at his opinions and treatment of Indians. how ironic, considering the treatment that she causes Dr. Aziz to suffer throughout this section.
It was apparent from the beginning of this section that Miss Stella had a fear for these caves, which only amplified once she became lost in them. Dr. Aziz, now realizing that she has gotten herself lost in the Marbar Caves, goes back in to rescue her from herself, really, but pays for his kindness in the end. After finding her way out of the caves, but not before suffering scratches and bruises, Miss Stella becomes delusional and accuses Dr. Aziz of raping her; what a climax. Dr. Aziz suffers harsh conditions and unkind treatment from the British while imprisoned until Miss Stella finally comes to her senses and explains that the whole situation never occurred. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Dr. Aziz has lost all trust and "affection" for the British. In his eyes, they could never live together in harmony.

Food For Thought

1. Do you think that Dr. Aziz's hate for the British will continue throughout the remainder of the story?
2. Do you think there is some other motive or idea behind Dr. Aziz's refusal to read the letters sent to him?
3. What do you predict will transpire throughout the remainder of the story. Now that we have reached our climax, all that is left should be a downward spiral, right?