Also Read
Summary
Cyril Fielding was over forty. He was a true educationist. He was attentive toward all his students irrespective of their caste, creed or color. Though lie was a favorite of his Indian students, he was not very popular with the Englishmen.
Aziz arrived at Fielding's residence when the latter was busy dressing himself. Fielding had asked him to feel comfortable and this informal remark had left a deep impression on his mind. Aziz offered his collar stud to the principal who had trampled on his own stud by mistake. Fielding thanked him for his kindness. The two became friendly. Very soon Mrs. Moore and Miss Adela Quested also arrived. At first, Aziz did not like their arrival. He wanted to be alone with Fielding. But on finding, both the ladies to be gentle and soft, he got into a conversation with them. Mrs. Moore complained about the strange behavior of the Bhattacharya's whose carriage was supposed to pick them up, but the carriage never arrived. Dr. Aziz said that all Hindus were slack and unpunctual. He told them that the Bhattacharya's may not have had a good house and they may not have wanted the two English ladies to see their dirty house. He invited them to his house but soon he regretted having made the offer since he himself did not have a good house. To evade invitation he changed the subject.
When Professor Godbole arrived, Aziz kept quiet for a while. He was polite and talked very little to the disappointment of the ladies.
Mrs. Moore showed her interest in the college and Fielding took her around the campus. Professor Godbole and Miss Adela Quested were left behind. Aziz, too, stayed back hesitantly. He invited Miss Adela Quested to the Marabar Hills for a picnic. Miss Adela Quested wanted to know about the caves but Aziz expressed his inability to do so since he had never been to the caves. Godbole made fun of Aziz and gave the impression that he could give the required information, but he too failed when called upon to explain.
Meanwhile, Ronny turned up. He was shocked to see Miss Adela Quested smoking in the company of the two Indians. He sent for Fielding and admonished him for leaving an English lady alone with two Indians. Fielding said that there was no harm in that. The ladies then begged for leave. While leaving, both the ladies felt sorry for not having heard Godbole sing. Godbole started singing at once. The song was about the milk-maids of Lord Krishna, who were requesting the Lord to come to them but the Lord never came.
Critical Analysis
The character of Dr. Aziz is developed in this chapter. He was a warm-hearted person ready to make sacrifice. But he had a poor opinion of the Hindus and was obsessed with the grandeur of the Mughal period.
Fielding's nobility has also been analyzed with remarkable clarity. He was quite a human and affectionate person. He believed in the equality of the human race. But he had to pay a price for that. He was disliked and shunned by his own people.
Miss Adela Quested was a decent woman who was in a hurry to mix with the Indians to understand India. Ronny, however, was a personification of arrogance and lacked in etiquette. The friendship formed between Aziz and Fielding in this chapter is going to play a very important part upto the end.