A Passage To India: Part 2 Chapter 24 - Summary & Analysis

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Summary

      After many days, Adela said her morning prayers and asked God for a favorable verdict in the case. Mrs. McBryde was making her rehearsal to the answers to the questions likely to be put to her in the court.

      The day of the trial was very hot. The English community in Chandrapore escorted Adela to the court room. Special chairs were arranged for them in the court room. Adela kept watching the handsome Indian, who, oblivious of his surroundings kept pulling at the fan continuously. Only Fielding was sitting among the Indians. Adela stared at the Indians and when her eyes met those of Aziz she was confused and wondered whether she had made a mistake. The defense counsels, Mahmoud Ali and Amrit Rao objected to the sitting of the Europeans on the platform. Mr. Das ordered all the Europeans, except Adela, to return to their places. The Indians were happy at the humiliation of the English.

      McBryde in his speech contended that Aziz had even tried to have Mrs. Moore killed in one of the caves so that he could be alone with Miss Adela Quested. This created an uproar and the defense counsel, Mahmoud Ali, shrieked whether Aziz was charged with attempted murder as well as rape. He accused the English community of smuggling Mrs. Moore out of the country as she could have proved Aziz's innocence. Das ruled out the objection and disapproved the mentioning of Mrs. Moore's name as she had not been cited as a witness by either of the sides, Mrs. Moore's name was taken up by the crowd outside. It was Indianised into 'Esmiss Esmoore' and was being chanted as though she were some Hindu goddess.

      Adela calmly got up to give her evidence. She carefully answered each question which McBryde put to her. Slowly and slowly he came to the most important question whether Aziz followed her into the cave. Adela replied that Dr. Aziz never followed her into the cave.

      The Englishmen rose up agitatedly and tried to stop the proceedings on medical grounds. Mr. Das managed to control the situation by asking McBryde to withdraw the case. Aziz was released with honor. The court broke up amidst shouts, curses and kisses. Only the fan-puller remained undisturbed. Aziz had fainted.

Critical Analysis

      This chapter deals with the trial. It is a satire on the English judicial system in India. The Englishmen couldn't forget even in the court that they were the rulers. The uproar created due to their presumption brought the proceedings almost to an abrupt halt. It was only with the evidence of Adela, which was favorable to Aziz, that the case came to a satisfactory end.

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