A Passage to India: Part 2, Chapter 24 Summary & Analysis

The hot season arrives in full force soon after Mrs. Moore’s departure, and everyone hides inside, avoiding the sun. The narrator claims that beautiful myths are the result of the annual European retreat from the cold, but in India the retreat from the sun, the source of life, results only in disillusionment. Adela has recently returned to the Christianity of her earlier years, as it seems “the shortest and easiest cut to the unseen,” and she asks God for a favorable verdict on the morning of Aziz’s trial. The only response she seems to get is the sickening heat.

After Mrs. Moore left, Adela has been staying with the Turtons, who have been very kind to her, though it is “her position [as victim] not her character that moved them.” Only Ronny seems concerned with Adela’s personality and struggle. On the morning of Aziz’s trial Adela fears that she will break down under the cross-examination, and once again she can hear the Marabar Cave’s echo in her ears.

The Turtons drive Adela to the courthouse with an escort of Indian police, and on the way a few children throw stones at the car. Turton thinks to himself that he doesn’t really hate the Indians, for to do so would be to “condemn his own career as a bad investment.” He decides that it is the English women who make life difficult in India, and he slightly resents Adela even while he feels chivalrous towards her. They arrive at the courthouse and some students jeer at the car. Rafi, Syed Mohammed’s nephew, hides behind another boy and yells that the English are cowards.

Adela and the Turtons go inside, where many English are gathered in Ronny’s private room. There is news of Indian workers striking, and of Muslim women threatening to starve themselves until Aziz is acquitted. All the English in the room feel like Fielding is behind all the trouble, and they verbally abuse him as a traitor and spy. Meanwhile Adela sits quietly trying to preserve her strength, and no one notices her for a long time. When they do they are ashamed of being so loud and disturbing her.

Ronny assures Adela that Das, his Indian subordinate who is judging the case, is “all right,” though Major Callendar protests that “not one of them’s all right.” Callendar goes on to declare that the whole situation is a good thing, except for Adela’s suffering, as it has created an opportunity to punish the Indians. He laughs as he describes the injuries the Nawab Bahadur’s grandson Nureddin recently received in a car accident, and says that “nothing’s too bad for these people.” Mrs. Turton loudly agrees with him, making Mr. Turton uncomfortable. She goes on to call all the English men “weak,” and says that all Indians should be made to crawl in the future whenever an English woman passes by. Once again Adela is forgotten in the conversation.

The case is called, and the English group has their chairs carried in before they enter, so that they look dignified and superior. The court is crowded and hot, and Adela is overwhelmed. Her attention is captured by a lowly Indian servant, an “Untouchable,” who is operating the room’s fan. The man is beautiful and innocent-looking, almost like a god, and he seems divinely separate from everything else happening in the courtroom. Looking at him, Adela feels that her Christian God is a “suburban Jehovah,” and wonders that the English presume to claim that they are so important and civilized. She wishes she could discuss this with Mrs. Moore.

The trial begins, and McBryde opens the case for the prosecution. He doesn’t bother being eloquent, as he assumes that it is obvious that Aziz is guilty. He describes the background of the incident in detail, but then gets diverted by his own ideas about “Oriental Pathology,” claiming that it is scientific fact that darker races are attracted to lighter ones, but not vice versa. An Indian in the crowd calls out that Adela is uglier than Aziz, which makes Adela upset.

The English all act concerned about Adela’s health, and Callendar requests that Adela be given a seat on the platform to get better air. Das allows it, but then all the English follow Adela onto the platform. Mrs. Turton and Callendar verbally express that this is a better position for them, presiding over the rest of the crowd. Das is afraid to cause trouble with the English, but he is annoyed. Meanwhile Adela looks out at the crowd and sees Aziz, and she wonders again if she has made a mistake about him.

Amritrao, the defense’s lawyer, stands and protests (“in an Oxford voice”) that the English on the platform will intimidate the witnesses. Das agrees and requests that all the English except Adela should climb back down to the floor. Ronny approves of this, though Mrs. Turton complains of the “incredible impertinence.” Eventually they all climb back down, even Adela, and the news of this humiliation spreads outside the courtroom, where the crowd jeers.

Despite the embarrassment for the English, Adela feels better after having seen the crowd from the platform. She tells Ronny and Mrs. Turton this, but they are “too much agitated with the defeat of British prestige to be interested.” Adela then sees Fielding in the crowd, with an Indian child sitting on his knee. Das is happier and more confident now, having asserted his authority.

McBryde continues with his evidence, arguing that Aziz “duped” many people beforehand, including Fielding, the servant Antony, and the Nawab Bahadur—trying to argue that the crime was premeditated, so as to merit a harsher sentence. He describes all the events as Adela had related them, culminating with the damning evidence of the field glasses found in Aziz’s pocket. McBryde claims that his witnesses will prove that Aziz was leading a double life, one simultaneously “respectable” and “degenerate.” As an example of this, McBryde brings up his claim that Aziz tried to smother Mrs. Moore to death in a cave.

The crowd protests vehemently against this claim, and an enraged Mahmoud Ali objects that this accusation is out of line, especially since Mrs. Moore has been “smuggled” out of the country and can’t speak for herself. Mahmoud Ali claims that Mrs. Moore would have proved Aziz’s innocence, as “she was on our side.” Das, tries to restore calm, but Mahmoud Ali is beyond reasoning. He decries the corruption of “English justice,” and declares that all of them are slaves and the trial is a farce. He hands his papers to Amritrao and dramatically leaves the courtroom.

Meanwhile the crowd outside hears the name “Mrs. Moore” and starts to repeat as if it is a charm, even those who don’t know the old lady herself. The English all try to recover themselves after the scene, but Ronny is disturbed to hear his mother’s name being repeated like a chant. Eventually the chant becomes “Esmiss Esmoor,” as if Mrs. Moore had been transformed into a “Hindu goddess.”

Adela prepares to go up to the witness stand, and she tells her friends that she is feeling stronger and more sure of herself. Amritrao, McBryde, and Das discuss Mahmoud Ali’s departure, and soon quiet is restored to the courtroom. Adela goes up to the witness stand, feeling that her account of the incident is inexplicably tied up with her engagement to Ronny, especially because her attack was immediately preceded by her conversation about marriage with Aziz.

McBryde questions Adela, and she retreads all her steps of that day, feeling like she is back at the Marabar Caves. She had earlier remembered the excursion as “dull,” but in her memory everything seems more beautiful now. McBryde leads her along up to the moment of the incident, but when he asks if Aziz followed her into the cave, Adela falls silent, and then asks for a minute to answer the question.

Adela visualizes the Marabar Caves and her own memories, and she cannot locate Aziz in the picture. She stammers that she is unsure. McBryde tries to direct her towards the assumed answer—that Aziz did indeed follow her—but then Adela gives a firm answer: no, he did not. She declares that she has made a mistake, and Aziz did not follow her. Das cuts off McBryde and questions Adela directly. Callendar tries to stop him, claiming that Adela is unwell, but she firmly states that she withdraws all the charges.

The courtroom erupts into a frenzy. McBryde is enraged, while Mrs. Turton yells that no one is safe, and then screams insults at Adela. Das officially declares that Aziz should be released “without one stain on his character.” Aziz faints into Hamidullah’s arms, and the Indians celebrate wildly. The English flee, shielded by their servants, and eventually the courtroom is cleared. The only person left behind is the godlike Untouchable, still aloof from everything and operating the fan as if nothing has happened.