Mauritius

Conventional stereotypes posed a serious challenge that baffled some.In addition to classifying "Morris" as a failure, some critics simply did not mention this one of Forster's most important works.

Is "Morris" a failure?The plot of this novel is relatively simple, and its structure is looser than other works.One of the main characters, Maurice's lover and savior Alec, appears after two-thirds of the novel, but the biggest failure of the book is that Clive catches a cold and becomes heterosexual after recovering from the illness. Proposed to cut off love with Morris.The book does not provide a credible enough explanation for Clive's mutation. Although we can use the hypothesis of Clive's bisexuality to explain it, it is too abrupt after all. ②In terms of style, although "Morris" reproduces Forster's typical fluent language, the expression is very diary style, and obviously uses a lot of short sentences, so it is not as refined as other works finely crafted.Yet it is this very nature that makes Morris the work that most truly reflects the author's state of mind.More importantly, the themes of "Morris" far exceeded the capacity of society at the time, and the whole work is an honest and self-respecting appeal.For Forster, Morris represented an intellectual leap.At this time, he no longer advocates reconciliation and compromise communication, but presents a break between the characters and their own class.This kind of break not only brought happiness to Morris, but also paved the way for the author's thought and spirit to create "A Passage to India" ten years later.

After the outbreak of World War I, Foster joined the International Red Cross and rushed to Egypt. In Alexandria in 1917 he met the handsome tram driver Mohammad el Addo.Their affair lasted two years, during which time Foster wrote to a close friend:

I seem to be writing a sequel to Morris.My understanding of this has improved a lot now.It is really lamentable that many people spend their youth in a life devoid of true feelings.I've known this before, but never with such intensity as now.My luck is amazing.

Foster said that this rich love experience made him truly "a mature person". After Addo married in 1919, Foster left Alexandria for England, but the two continued to communicate by letter.Before his death from tuberculosis three years later, Foster visited him on his way home from India.Hodor's death hit Foster hard.

In 1921, Foster went to India for a second time, as a private secretary to the King of Deva.When the latter learned of Foster's sexual orientation, he also provided him with special care.This trip allowed Foster to once again witness the ugliness of British colonial rule.This aversion led him to write A Passage to India, published in 1924.The novel describes that Atela, a British lady, goes to India to get engaged to a British officer and meets a local doctor, Aziz.Once when they went for a picnic in the mountains, Atella walked into a gloomy cave and hallucinated that she was raped by Aziz.At that time, the trend of Indian independence was already raging, and the British tried to put pressure on the local people by trying Aziz, but Miss Atala, who was sober, disregarded the instigation of the British, and finally voluntarily admitted her delusion in court. Aziz is innocent.

The revealing and critical nature of "A Passage to India" surpassed Foster's previous ambiguous attitude towards the general middle class. The author reflected his aversion to colonial rule and sympathy for oppressed nations through Miss Atella. Aziz's plea of ​​innocence marks a break with his class of origin.Interestingly enough, DH Lawrence couldn't put it down on Passage to India.When many readers were puzzled by Miss Atella's cave hallucinations, Lawrence used Freud's psychoanalysis to point out that it was because Miss Atella had a soft spot for the brown-skinned Aziz, and the depressive environment It made her unconsciously express her sexual fantasies in a disguised form.Miss Atella's desire is an indirect portrayal of Foster's love for dark-skinned Indian men.

A Passage to India is Forster's last novel and also his most popular and widely circulated work.When someone asked why Forster didn't publish other novels after that, the author replied that it was impossible for him to create works that he didn't really feel.As early as 1914, when he finished "Morris", Forster himself admitted that he was "tired of being allowed to touch on the subject of love between men and women".He later said "I want to write novels that people can read, but I've exhausted my interest in normal people (referring to heterosexuals)".The author's posthumous collection of gay short stories, Life Comes, reflects his interest in "uncommon people".

After the 30s, Foster's attention gradually turned to political and social issues, especially civil rights and freedom. When Radclyffe Hall's lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness was officially banned in 1928, Forster and lesbian author Virginia Wolf led the charge against it. Protest and speak for Hall in court.In response to the rampant Nazis in continental Europe, Foster served as the first chairman of the National Committee for Civil Liberties, appealing to the public not to blindly follow the appeasement policy of the Chamberlain government, but to treat the expansion of fascism with a clear head, not to believe Hitler's promises, and not to Stand by and watch other nations being bullied for their own peace. After the signing of the "Munich Agreement" in 1938, the whole of Great Britain was intoxicated with the illusion of peace. At this time, Foster wrote "What I Believe" (What I Believe), shouting "If I want to betray the country and betray my friends If I had to make a choice, I hope I have the courage to betray such a country.” This fully demonstrates the conscience and courage of intellectuals.After the outbreak of World War II, Foster firmly advocated humanity and justice on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), launched a fierce attack on fascism and dictatorship, and reminded people to prevent Britain itself from becoming a dictatorship.Foster's remarks during this period were later collected in "Two Cheers for Democracy" (Two Cheers for Democracy).

In 1930, Foster met 28-year-old policeman Robert Buckingham, and their friendship lasted for 40 years. In 1932 Foster wrote: Happy.

My happiness has lasted two years.

This joy is not over yet, but I will record it before it is destroyed by pain.

Happiness can come from human nature, and it doesn't have to be obtained only through miracles as the religious people say. During the two years from 51 to 53, I was so happy.I want to remind the world that their happiness will come too.That's the only information worth relaying.

After Robert married, his wife gradually accepted Foster as a member of the family.Robert's children later also treated Foster as a grandfather.Robert's son and grandson were named Morgan, and his home became a gathering place for Foster's friends. On July 1970, 7, Foster died at Robert's home.

Foster's literary works are in the same line with the humanism and humanitarian spirit he advocated.As the gay writer Isherwood puts it: "While he had his moments of worry and fear, and never concealed them, he did live for his own worth. Forster's man and his work The only one worth saving from Hitler's shells..."

Note: ①In the early 80s, David Lean, who directed such excellent films as "The Lone Star", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago", made "A Passage to India" a success. On the screen, it marked a beautiful end to his artistic career.The film will be released in China soon.After that, "A Room with a View" produced by the film company of Merchant/Ivory, a homosexual art partner, was also released in China, making Forster more known to the Chinese public.

②When the Merchandise-Avery film company put "Morris" on the screen, the plot was changed to Clive's Cambridge classmate Sir Risley, who was sentenced for homosexuality, and his career was ruined.In order to prevent the same mistakes from happening again, Clive proposed to break up with Morris, and married a well-matched woman in order to maintain "decency", and lived a "decent" but emotionless married life.

Edward Morgan Forster, Maurice,

Started writing in 1913

Finished in 1914

Dedicated to a happier year

The whole school—that is, the three teachers and all the students—go out for a walk once a term.It's usually a delightful outing that everyone looks forward to, leaving scores behind and letting loose.In order to avoid disturbing the discipline, we always organize before the holiday. Even if we indulge a little at this time, it will not be a hindrance.It was more like being entertained at home than at school, for Mrs. Abraham, the headmaster's wife, and some of her girlfriends would meet them at tea with a motherly kindness.

Mr. Abraham is an old-minded private preparatory school principal.homework