Dr. Aziz - An intelligent,
emotional Indian doctor in Chandrapore. Aziz attempts to make friends with
Adela Quested, Mrs. Moore, and Cyril Fielding. Later, Adela falsely accuses
Aziz of attempted rape after an expedition to the Marabar Caves, but the
charges are dropped after Adela’s testimony at the trial. Aziz enjoys writing
and reciting poetry. He has three children; his wife died several years before
the beginning of the novel.
Cyril Fielding - The
principal of the government college near Chandrapore. Fielding is an
independent man who believes in educating the Indians to be individuals—a much
more sympathetic attitude toward the native population than that held by most
English in India. Fielding befriends Dr. Aziz, taking the doctor’s side against
the rest of the English in Chandrapore when Aziz is accused of attempting to
rape Adela Quested.
Miss Adela Quested - A young,
intelligent, inquisitive, but somewhat repressed Englishwoman. Adela travels to
India with Mrs. Moore in order to decide whether or not to marry Mrs. Moore’s
son Ronny. Miss Quested begins with an openminded desire to get to know Indians
and see the real India. Later, she falsely accuses Aziz of attempting to rape her
in the Marabar Caves.
Mrs. Moore - An
elderly Englishwoman who voyages to India with Adela Quested. Mrs. Moore wishes
to see the country and hopes that Adela will marry her son Ronny. Mrs. Moore
befriends Dr. Aziz, as she feels some spiritual connection with him. She has an
unsettling experience with the bizarre echoes in the Marabar Caves, which cause
her to feel a sense of dread, especially about human relationships. Mrs. Moore
hurries back to England, and she dies at sea during the journey.
Ronny Heaslop - Mrs.
Moore’s son, the magistrate at Chandrapore. Ronny, though well educated and
open-minded at heart, has become prejudiced and intolerant of Indians ever
since he moved to India—as is standard for most Englishmen serving there. Ronny
is briefly engaged to Adela Quested, though he does not appear particularly
passionate about her.
Mr. Turton - The
collector, the man who governs Chandrapore. Mr. Turton is officious and stern,
though more tactful than his wife.
Mrs. Turton -
Turton’s wife. In her interactions with Indians, Mrs. Turton embodies the
novel’s stereotype of the snobby, rude, and prejudiced English colonial wife.
Mr. McBryde - The
superintendent of police in Chandrapore, who has an elaborate theory that he
claims explains the inferiority of dark‑skinned races to light‑skinned ones.
McBryde, though condescending, actually shows more tolerance toward Indians
than most English do. Not surprisingly, he and Fielding are friendly
acquain-tances. McBryde himself stands up against the group mentality of the
English at Chandrapore when he divorces his wife after having an affair with
Miss Derek.
Major Callendar - The
civil surgeon at Chandrapore, Dr. Aziz’s superior. Major Callendar is a
boastful, cruel, intolerant, and ridiculous man.
Professor Godbole - A
Brahman Hindu who teaches at Fielding’s college. Godbole is very spiritual and
reluctant to become involved in human affairs.
Hamidullah - Dr.
Aziz’s uncle and friend. Hamidullah, who was educated at Cambridge, believes that
friendship between the English and Indians is more likely possible in England
than in India. Hamidullah was a close friend of Fielding before Fielding and
Aziz met.
The Nawab Bahadur - The
leading loyalist in Chandrapore. The Nawab Bahadur is wealthy, generous, and
faithful to the English. After Aziz’s trial, however, he gives up his title in
protest.
Dr. Panna Lal - A low‑born
Hindu doctor and Aziz’s rival. Dr. Panna Lal intends to testify against Aziz at
the trial, but he begs forgiveness after Aziz is set free.
Stella Moore - Mrs.
Moore’s daughter from her second marriage. Stella marries Fielding toward the
end of the novel.
Miss Derek - A
young Englishwoman who works for a wealthy Indian family and often steals their
car. Miss Derek is easygoing and has a fine sense of humor, but many of the
English at Chandrapore resent her, considering her presence unseemly.
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