Psychological Effects of Colonialism on the Colonized in E. M. Forster's A Passage to India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Colonialism is not merely a system of political, economic, and cultural domination; it also produces significant psychological consequences for individuals and communities living under foreign rule. The present study examines the psychological effects of British colonialism on the colonized in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India (1924). It particularly focuses on psychological oppression, identity crisis, racial humiliation, alienation, feelings of inferiority, and psychological resistance among Indian characters. The study employs a qualitative research design based on descriptive-interpretive textual analysis and close reading of the novel. Frantz Fanon’s postcolonial psychological perspective, particularly his arguments in Black Skin, White Masks (1952), serves as the primary theoretical framework, while selected concepts from Edward Said and Homi K. Bhabha provide supporting perspectives. The analysis demonstrates how racial discrimination, colonial authority, and cultural marginalization influence the self-esteem, emotional experiences, personal dignity, and social relationships of colonized characters, particularly Dr. Aziz. The study argues that colonial domination extends beyond political and social control to influence the psychological experiences and identity formation of colonized individuals. It contributes to postcolonial literary criticism by providing a focused interpretation of the psychological dimensions of colonial oppression in Forster’s novel. Keywords: Colonialism, Psychological Oppression, Identity Crisis, Racial Discrimination, Alienation, Postcolonial Theory, Frantz Fanon.
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225464847