A trigger warning has been added to EM Forster’s seminal A Passage to India saying the classic novel contains ‘offensive’ language and ‘attitudes of that era’
- A disclaimer appears in the American edition of the novel published by The Modern Library
- A Passage To India, written in 1924, stands out for its criticism of British imperialism
- Academics have described the decision to include the trigger warning as ‘troubling’
It is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of 20th century literature, but now EM Forster’s A Passage To India has received a triggering warning for readers over its use of “offensive” language and ” cultural representations.
Academic fans of the novel, which will mark its 100th anniversary of publication next year, say the disclaimer is “totally inappropriate” and that the work is “engulfed in a culture war that has little to do with the subject”.
The trigger warning appears in the latest US edition of the novel published by The Modern Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
He says: “This book was published in 1924 and reflects the attitudes of its time. The publisher’s decision to present it as originally published is not an endorsement of offensive cultural depictions or language.
A Passage To India explores the fallout of a false allegation of sexual assault by Adela Quested, a British woman newly arrived in India, against the mild-mannered Dr Aziz.
EM Forster’s A Passage To India has received a triggering warning for readers over its use of ‘offensive’ language and ‘cultural depictions’
Judy Davis and Nigel Havers starred in the epic 1984 film adaptation of A Passage To India
She later drops the charge and declares him innocent, just in time to prevent growing racial tensions from boiling over into violence.
The book is set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s and is notable for its critique of imperialism and its portrayals of Indians as cultured equals.
It was adapted into an award-winning historical drama in 1984, starring David Lean in the director’s chair and starring Peggy Ashcroft, Judy Davis, James Fox and Alec Guinness.
American scholar Deborah Appleman said The Telegraph that the decision to include a trigger warning in the American edition of the novel was “disturbing”.
The book is set against the backdrop of the British Raj and Indian independence movement in the 1920s and is notable for its critique of British imperialism.
She said: “It’s an example of what I’ve called a kind of presentism, where contemporary readers superimpose their own current values and standards onto the world of a novel, even as carefully crafted as EM Forster’s. .”
British writer Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, added: “In the feverish and polarized atmosphere of contemporary America, uninformed readers will glance at the trigger warning on the front of A Passage to India and will assume that it was written by a great wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, rather than a liberal homosexual who was a critic of the British Empire.
Last month, Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse also received a “trigger warning” about the “attitudes” described in the 1927 book for American readers.
Woolf’s semi-autobiographical novel tells the stories of trips made by the Ramsay family to their summer home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
Last month, Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse also received a “trigger warning” about the “attitudes” described in the 1927 book for American readers.
A new edition, published by Vintage, however, will be preceded by a statement explaining that the decision to print the novel in its original form is not an “endorsement” of the “cultural representations or language” used in the book. Woolf.
It remains unclear what “attitudes” expressed in Woolf’s novel prompted the publisher to include a disclaimer.
MailOnline has contacted The Modern Library for comment.
