FREE ESSAY ON IMAGES OF WOMEN: MAJOR BARBARA, A PASSAGE TO INDIA, AND THE POETRY OF T.S. ELIOT

IMAGES OF WOMEN: MAJOR BARBARA, A PASSAGE TO INDIA, AND THE POETRY OF T.S. ELIOT

Images of Women: Major Barbara, A Passage to India, and the poetry of T.S. Eliot
The Victorian Era was a difficult and confusing time for women, and their trials are
reflected in the literature of the time. Although the three pieces of literature being
discussed are not entirely about women, they shed light on the Victorian ideal of women
and the ideals of the authors who created these women characters. In contrasting and
comparing women in Major Barbara, A Passage to India, and T.S. Eliot's poetry, two key
points will be discussed: distinct archetypes of women, and how the "absence" of women is
used to signify their importance.
There are four different archetypes of women present in the three works [1], the first
being the heroines. The heroines are characterized by their success in dealing with the
limitations of spiritual and physical matters, eventually accepting these limitations or
reconciling their differences into their lives. Mrs. Moore is the heroine of A Passage to
India. She is depicted as a heroine because of a small event that does not concern her
personally. She comes to India just to further the happiness of her children, and due to
the circumstances, sacrifices the integrity of her own self. She is at first very
compassionate, with a love that extends over all creation, religion, and every living
thing. (Shahane 29) She lives in a world where everything is in harmony, until her
perfect vision is shattered by her experience in the Marabar Caves. After she enters the
cave, 
Mrs. Moore hears an echo, which seems to whisper, "Everything exists, nothing has value."
[2]
Collier 2 This seems to rob Mrs. Moore of everything she holds valuable; her spiritual
life and her relationships with family and friends. (Shahane 87) Everything has lost its
meaning. Mrs. Moore finally sees all the troubles in the world, and how insignificant the
world is. Despite her negative outlook after the Marabar Caves incident, Mrs. Moore
accepts these realizations into her life. She breaks off relationships with her family
and friends because she can no longer pretend that these relationships can exist with no
meaning. She concerns herself with only trivial things, such as playing cards.
In Major Barbara, the heroine is Major Barbara herself. She has more typical
characteristics of a heroine than does Mrs. Moore. Shaw presents Barbara to us as a
strong-willed, compassionate young girl. She is unashamed of her salvation and willingly
spreads its message. Similarly, her father Undershaft is unashamed of his work in war and
death. When Undershaft arrives in England, Barbara is unwillingly drawn into his
ammunitions business affairs. She objects to this type of business, but through their
sharing of ideas, her values and morals are thrown into question. She realizes that all
religions glorify death and passivity and denial of the self. She begins to believe that
Undershaft's "religion" and hers are no different. Based on this new belief, she chooses
to leave the Salvation Army and to stay with Cusins working in her father's business. 
The second archetype of women is the socialite group. This is the group most criticized
by their creators. These women have lives with no real meaning. They are devoted entirely
to their outside activities, and cannot think apart from the rules of the society to
which they belong. They will not hesitate to criticize the women who do not adhere to
society's strict rules. Mrs. Turton in A Passage to India belongs to this 
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archetype of women. She is a cruel, selfish woman because of absorption in herself and in
the Anglo-Indian society. She even tries to convince Mrs. Moore and Adela of her ideas
about Indians: "You're superior to them, don't forget that." [3]
Lady Britomart is the socialite of Major Barbara. Her socialite manner begins in the
home, and extends outward. She orders her children more than she mothers them. She is
only concerned with family affairs if money is involved. She is enraged that Undershaft
will not change his traditions of successorship to include her son Steven, and even more
enraged at the immoral ideas that Undershaft shares with his children. The criticism
brought upon these types of women by their author-creators seems to indicate the rules
and standards of society mean nothing. It is the inside lives of men and women that make
them heroines or heroes. These women have no initiative to change, and would be shunned
from their societies if they were to do so.
The idealistic archetype describes the women who pursue something ideal which they have
little knowledge about. They exclude the "real" aspects of what they are pursuing. Sooner
or later they realize how inadequate their quest and their lives are, but by this point
they are so committed to their ideal dream they cannot change. Adela in A Passage to
India is a perfect example of this archetype. She travels to see the "real India", to
meet the "real people" of India, and to meet her perfect husband. She pursues this quest
avidly, asking to visit with the Bhattacharyas, visiting with Aziz and Fielding, and
travelling to the Marabar Caves. It is here in the caves that Adela's dreams are also
shattered. She is entranced by the reflection of the match-flames on the wall. She
notices that if the match touches its reflection, it is immediately snuffed out. "The
flames touch 
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one another, kiss, expire." [4] To Adela, this is a reflection of her life and her
relationships. (Shahane 87) It is a glimpse of a spirit that she would like to unite
with, but is always shut out from by the barriers of flesh. Adela tries to rekindle her
relationship with Ronny, but realizes they are too involved in their external lives to be
involved in anything deeper. The flame expires. Adela also tries to change her life after
the trial against Aziz. Her downfall comes from wanting two incompatible things: to truly
understand people, yet still stick to her standards of honesty and justice.
The last archetype describes the "ideal" woman. T.S. Eliot's poetry is full of images of
perfect, unreachable women. La Figlia che Piange is the best example of his ideal-woman
images. He envisions the woman as his model. He instructs her to pose for him, to hold
flowers in her arms, and to "weave the sunlight" in her hair. The narrator seems to
admire the woman he is painting a picture of, but he does not trust her. He sees a
"fugitive resentment" in her eyes, and she "turned away" from him. The reason why she
left is alluded to in the second stanza, most likely a misunderstanding between the two
parties. Even though the woman is now again out of reach, the narrator still idealizes
her. He remembers her at her perfection, with flowers in her arms and in her hair. Even
the quote above the poem indicates his admiration: "O quam te memorem virgo..." , O
remember the maiden. [5] 
In Rhapsody on a Windy Night, Eliot evokes images and sounds that describe his consummate
woman. The moon "winks", "smiles", and "smooths the hair" of the grass, actions similar
to the actions of a woman. The moon also represents a symbol of chastity 
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and purity of woman. Again, the narrator idealizes this woman, but does not trust her.
"...female smells in shuttered rooms," indicates he is afraid of women because they can
hide their sexuality, and men cannot. [6] Eliot wants a woman of perfection, but realizes
that no such woman exists.
In all three works, there are scenes when women are not present, but even in their
absence they still have great impact. The women characters in A Passage to India, Major
Barbara, and T.S. Eliot's poetry are all dignified in their absence. Ironically, their
absence makes them more real to the authors who create them, and the characters with
which these women interact.
In A Passage to India, no woman's impact in her absence is as great as Aziz's dead wife.
Aziz admits that he did not love her when they were first married, and shortly after he
grew to love her she passed on. Only when she dies does Aziz truly appreciate her love,
and her sacrifice to bring Aziz's son into the world. The more time passes after her
death, the more sincerely he mourns her. In Forster's own words, Aziz fails to realize
"..the very fact that we have loved the dead increases their unreality...the more
passionately we invoke [them] the further they recede."
Adela's absence after the Marabar Caves incident in Passage because of her illness throws
the whole Anglo-Indian society into turmoil. The English men and women are thrown against
one another and against the Indians. Even in her absence, Adela "brought out all that was
fine in [the English] character." [8] Socialite women appear to show compassion, and the
English men are more protective towards their wives. To the English, Adela's experience
is a violation of all they hold dear. 
Collier 6
However, when Adela shows up at the trial and recants her statement, she is no longer
dignified. Mrs. Turton, who once stood by Adela, screams insults at her.
Mrs. Moore's absence (leaving for England) in Passage has the same amount of impact on
Aziz's trial as does Adela's recanted statement. Mahmoud Ali charges Ronny with smuggling
Mrs. Moore out of state, so that she could not prove Aziz's innocence on the stand. The
idea that one lady could change the innocence or guilt of Aziz amazes the Indians in the
audience. They chant "Esmiss Esmoor" and she is made into an Indian goddess, the heroine
of a people she has never even met.
Mrs. Moore's always absent daughter Stella drastically impacts the friendship of Fielding
and Aziz in Passage. Stella is never shown to the reader, she is always described but
always in the other boat. (Shahane 17) Aziz assumes that Fielding has gone back to
England and married Adela. Rather than admit to his blunder, Aziz retaliates by accusing
Fielding of marrying into his enemy's family. Because neither is willing to apologize for
their mistakes, a friendship is destroyed.
In T.S. Eliot's poetry, without absence, women have no meaning. In Portrait of a Lady,
the narrator has trouble forming a friendship with or writing to the "lady". He thinks
she could be dead by the time his letters reach her. After his absence from her, his
feelings change. In the first stanza of the poem, the woman remarks that "...I think his
soul / Should be resurrected only among friends". [9] In the last stanza, the narrator
reflects back on her statement: "This music is successful with a 'dying fall'". [10] The
narrator only seems to be able to form a friendship with his "lady" after her 
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death. He can now resurrect her soul, and relive the memories they shared. 
In Aunt Helen, Eliot makes it obvious again that without absence, women have no meaning.
Eliot describes his aunt living in a "fashionable square" and servants cared for her.
These society symbols mean nothing to Eliot. Only after Aunt Helen's death does any
action take place. The dogs are cared for, but the parrot dies; time continues to go on
without her; and the footman and Aunt Helen's maid continue their affair. Her death is
seen as a dignified service. The dogs are "handsomely provided for", and the maid and
footman can now continue their affair publicly. [11]
In Major Barbara, Barbara's occasional absence is used for Cusins and Undershaft to
discuss Barbara's future. There is talk of her controlling the Undershaft business and
fortune, how much a year she is to live on, and eventually her marriage to the cunning
Cusins. It is also decided in her absence that Cusins will eventually take over the
Undershaft business, leaving Barbara to decide alone what path she will take.
Society's standards for women have changed since the Victorian era, and the way men
relate to women has changed. The "ideal" woman still does not exist, although a vision of
the Victorian-era woman is present in these three works. Women are the most misunderstood
characters in literature. Authors used archetypes, absences, and characterization to try
and unravel the mysteries of the woman. What does it take to figure women out? Perhaps
T.S. Eliot said it best: "Some way incomparably light and deft, / Some way we both should
understand, / Simple and faithless as a smile and shake of the hand." [12] 
Bibliography
References in Text
[1] Not all four archetypes are present in all three works.
[2] A Passage to India page 147
[3] A Passage to India page 42
[4] A Passage to India page 162
[5] All quotes in this section from T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; La Figlia che Piange 
page 26
[6] T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; Rhapsody on a Windy Night page 18
[7] A Passage to India page 57 and 58
[8] A Passage to India page 199 
[9] T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; Portrait of a Lady page 8
[10] T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; Portrait of a Lady page 12
[11] All quotes in this section from T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; Aunt Helen page 21
[12] T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems; La Figlia che Piange page 26