Abstract: One of Forster's main discontents with English culture and way of life was their lack of a strong mythological tradition. His own creative imagination was enriched initially by recourse to Greek mythology, and the Hellenistic world predominated and was idealized in his early work. In The Longest Journey and Howards End he attempts apparently to transplant the mythical life of ancient Greece among the downs and farms of England, but the effect that is achieved in these two novels — and the same can be said about Maurice also — is an element of consumate fantasy rather than a fuller, 'mythic' rendition of life as there is in A Passsage to India. Indeed one sees in the background to his approach to Hindu myths a feeling of disenchantment with the world of Pan as expressed in Howards End: 'Of Pan and the elemental forces, the public has heard a little too much …';2 as he turns to explore Hindu myths in A Passage to India, he is at once struck by their intriguing novelty, their complex symbolism and the unique phenomenon of their living continuity.KeywordsCreative ImaginationGreek MythologyHindu TraditionHindu DeityHellenistic WorldThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Publication Year: 1982
Publication Date: 1982-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot