E.M. Forster's last novel extends and often questions the liberal assumptions usually associated with his work. It has been widely regarded as a painful rite of passage, written soon after the death of one of his closest friends; and thus it is understood as a searching criticism of "Anglo-India", not least in portraying the tragic collision between Imperialist duty and personal values. This volume of specially commissioned essays contains examples of how the newest critical thinking on the novel and its context may produce a range of different practical approaches. Close consideration is given to the representation of gender and race as well as the often coded expression of Forster's hopes for a homosocial culture. Sections in each essay locate a context for the theories adopted and explain any unfamiliar terms. There then follows and interpretation of the work guided by these theoretical concepts. An introduction by one of the volume editors supplies an account of the critical history of the novel and also considers the degree to which it may have derived from Forster's ideas on culture and politics in general. This also provides a survey of the most recent criticism and some indication of how this has affected the practical approaches to his work.