Hellenism and orientalism in the work of E.M. Forster and Constantine Cavafy, a parallel reading

grantor: University of TorontoForster and Cavafy were both working out of the tradition of western Hellenism. Hellenism served Forster primarily as a vehicle, for literary expression. He was sensitive to the West's appropriation of Greece, as his early interest in the figure of Gemistos Plethon shows. Cavafy's fixation on late Hellenism and Byzantium differed in that it was more concerned with Hellenism's ecumenical dimension. Forster had little sympathy for Byzantium's theocratic imperium and was consequently indifferent to Cavafy's theory of a Greek cultural continuum. Despite this major difference, poet and novelist were both inspired by the cult of Hellenism with its fetish for exiled gods and beautiful young men. The Orient proved to be more of a challenge for Forster than for Cavafy, whose complex Orientalism is at once subaltern (Ottoman), imperialist (Hellenizing), decadent (Parnassian) and occasionally political (anti-colonial). Forster's experience in the East and curiosity about Levantine and Indian culture reflect his determination to transcend his western world view. Novelist and poet became friends in Egypt during the war; yet their relationship was qualified by political considerations, particularly Forster's pro-Turkish writings and connection with Arnold Toynbee. Cavafy had a more sophistic approach to Hellenism and celebrated its supreme cultural status unapologetically. He was most attuned to the paradox of Hellenism's need for the barbaric as a cultural foil, and depicted the tension between these historic polarities with much irony. The Orient was central to his vision of Hellenism; he exploited the East in his own way, indirectly celebrating it by showing how dynamic its commingling with Hellenism could be. Forster eventually grew weary of Hellenism and recognized its creative limitations. He attempted to replace Greece with the radically different culture of India. A Passage to India reflects his Orientalist desire to comprehend the religious aspects of India, which he conveys largely by means of architectural motifs. In the end, Forster returned to his Hellenic habits. With Maurice and the Priapic short fiction, he belatedly reengages the discourse of Hellenism which he never fully abandoned and which continued to influence him.Ph.D