Benefits: A Passage to India will acquaint children with the British colonial administration of India, the racism of the Western colonial empires, and the concept of the ultimate hostility of nature. It will permit children to vicariously explore the limits and ultimate futility of racism, the deep emotional currents unleashed by a decision to marry, the difficulties of friendship among colonial administrators and their subjects, and the need to prevent injustice. It critiques imperialism as a system that limits and warps personal relationships between the oppressed and the oppressors.

The novel is a classic of English literature. Some children who are 14 years or older will enjoy the book. These children should be encouraged to read it before they see the film. The film will then supplement the book with its vivid images of India during the British Raj. However, the book provides so much detail and nuance that it is good reading even after the film has been seen.

Regardless of whether children are going to read the book or see the film, read them the two passages quoted in the first section of the Helpful Background Section. (See below.) These excerpts will demonstrate that there really were "Turtons and Burtons" who ran the British Empire and give a graphic example of how they thought.