Race and Class

Race, class, and the prejudices that accompany them are central themes in "The Jewel in the Crown," and drive much of the central action of the novel.

The central problem of the novel is the prejudice faced by the interracial lovers, Daphne Manners and Hari Kumar. When Daphne is raped, among the European community in Mayapore suspicion immediately falls on Hari because he is Indian. To protect one another, neither Hari nor Daphne cooperates with the ensuing investigation. Even to admit Hari was present at the scene of the rape would condemn him even though he was also a victim of the attack and not involved in organizing it. The rape itself seems to be racially motivated, placing Daphne as a target of her Indian attackers because she is a white woman who has had sex with an Indian.

Some of Scott's characters, such as Daphne...