Summary of Howards End by E. Forster , livre ebook

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10 pages

English

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Howards End is a finely nuanced depiction of the relationships among three families from drastically different backgrounds and world views. Their paths cross and intertwine throughout the novel, with fatal consequences. The novel questions the rigid class system and the moral hypocrisy of early 20th-century patriarchal society, but in the end paints a rather bleak picture of the ability either to overcome class barriers or escape gender stereotypes and roles. For example, Leonard Bast has to give up his ambition at bettering himself and ends up ruined, whereas strong, independent and confident Margaret in the end steps into (and accepts) the role of wife and companion to the hypocritical and complacent Henry. It seems there is no escape from the rules and boundaries of society.

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Publié par	GetAbstract AG
Date de parution	27 janvier 2020
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9798887270326
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0250€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Howards End
E. M. Forster•First edition: London 1910

Novel
Edwardian Era

Take-Aways Howards End is one of the English writer E. M. Forster’s most famous novels. The lives of three families – the liberal and culture-loving Schlegel sisters, the bourgeois and commercially successful Wilcox family, and the working-class Basts – intersect and intertwine, resulting in at least one birth, one death and one marriage. The central theme, as in many of Forster’s novels, is the – often futile – human attempt to overcome social, gender and class barriers. The novel highlights the hypocritical attitude toward women and sexual morality at the turn of the 20th century. The story is told mainly from a female perspective and has strong, empathetic female characters. The novel highlights the difficulty in overcoming class barriers in early 20th-century England – a time when the middle-class was beginning to expand. Forster took his inspiration for the Schlegel sisters from Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, both of whom were part of the Bloomsbury Group – an early 20th-century group of English writers, artists and intellectuals – to which Forster belonged as well. Forster published his last novel at the age of 45, though he lived to be 91. Forster was homosexual, but only came out after the death of his mother. After that, he became an advocate for homosexual rights and relationships. “They had nothing in common but the English language.”

What It’s About
No Escape
Howards End is a finely nuanced depiction of the relationships among three families from drastically different backgrounds and world views. Their paths cross and intertwine throughout the novel, with fatal consequences. The novel questions the rigid class system and the moral hypocrisy of early 20th-century patriarchal society, but in the end paints a rather bleak picture of the ability either to overcome class barriers or escape gender stereotypes and roles. For example, Leonard Bast has to give up his ambition at bettering himself and ends up ruined, whereas strong, independent and confident Margaret in the end steps into (and accepts) the role of wife and companion to the hypocritical and complacent Henry. It seems there is no escape from the rules and boundaries of society.

Summary
A Brief Romance
The 21-year-old Helen Schlegel is spending time at Howards End, the country home of the Wilcox family . Helen and her older sister Margaret met the Wilcoxes during a trip through Germany. Margaret was unable to join Helen at Howards End as she had to look after their 16-year-old brother Tibby , who is sick with hay fever. The three siblings are orphans. In a letter, Helen tells Margaret how much the Wilcoxes fascinate her despite their old-fashioned and often sexist ideas about women’s rights, in particular the vote for women – a topic close to Margaret’s and Helen’s hearts.
“What do you think of the Wilcoxes? Are they our sort? Are they likely people?… Do they care about Literature and Art?” (Aunt Juley to Margaret)
In a subsequent letter, Helen tells Margaret that she has fallen in love with Paul Wilcox , the younger of the two sons. This causes upset in the Schlegel household, in particular for Aunt Juley , who feels responsible for her nieces. Margaret decides to take the train to Howards End immediately, but Aunt Juley persuades her to stay and let her deal with the situation. Margaret takes Aunt Juley to the train station. On Margaret’s return home, she finds a telegram from Helen, saying that the affair is over and that Margaret isn’t to tell anyone about it. But it is too late: Aunt Juley is already on her way.
An Embarrassing Meeting
When Aunt Juley arrives in Hilton, she asks a ticket boy about Howards End, which she mistakenly calls “Howards Lodge.” Coincidentally, Charles Wilcox , the older of the Wilcox sons, is in the station after dropping off his father for a train. The ticket boy calls him over, and Charles offers Aunt Juley a lift in his carriage to Howards End.