#38 Howards End, by E.M. Forester ~~ Part 2 of 2

Part 2

Please read Part 1, if you have not already. Thank you

It was with great reluctance that I finished ‘Howards End’ last night. I am like that with books I really love; I will often not read the last few pages, because I don’t want the story to end. But I did and it is a fantastic book start to finish. The end does seem a little bit short. Everything gets wrapped up a little too quickly, in my opinion, but that could be just because I really didn’t want to say good bye to the characters.

So I’ll just jump right in with my thoughts, I’ve been mulling over a transition paragraph and I just can’t think of one.

The book is more than ‘just a good story’ it can be read as social commentary on the British Class System during the early 1900’s. The book observes how this system affected all relationships in English society.

The inability to form relationships, the unwillingness to even try with people of ‘lower class’ and the failure to even relate to other classes are brought up though the conduct of the characters. The Schlegel sisters have Mr. Bast to tea. During the tea, they suggest to Mr. Bast that the company where he is a clerk may soon ‘go under’ and they advise him to leave before it occurs. They do this because of some offhand comments made by Mr. Wilcox earlier in the novel.  

Later they find out that 1.) Mr. Bast has taken a new job, with less pay and 2.) Mr. Wilcox misspoke in his advice and the company is as solvent as ever.

Helen is upset by this. “We – we, the upper classes- thought we would help him from the height of our superior knowledge – and here’s the result! [An unnecessary job move with less money]”

He [Mr. Wilcox] raised his finger. “Now a word of advice.”

“I require no advice.”

“A word of Advice. Don’t take up that sentimental attitude over the poor. See that she doesn’t Margaret. The poor are poor, and one’s sorry for them, but there it is. As civilization moves forward, the shoe is bound to pinch in places, and it’s absurd to pretend that anyone is responsible personally.” (pg. 199)

 There are also veiled comments about British Imperialism. Margaret visits Mr. Wilcox’s very impersonal offices (The Imperial and West Africa Rubber Company) and it looks like any other Bank or insurance company. “But perhaps she was seeing the Imperial side of the company rather than its West African, and Imperialism always had been one of her difficulties.”(pg. 204)

And comments about the drastic changes occurring in the world during the last decades of the 19^th century and the opening of the 20^th, “A motor–drive, a form of felicity detested by Margaret, awaited her.” (pg. 206)

...”The motor’s come to stay,” He [Mr. Wilcox] answered. “One must get about.” (pg. 207)

In this case it is similar to 'The Magnificent Amberson's' and the coming of age of George Minafer and coming of age of America. ‘Howards End’ is a little more subtle about it though, but it’s there just the same.

The Characters struggle with their relationships, as they each have set ideas about what the social norms are for their classes , but at the same time those norms are shifting, changing and there is much disagreement, especially between the Wilcox’s and the Shelegel’s over the treatment of the Bast’s.

I found myself thinking a lot about Jane Austen as I was reading. E.M. Foresters social commentary is very similar to hers. There is the same deep understanding, wit and possible contempt. As a Jane Austen lover I was heaven. I saw parallels between the Schelegel sisters and Eleanor and Mary Anne in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (which could be another Emma Thomson thing) and of course Jane and Elizabeth in ‘Pride and Prejudice’.

I don’t know if that was intentional or happy coincidence. Either way this book was an immensely enjoyable read and I put it very high on my list of Favourite books.  Does it deserve to be on the 100 list? As much as I loved the book I’m not entirely sure. It is very good, an enjoyable read, well written and I suspect did bring to light the issues surrounding the class system and changes occurring in the world. It seems to be rather subtle about it thought which is great, it’s nice to not be slammed over the head with heavy moral overtones, but it would be easy enough to completely miss the commentary.

If I had read the book even just a few years ago I probably would have missed it myself and just thought of it as a good story.  I think I am comparing too much to ‘The Magnificent Amberson’s’ where the characters discuss the changes and issues and it is more blatant. In the end, I would say, yes this book deserves to be on the list because of its subtly and its ability to be ‘just a good story’ and scathing social commentary.

Now, go read it.