95

REVISION QUESTIONS

1. What qualities are represented by (a) the Schlegels, (b) the

Wilcoxes?

2. In what ways does Forster link the events of contemporary

history to the events of his novel?

3. What differences does Forster draw between Helen and Margaret

Wilcox?

4. How do you think these differences in character between the

sisters affect the course of the novel?

5. What function does Tibby, their brother, play in the pattern of

the novel?

6. When, in your view, is the fact of Mrs Wilcox's special signifi-

cance as a character in the novel established in the novel? By
what means does Forster make this point?

7. How successful do you think Forster has been in creating the

characters of Leonard and Jacky Bast? Does his success or failure
affect their value as elements in the design of the novel as a
whole?

8. In what ways does Leonard Bast develop as a character?

9. Helen Schlegel contributes more to the argument of the novel

than to its action. Do you agree?

10. What evidence would you produce to support the view that
Howards End is a critical examination of Margaret Schlegel's
behaviour and attitudes rather than an endorsement of them.
96

11. In what way do you think that the epigraph 'only connect' is
related to the action of the novel?

12. How far do you think Forster supports Margaret's opinion that
the essential basis of social life is economic?

13. It is clear enough why Helen gives money to Leonard Bast but
why does Forster make Margaret give away her money in the last
chapter of the novel?

14. What opinion do you have on the passages of 'prose poetry'

which can be found in, for example, Chapters 19 and 22? Does
writing of this kind require special justification? Can you offer
arguments for or against it?

15. The view of Howards End offered here has frequently drawn
attention to the religious or mystical dimension of the novel?
Discuss whether this dimension (a) exists, (b) has the significance
ascribed to it, (c) is made plausible by Forster.

16. Do you believe the final chapter of the novel brings it to a

satisfactory conclusion? Defend your point of view.

17. Do you think that Forster's use of terms such as 'the invisible',
'the unseen', 'Infinity' and so on is carelessly obscure, or can his
vagueness be justified?

18. Do you think it is a valid criticism of the novel that Forster has
failed to give a sufficiently explicit account of the ways of life
represented by Howards End, on which he sets such a high
value?
 97

FURTHER READING

Text
The best text of the novel is published as volume 4 of The Abinger
Edition of E. M. Forster, edited by Oliver Stallybrass (London,
1973). A paperback edition of it is published by Penguin Books,
Harmondsworth, 1984.

Biographical
P. N. Furbank, E. M. Forster: A Life, 2 vols (London, 1977).
Mary Lago and P. N. Furbank (eds), Selected Letters of E. M. Forster,
Vol. 1 (London, 1983).

Critical
John Beer, The Achievement of E. M. Forster (London, 1962).
Frederick Crews, E. M. Forster: the Perils of Humanism (Princeton,
1962).
K. W. Gransden, E. M. Forster (London, 1962).
F. R. Leavis, 'E. M. Forster', in The Common Pursuit (London,
1952).
James McConkey, The Novels of E. M. Forster (New York, 1957).
Lionel Trilling, E. M. Forster (London, 1944; revised edition 1967).
Peter Widdowson, E. M. Forster's 'Howards End' (London, 1977).
98

Mastering English Literature

Richard Gill
Mastering English Literature will help readers both to enjoy
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