Howards End by E. M. Forster: "Only Connect!" (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2001 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Seminar für Englische Philologie: Forschungs- und Lehrbereich Anglistik), course: The Edwardian Novelists, language: English, abstract: Howards End,which was published in 1910, is considered as one of Edward Morgan Forster's masterpieces, and as "the one which firmly established his reputation among his contemporaries as an important writer." (Lodge ix).Howards Endis often referred to as a 'Condition-of-Englandnovel', because it gives a vivid impression of England at the turn of the century. The novel examines the problems and anxieties that were prevalent at that time due to the historical changes, for example the downfall of the British Empire, the increasingly tensed relationship to the countries on the European Continent, and the need of reorientation concerning new moral standards.Howards Endbecame known especially for of its epigraph 'Only connect'. The novel is built upon many antagonisms, it contrasts traditional values and modern developments. The contrasts are presented on various levels; Edward Morgan Forster describes different characters, lifestyles and values in order to show what he considered as important, the connection of past and present, but also on the personal level, the connection of people, even if from different classes. The aim was to convey to the reader the necessity of connection, the need to connect what has become disconnected, in order to attain an integral life. The Kindlers Literatur Lexikon summarizes it as follows:
The idea of 'only connect' can be traced throughoutHowards End.Forster employs personal relations to emphasize the importance of connection and mutual understanding, but does also, on a more abstract level, write about the connection of the past and the present.
In this research paper I will focus on some examples of connections and disconnections and interpret their meaning. I have decided to have a closer look at the connection of different families, as it is presented in the novel on the example of the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes. Further on, the juxtaposition of life in the city, in this case of London, and in the rural areas, in this research paper represented by the house Howards End, will help to show how living conditions had changed because of the influence of modernization. Moreover, the connection on a national level will be illustrated by the example of the relationship of England and Germany.