Howards End: The Edwardian Lesson on Dialogue Dorota Osińska
When you open E. M. Forster’s Edwardian novel Howards End, what you immediately notice is a short epigraph ‘...only connect’ which is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of the twentieth century. Simple, straightforward, and suggestive, especially in the modern age of social divisions, political polarities, and constantly growing discrepancies in all aspects of life. What Forster proposes is the vision of human connection that is based on a profound exchange of experiences and mutual acknowledgement of these feelings. However, throughout the novel, he shows that the art of dialogue, though precious and desired, may be difficult to master.
the book can be labelled as a ‘Condition of England’ novel and it neatly shows tensions between the old and the new; between the traditional and the unconventional. In Forster’s view, modernity is not only related to rapid economic progress, the expansion of capitalism, and the turmoil in British colonies. For him, the core of the problem lies in the rift between the working and the upper-middle class; it is about estrangement from beauty, art, and one’s own roots. To investigate these hostilities and divisions, Forster explores the lives of three families: the intellectual, adventurous, idealistic, and art-loving Schlegels; the pragmatic, down-to-earth, new money Wilcoxes; and the impoverished Basts who desperately view literature as salvation from misery and social exclusion. Forster’s attitude towards these families is odd. At first, he contrasts them, compares them, and emphasises the differences in social rank. However, the lives of these families gradually become intertwined and tightly linked to one another in strange and unexpected ways. As the plot develops, Forster connects the fates and struggles of the families in a powerfully evocative way, dismantling the readers’ expectations about the heroes and the villains of the story.
My fascination with Howards End started with the 2017 TV series that was released by BBC One and Starz TV. I thought – the cast is amazing, the storyline seems great, and the novel was adapted by the phenomenal Kenneth Lonergan (he was awarded the Oscar for his subtle and poignant writing style in the heart-wrenching Manchester by the Sea) so I needed to see it. Truly, the series was full of tension, witty dialogues, and exceptionally great acting. Funnily enough, because at that time, I considered myself a serious literature student who should know all the classics (I guess not anymore), I decided it was time for the book. Admittedly, despite its slow pace, the novel is even better than its TV adaptation. Howards End is Forster’s exploration into the social, economic, and ideological forces that operated in England during the early years of the 20th century. On the surface,
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