Howards End by E. M. Forster is a classic novel that captures the complexity of social class and morality in England during the early twentieth century. The book was first published in 1910, yet it remains relevant to readers more than a century later. The story centers around two sisters, Margaret and Helen Schlegel, who find themselves entrenched in a clash of different social classes when they befriend a family of wealthy businessmen, the Wilcoxes. Through their own desires and ideals, they soon find themselves in a moral quandary between duty to family and personal beliefs.
The book begins with a brief introduction of the two main characters. Margaret and Helen Schlegel, sisters in their early twenties, live in a house in London called Wickham Place. They are financially comfortable, but not wealthy, and their lives are characterized by a kind of bohemian freedom. Their education, values, and ideas put them firmly in the "intellectual class".
When the Wilcox family moves into a house in the same square, the two families cross paths. At first, the Schlegels view the Wilcoxes as representative of a typical upper-class family, living in a typical upper-class lifestyle. The two sisters soon befriend Ruth Wilcox, the wife of Henry Wilcox, and become intimately familiar with her family's quirks and values.
The Wilcoxes represent the opposing "business class". They are hard-working, practical, and devoted to money-making. The Schlegels, by contrast, are altruistic, in tune with the liberal ideals of the day. This clash of values is the backbone of the novel.
The plot of Howards End evolves into a morality tale that centers around the concept of legacy. Henry Wilcox's will expresses his intention to leave the beloved ancestral home Howards End to Margaret, not his own son Charles. This eventually leads to a greater moral dilemma – which values should be respected, those of the business class or the intellectual class?
The conflict between the two classes is ultimately resolved when both sides begin to appreciate each other. Henry Wilcox comes to understand the Schlegel's altruism and the Schlegel sisters learn to respect the Wilcox's practical values. In the end, Margaret is seen as the link between the two classes and an arbiter of justice.
What makes Howards End so memorable is Forster's ability to depict the clash between classes on both a personal and a wider scale. He examines how personal identity, morality, and family values are affected by notions of status and class in a society divided by wealth. The novel continues to be relevant today, with readers still grappling with the impact of social and economic divisions. Howards End is considered a classic of English literature and is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complex relationships between social classes in 20th century Britain.
