Howards End

Among the concerns of the novel is the state of contemporary British society. What kinds of ideas do characters have of British society and of the British Empire? How do they relate to these ideas, and how are they represented in the novel?

What kinds of attitudes are variously associated with the countryside and with the city in the novel? Which characters and classes of people generally are associated with each?

One of the central themes of the novel is The Difficulty of Overcoming Class Divisions, and discussion of “the rich” and “the poor” figure prominently throughout the story. How does Forster represent contemporary intraclass relations?

Consider the epigraph of the novel: “Only connect…” (3). How does the novel define the idea of “connection,” and what role does it play in the events of the story and attitudes of the characters?

The Schlegels are without a permanent home for the entirety of the second half of the novel, while the Wilcoxes are rarely all seen together in one place. How is the idea of home represented in the novel?

Howards End portrays various examples of masculinity. Consider the various male characters in the novel. How are they represented, and how are they defined by their occupations and/or relationships with women?

In some sense, Howards End features a conventional story of how “opposites attract.” Are the Schlegels and Wilcoxes opposites? Do Margaret and Mr. Wilcox best represent the ideal type of Schlegel on the one hand and Wilcox on the other, or are there other family members that more convincingly embody the ideal?

Technological change features prominently in the story, with attention paid, for example, to the popularization of the automobile. What kinds of attitudes are presented in relation to these developments? Does the story offer an optimistic or pessimistic outlook on these developments?