UNIVERSITY OF NUEVA CACERES

S/Y 2017-2018
2nd Semester

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Howard’s End by E.M. Forster

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

in the Subject

LITERARY CRITICISM

Jerome Villagarcia Aler, MLL

Professor

MEMBERS

Barrosa, Paul John

Dy, Maria Catherine
Gomez, Rene I
Quides, Edizza Lynn

March 1, 2018
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I – The Novel and the Author............................................................................................ 3

II –List of Characters......................................................................................................... 4

III – Presentation of Critical Approaches/ Short Discussion

A. Biographical Approach..................................................................................... 6
B. Marxist Approach............................................................................................. 7
C. Psychoanalysis Approach................................................................................ 8
D. Feminism Approach......................................................................................... 9

IV – Discussion
A. Biographical Approach................................................................................... 11
B. Marxist Approach............................................................................................ 15
C. Psychoanalysis Approach................................................................................ 17
D. Feminism Approach........................................................................................ 22

Bibliography
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 3

The Novel and the Author

The novel is all about the connections of the characters and three sets of families revolving
around the country house called Howards End. The three families were the Schlegels who were educated
and politically minded, the Wilcox family who were wealthy, and the Bast who were an impoverished
couple with a shady past. The said house belongs to Ruth Wilcox who, upon forming an unusually close
friendship with Margaret Schlegel, made on her deathbed, the intention to give the house to the latter but
the rest of the Wilcox family refuse to acknowledge her wishes. Margaret’s younger sister, Helen, tries to
hold Leonard Bast and his wife when he loses his job, but uncovers a connection between the
impoverished couple and the Wilcox family that she could never have anticipated. And it comes after
Margaret has become the second Mrs Wilcox.

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on the first day of 1879. His father, an architect
from a strict evangelical family, died soon after Forster was born, leaving him to be raised by his mother
and paternal great-aunt. Because his mother was from a more liberal and somewhat irresponsible
background, Forster's home life was rather tense. He was raised in the household of Rooksnest, which
inspired Howards End (1910), a novel centered on the alliance between the liberal Schlegel sisters and
Ruth Wilcox, the proprietor of the house, against her husband, Henry Wilcox, an enterprising
businessman. The novel ends with the marriage of Henry Wilcox to Margaret Schlegel, who brings him
back to Howards End, re-establishing the Wilcox land link.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 4

List of Characters

Margaret Schlegel is the oldest of the Schlegel children, making her responsible for her younger
siblings—Helen and Tibby, after the death of their parents. She is a mother figure for her younger brother
Tibby, and is her sister Helen's best friend. Margaret is intellectual and cultured, with a passion for
discussion about all sorts of topic.

Tibby Schlegel is the youngest brother of Margaret who, as he grows older, becomes more of a
presence. He attends Oxford, where he isolates himself in his studies. He sometimes finds it difficult to be
looked after by two older sisters, but later herealizes that he must also look after them.

Helen Schlegel is the sister of Margaret who is romantic and impulsive, which sometimes results
in catastrophe. Like Margaret, she also likes to discuss but Helen is the more whimsical and is also
considered more beautiful. She values the superiority of the inner life over the outer life, but her goals are
often unrealistic.

Henry Wilcox is the patriarch of the Wilcox family. He is sexist and uptight, but fairly tolerable.
His first wife dies, after which he devotes himself to his business and makes a good deal of money. When
he becomes a large part of Margaret's life as her husband, she is able to see his good side.

Ruth Wilcox is the first Mrs. Wilcox who is selfless and a devoted wife and mother to her family.
Howards End, the country house where she was born, was her treasure. She firmly believes in the
importance and power of a place, which is why she tries to leave Howards End to Margaret upon her
death.

Charles Wilcox is the eldest son of Henry Wilcox who feels a large responsibility in the family
especially after his mother’s death. He is stern and righteous who does not think highly of the Schlegels
and makes it evident.

Paul Wilcox is the younger brother of Charles Wilcox who kissed Helen which lead to the drama
between the two families.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 5

Evie Wilcox is the youngest of the Wilcox family who, after her mother’s death, was the sole
companion of her father. She ended up being swept off her feet by Percy Cahill and married him as soon
as possible.

Leonard Bast is the impoverished person whose biggest fear is falling into the abyss of poverty
and ignorance, thus he tries to culture himself through reading and music. He sees the Schlegels as prime
examples of intellect and romance, but envies their privilege. He is the husband of Jacky.

Jacky Bast was a young and attractive prostitute—among her clients was Mr. Wilcox, but has
since been relying on Leonard to marry her and care for her.

Aunt Juley is the sister of Margaret’s mother and represents the English side of the family. She
feels very strongly about being an influence in the lives of her nieces and nephew, sometimes to their
slight annoyance. She sees them multiple times each year and is always more than happy to help them in
times of trouble.

Dolly Wilcox is the pretty wife of Charles Wilcox who is prone to saying the wrong things at the
wrong times.

Percy Cahill is one of Dolly's uncles who ends up marrying Evie.

Miss Avery looks after Howards End when the Wilcoxes are away. She grew up with Ruth
Wilcox and is not afraid to speak disparagingly about Mr. Wilcox and his sons.

Frieda Mosebach is the German cousin of the Schlegels who is especially close with Helen and
tries to entice her to stay in Germany by introducing her to a German man.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 6

Critical Approaches
A. Biographical Approach by Catherine Dy

Biographical criticism is one approach in analysing a literary work which uses mainly the events
of an author’s life in order to explain and give context to the meaning in the author’s work. It aims to find
references to the author’s life, education and social-cultural environment in its historical period in the
literary work. It is often associated with Historical Biographical criticism which sees a literary work
chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author’s life and times. (Wikipedia, n.d.) Biographical
criticism fell into disrepute because of indulging in unsubstantial claims or “biographical fallacy” as they
coined, during the 19th century by the so called New Critics since it neglected the imaginative
characteristic of literature. However, in recent years, biographical criticism has made a comeback as
people have increasingly realized that to reach a deeper and clearer understanding of a work of art, it is
important to know about a writer’s life, politics, and preoccupations. As long as biographical criticism
enhances, rather than limits, our understanding of a text, it functions as a useful lens through which to
study literature.

Similar to New Historicism, there is more interest in the fact that all literary works are situated in
specific historical and biographical contexts from which timeframe they are created. It rejects the concept
that literary analysis should be limited to the internal and formal characteristics of the work created.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 7

B. Marxist Approach by Paul John Barrosa

The Marxist Approach is based on the theories of Karl Marx. Per this view, economic factors
divide society into classes with different perspectives and interests, resulting to conflicts among them and
oppression of those who are weaker than the other.

Thru the lens of Marxist Approach, literature is viewed not only as a mere product of
imagination, but more so as a result of the author’s economic and historical context. The narrations in a
novel are depictions of how the writer sees the underlying socioeconomic structures and interactions
among classes.

For one with a Marxist perspective, a literary work is an instrument to reflect on, propagate or
challenge the prevailing social order. As such, in reading any material, it is important also to research
and understand the underlying historical and material circumstances during the writing thereof.

In addition, at the core of any story is the struggle between the bourgeoisie (the rich) and the
proletariat (the poor). In Marxist Approach, every scene is driven by the motive to obtain and keep
wealth, which, in turn, is the key to dominate the other aspects of life, such as education, philosophy,
religion, government, the arts, science, technology, the media, and others. The proletariat, which are
superior in numbers but are lacking in capital, are always encouraged to be critical of the acts of the
bourgeoisie and to be aggressive enough to fight for their rights and claim their rightful share in the fruits
of their labor. At the extreme of it, the underprivileged are even asked to come together and revolt
against those who presently hold the power and the wealth, so as to end the existing system and, finally,
put the majority of the people at the top of the social hierarchy.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 8

C. Psychoanalysis Approach by Rene Gomez

A form of literary interpretation that employs the terms of psychoanalysis (the unconscious,
repression, the Oedipus complex, etc.) in order to illuminate aspects of literature in its connection with
conflicting psychological states. The beginnings of this modern tradition are found in Freud's The
Interpretation of Dreams (1900), which provides a method of interpreting apparently unimportant details
of narratives as ‘displacements’ of repressed wishes or anxieties. Freud often acknowledged his debts to
the poets, and his theory of the Oedipus complex is itself a sort of commentary upon Sophocles' drama.
Ambitious interpretations of literary works as symptoms betraying the authors' neuroses are found in
‘psychobiographies’ of writers, such as Marie Bonaparte's Edgar Poe (1933), which diagnoses sadistic
necrophilia as the problem underlying Poe's tales. A more sophisticated study in this vein is E. Wilson's
The Wound and the Bow (1941). As Trilling and others have objected, this approach risks reducing art to
pathology.

More profitable are analyses of fictional characters, beginning with Freud's own suggestions
about Prince Hamlet, later developed by his British disciple Ernest Jones: Hamlet feels unable to kill his
uncle because Claudius's crimes embody his own repressed incestuous and patricidal wishes, in a perfect
illustration of the Oedipus complex. A comparable exercise is Wilson's essay ‘The Ambiguity of Henry
James’ (1934), which interprets the ghosts in The Turn of the Screw as imaginary projections of the
governess's repressed sexual desires. A third possible object of analysis, after the author and the fictional
protagonist, is the readership. Here the question is why certain kinds of story have such a powerful appeal
to us, and numerous answers have been given in Freudian terms, usually focusing on the overcoming of
fears (as in Gothic fiction) or the resolution of conflicting desires (as in comedy and romance).

Although Freud's writings are the most influential, some interpretations employ the concepts of
heretical psychoanalysts, notably Adler, Jung, and Klein. Since the 1970s, the theories of Jacques Lacan
(1901–81) have inspired a new school of psychoanalytic critics who illustrate the laws of ‘desire’ through
a focus upon the language of literary texts. The advent of post‐structuralism has tended to cast doubt upon
the authority of the psychoanalytic critic who claims to unveil a true ‘latent’ meaning behind the disguises
of a text's ‘manifest’ contents. The subtler forms of psychoanalytic criticism make allowance for
ambiguous and contradictory significances, rather than merely discovering hidden sexual symbolism in
literary works.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 9

D. Feminism Approach by Edizza Lynn Quides

Feminist literary criticism allows us to understand literary works through a feminist lens since it
uses the principles and ideology of feminism to critique the language of literature. This school of thought
seeks to analyze and describe the ways in which literature portrays the narrative of male domination by
exploring the economic, social, political, and psychological forces embedded within literature Feminist
criticism highlights the treatment of female characters by the male characters.

Modern feminist literary criticism is rooted from 1960s second-wave feminist movements where
three phases can be defined: the feminine phase, the feminist phase, and the female phase. During the
feminine phase, female writers adhered to male values. While in the feminist phase, there was a theme of
criticism of women's role in society. And in the female phase, it was now assumed that women's works
were valid, and the works were less combative than in the feminist phase.

Susan Lanser suggested changing the name of feminist literary criticism to “critical literary
feminism” to change the focus from the criticism to the feminism, and points out that writing such works
requires “consciousness of political context. (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Feminist literary criticism assumes that literature both reflects and shapes stereotypes and other
cultural assumptions; therefore, it examines how works of literature embody patriarchal attitudes or
undercut them, sometimes both happening within the same work.

The following methods may be used feminist literary criticism: 1) deconstructing the way that
women are described, especially if the author is male how one's own gender influences how one reads and
interprets a text, and which characters and how the reader identifies depending on the reader's gender and
how women auto-biographers and biographers of women treat their subjects, and how biographers treat
women who are secondary to the main subject; 2) describing relationships between the literary text and
ideas about power and sexuality and gender; 3) critique of patriarchal or woman-marginalizing language,
such as a "universal" use of the masculine pronouns "he" and "him."; 4) noticing and unpacking
differences in how men and women write: a style, for instance, where women use more reflexive
language and men use more direct language; 5) reclaiming women writers who are little known or have
been marginalized or undervalued, sometimes referred to as expanding or criticizing the canon showing
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 10

how she was treated differently than male writers from her own time forward; and 6) examining how
relationships between men and women and those assuming male and female roles are depicted in the text,
including power relations. (Thoughtco, July 31, 2017)
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 11

A. Biographical Approach of The Novel by Catherine Dy

Howards End, many says, is about the examination of English life shortly before World War I. At
that time, England was in the middle of great social change while simultaneously at the height of its
global influence. Despite Britain’s industrial and naval strength, its politicians generally avoided war for
most of the 1800s, adopting a foreign policy of ‘splendid isolation’. Britain ruled an empire ten times its
population and nearly 100 times larger than itself in terms of territory. With its delicate spread of colonies
all over the world, Britain was without doubt the envy of all the other imperialist powers. Middle-class
Britons could sleep well at night knowing that its huge empire, well-developed industry and mighty navy
guaranteed their safety and comfort. Most Britons even believed imperialism to be a noble deed which
brought the blessings of industrialization to the backward peoples of the world.

In the Novel, the families represent the classes of society just before the war. The Schlegels, like
Forster, are the upper class who were privileged, the Wilcoxes, the constant upper class and Basts, the
working class. Leonard Basts once mentioned in the novel that he noticed the Schlegels weren’t English
but were actually Germans who were privileged enough to have survived and flourished in England.
During the 1900, all British children were entitled to a basic elementary education, but a large proportion
of especially working-class children left school when they were around 12 years old in order to go to
work. The very smartest working-class children in some cases got a chance to continue their education at
grammar schools while the rich children were sent to boarding school. Clearly, the gaps between the
classes were so enormous that members of the upper class lived in extreme wealth and constant joy. The
Schlegels traveling from places to places just to have a change of scenery and the Wilcoxes buying lands
during weddings emphasize that. The Middle-class families lived comfortably, but their continuing
existence in this class required hard work with even the chance of improvement on the far horizon, while
the life for the lower classes was a misery with no hope, no chances for the future and utter despair for
nearly all members of it. Every narration of Basts’ life showed just how much he worked hard but never
even saw the fruits of his labour. Early in his appearance in the novel, he was introduced to have been
fond of reading in his effort to gain more culture that he may be able to join social conversations with
those in higher social class than him. Such efforts partially worked because his readings did piqued the
interests of the Schlegels who took his every word in deep thought.

The Characters in the novel are likened to those in the life of the author. Leonard Basts, perhaps
represent Forster’s friends when he was young. He would look at Forster with desire to have the same
privilege but it remains as a desire.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 12

Forster was privileged enough, like the Schlegels, to be brought up by an aunt. Marianne
Thornton, Forster’s aunt left him enough inheritance to pursue his passion in writing and travel which was
similar to Ruth Wilcox leaving Margaret Howard’s End. Ruth Wilcox in her act of leaving the land to
someone she was not related to must have been similar to Forster’s experience. It shows the relation
between him and his aunt which were that they have similarities which make it seem easier to feel like
they were actually bonded not by affiliation but by blood. Normally, like the way the Wilcoxes expect,
inheritance of great value like lands and houses are left only to those important to us and family members
by blood are expected to be the ones on top of the list. Relating to Forster’s inheritance, it can be easily
understood why he was left with such. His aunt raised him like he was her own. Such relationship is
further emphasized when Forster wrote a bibliography about her which depicts just how much he admires
and respects her. In the novel, Forster depicted the ever graceful Ruth Wilcox as his aunt Marianne
Thornton. How she walks as if she belonged to the earth and the garden in Howard’s End was a part of
who she was.

All throughout the novel, Forster focused on how the two Mrs. Wilcoxs are similar. It is as if the
character of Mr. Wilcox chose Margaret Schlegel to wed in order that the first Mrs. Wilcox would still
live somehow but naturally, no matter how similar they are, they are still two different characters. Miss
Avery even mistaken Margaret as the late Ruth Wilcox with just the way she stood and walk into the
room. This may give us a clue that when Forster’s aunt Marianne Thornton died, he tried to look for
someone with as much similarities as her. No one knows for sure who it may be but of course he did not
wed her. He was left with money to pursue his passion for writing and travel the world. He would
certainly meet a lot of people and hear about their stories and one way or another he would have met
someone that greatly reminds him of his aunt. Another possibility is that he didn’t meet someone but
made someone—a character. Marriane died in 1887 and the Domestic Biography was published in 1956.
Memories could have flooded Forster in replicating his aunt’s life and immortalizing it. But even when he
finished it, still, it was not the same. A book, no matter how great, will never replace nor bring back the
old Marriane Thornton.

Forster believed that if men and women were to achieve a satisfactory life, they needed to keep
contact with the earth and to cultivate their imaginations. This was heavily applied in the novel where
Howard’s End represents the link between imagination and the earth. The Schlegel sisters are the perfect
embodiment of the liberal imagination while Mrs. Wilcox, the owner of Howard’s End embodies the
closeness to the earth for several generations. The characters maintain kinship against the values of Henry
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 13

Wilcox and his children who were more often than not, focused on matters of commerce. When Margaret
Schlegel becomes the second Mrs. Wilcox, she brings Henry Wilcox, a broken man, back to Howard’s
End and re-establishes the link between such imagination and the earth despite the threat of the changes
that surround them.

One would wonder what the title is supposed to be about. Well, Howards End is the image of
Forster’s country house just north of London called Rooksnest. It is said that he loved the place so much
that when he moved in with his mother at the young age of four, he wished to live and die there. It was
more than just a house for him. It was a place that represented English country values—a connection to
the place, respect to the people, and commitment to the contemplative life which were increasingly
deteriorating due to the modernization and industrialization that was taking over the Edwardian England
that time. At the age of fourteen, he moved with his mother to a fashionable suburb in Tonbridge Wells
where commerce was quickly flourishing. Tonbridge Wells represent life of the Wilcoxes.

In Tonbridge Wells, it was said that Forster met men like the Wilcoxes who were energetic
capitalists engaged in trades, motorcars and moneymaking, filled the area. Forster didn’t enjoy his
adolescent life there as a student at Tonbridge School so when he enrolled at Cambridge University, it
was there that he flourished. Cambridge was the likely birthplace of the other central family of Howards
End, the Schlegels. At Cambridge, the emphasis was on liberal arts and individual expression; Forster
found freedom to pursue both intellectual development and personal relationships. It was here that he
began developing many of the humanistic ideas and values that would come to dominate his literary
works. He became a member of the Cambridge Apostles, an intellectual discussion group. Forster was
first inspired by the liberal humanism of philosopher George Moore, who advocated the contemplation of
beauty and the cultivation of personal relations as a spiritual antidote to the rootless, mechanistic ethos of
his age. Forster, together with the young men who would later form the Bloomsbury group of, embraced
this challenge to traditional religious morality and to the growing commercial spirit of the time. Forster
spent some of his happiest days in this company, a lifestyle mirrored in the Schlegels’ passion for art,
friendship, and the life of the mind.

And like the Schlegels, Forster was not so satisfied with the way things are going with his life. He
started to understand the practicality of conformist values of social conventions, economic trends, and
efficiency which were the limitations of the liberal ideals. Forster found that the Bloomsbury group’s
sitting-room debates and fashionable walking-parties were too disdainful of the economic and material
conditions that made their way of life possible. And just like the character of Margaret, her curious
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 14

attraction to Henry, her appreciation of money, her pragmatism, like the man who created her, envisions a
marriage of soul and body, country and city, passion and prose, culture and commerce.

To Forster, who believed that “the character of the English is essentially middle-class,” it was
people like Leonard Basts and the Wilcoxes—aspiring to wealth, political power, and culture—who
would eventually “inherit” England, not the dying aristocratic class of the Schlegels nor the working
classes. Forster used Leonard’s connection with the Schlegels as the social conscience of the book.

Because Forster did not keep comprehensive journals while he was just a young writer and some
of his diaries were destroyed, it is not possible to trace the entire composition of the novel. It is known
that the novel was being written around 1908, about two years after Forster made a trip to the countryside
to spend time with the Postens, an oddly matched stockbroker and his clever, cultured second wife who
provided the immediate model for the relationship between Henry and Margaret. In a journal entry of
February 1910, Forster wrote, “Am grinding out my novel into a contrast between money and death—the
latter is truly an ally of the personal against the mechanical.” Clearly the advancing machine age was at
the forefront of Forster’s consciousness at the time. With the social issues of man versus machine, country
versus city, and culture versus money weighing on his mind, Forster completed his fourth novel.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 15

B. Marxist Approach of the Novel by Paul John Barrosa

In applying the Marxist approach to the novel, it is critical to be aware of the economic conditions
and historical context surrounding Howard’s End. Written at a time when England is at its height of its
power, with massive economic and military power, the novel is a depiction of how the people of England
perceives wealth and the authority attached to it. It even illustrates how the individuals in that era see the
rich and educated individuals as bringers of fortune to other families and, as a whole, to other nations.

It is also not hard to note that the three families portrayed in the novel represent the different
classes existing in the society. The Wilcoxes are the bourgeoisie – those who are at the upper class of the
social stratum. The Basts are the proletariat – the working class who are at the bottom of the hierarchy
and are projected to be at a constant struggle to have ends meet. The Schlegels, on the other hand, are
depicted as middle class men who migrated from other country into England and flourished therein.

Interactions among the aforesaid families and their respective lifestyles are portrayal of the gaps
existing between social classes and the unending oppression of those in the lowest echelon. The Basts’
narrated their constant effort to uplift their quality of life, but to no avail. Their story, nevertheless,
showed their relentless and untiring pursuit to prosperity to the point of attempting to capture the attention
of those in the superior socioeconomic stature just to have a chance of being part thereof.

On the other hand, the lives of the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes are in comfort. The Schlegels have
the capability to travel with leisure, while the Wilcoxes have the monetary capacity to buy lands.
Nonetheless, among the two, there are still striking differences.

The Schlegels are driven by consumerism and the feeling of security. On the other hand, the
Wilcoxes are shown to have the unquestionable ability to control inputs of production and to command
men in the lower classes.

Access to education, which is depicted as fundamental in increasing one’s economic

opportunities, is also seen to be varying among classes. Education is always available to those with riches.
But, for the working class, they have to choose between survival and learning. According to Marxist
approach, this situation further maintains the status of the bourgeoisie as the powerful and wealthy class.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 16

More on to the desire of the ruling class to preserve their stature, the main dispute of the story –
the act of Ruth Wilcox in leaving the land and house to a person outside their family – emphasizes such
premise. The bourgeoisie, in general, is depicted to be protective of their properties and privileges. They
will employ means to prevent a stranger to be part of their circle and share with their entitlements.

This centrepiece of the story also shows the core point of Marxism – in order to acquire what
rightfully belongs to the lower classes of society, they must fight back and counter the oppressive moves
of those in the upper echelon. In fact, in Marxism, a mass revolution of the proletariat against the
bourgeoisie is encouraged. Albeit in the novel, there is no mass revolution seen, the protagonist’s
unbending insistence on her right to inherit the land and house given to her is a micro depiction of this
dogma.

Abuses of the ruling class against the labouring men are also seen in Henry Wilcox’s tendencies
and behaviours. Henry seduced a lady, impregnated her and then abandoned her in Cyprus with no money
and no way to return home. He brushed these oppressive acts aside as the way things are – the survival of
the fittest. The strong preys on the weak.

In addition, Henry Wilcox’s focus on commerce is also an illustration of the bourgeoisie’s greed.
His coldness and apathy to the feeling of others, particularly the less privileged, demonstrates the
Marxist’s view of capitalists as oppressors, who see others as mere machines for revenue generation and
business expansion.

Over all, per the Marxist Approach, Howard’s End can be said to be a work that reflects on and
then challenges the existing order where the rich are at the top of the social structure. It appeals to the
reader’s mind that wealth must not only be confined to a few privileged individuals, but, if possible, be
shared to those outside their sphere in order to attain peace, harmony and justice.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 17

C. Psychoanalysis Approach: The Author by Rene Gomez

Psychoanalytic literary criticism can focus and analyze the novel through one or more of the
following, to wit: The author, the characters, the audience and the text itself. For this work in particular I
would be focusing more on the characters and have some preliminaries on the author himself.

When we speak about the E.M. Forster and looking on his background it was at Cambridge where
he put prime on the liberal arts and individual expression; Forster found freedom to pursue both
intellectual development and personal relationships. It was here that he began developing many of the
humanistic ideas and values that would later on be translated and expressed in his literary works.

For this particular novel, E.M. Forster found him nearly two years to complete Howards end
concurrentlyhe dealtthe social changes unfolding in his country with his very own eyes prior to World
War I. The novel deals primarily with the issue of the societal caste or simply put the imaginary division
or delineation between the rich, the middle-class and the poor, evidently portrayed through the lives of
three sets of different people.

Initially there is nothing in this novel to show or at least give a hint on issues that seemed to have
dimmed the author’s earlier. Applying the mind of a Freudian reader it reveal correlations of those
unconscious feelings that Forster had tried so hard to repress.

Taking the cue from how he portrays the mothers, dead or alive, and even the substitute mother in
the novel. Mrs Schlegel was never spoken of badly, Mrs. Munt (Aunt Juley) was at times tiresome and
interfering, but not a bad person, and Mrs Wilcox was a gentle and loving mother, who dies early on in
the novel. In this case, Mrs Wilcox writing the note in hospital leads to the eventual destruction of her
family. In Freudian terms, this can be seen as a rejection of her family, by giving their home; the symbolic
womb, to an outsider. For Forster, this was a symbolic representation of his own feelings of rejection by
Lily. His mother’s (perceived) concern with the outside world made him repress his sexuality and his
inability to tell her, and her inability (or unwillingness) to see, denied him a true existence. Forster has
made her just as responsible for Charles’ imprisonment and Henry’s breakdown. By leaving the house to
Margaret, Mrs Wilcox had made Charles both angry and suspicious. He felt ‘that it [was] a case of undue
influence and that his mother was not in her right mind when she wrote the note. He was always sure that
Margaret wanted the house, and was determined to protect his inheritance ‘even though he disliked the
house. When he found out that Margaret and Helen were sleeping at the house, he went there to force
them to leave, and that is when he came across Leonard Bast. If Mrs Wilcox had not written the note, then
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 18

Charles would not have been so anxious to keep Margaret away from Howard’s End and he would not
have gone there so angry and so early in the morning. If he had not gone there so early, he would not have
met Leonard leaving and would not have killed him. Obviously, if he had not killed Leonard, he would
not have been sentenced to three years in prison, and if Charles had not been sent to prison, then Henry
would not have had a breakdown. Although, in reality, each person acted according to his or her own free
will, and therefore Mrs Wilcox cannot be held responsible for their actions; these people were characters,
created by Forster, and as such, were only able to do what he made them do.

Psychoanalysis Approach: The Characters

Now I have listed below the characters from the protagonist, antagonist, the flat or static
character/s, round, and dynamic character/s. This would be in no particular order and will try to give
emphasis on the psychoanalytic concept that has been manifested by each of the characters.

1. Margaret Schlegel - The chief protagonist of the novel, a 29- year-old woman of mixed English
and German heritage living in London in the early years of the twentieth century. Sister to Helen
and Tibby; later Henry Wilcox's wife. Imaginative and committed to "personal relations,"
Margaret is the chief representative of the Schlegel family, which represents the idealistic,
intellectual aspect of the English upper classes.

Psychoanalytic Concept Manifested in Margaret’s character:

A. Libido/Id/Unconscious

Margaret was drawn to Mr. Wilcox because of his wealth, power and because of the thought that
she would be able to realize the unrealized plan to visit Howard’s end when her friend Mrs. Wilcox had
invited her. She also possessed the insatiable appetite for a thorough deep discussion with intellectuals
especially men who poses mind tingling ideas, she loves discourse which she found in the person of Mr.
Wilcox, no wonder when Mr. Wilcox proposed to her she didn’t budge and showed her interest with the
said proposal. Absence of a father figure in her life she also found it to be satisfying to note that Mr.
Wilcox has filled that void in her life amidst the presence of her aunt it is exemplified in the course of the
story as it unraveled, she stood in as the matriarch of their household being the eldest among the siblings.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 19

When she was able to visit Howard’s end it would be noted that even before she arrived or even before
the said visit it was already drawn in the stars that she would be eventually be staying in the said estate as
manifested by the resolute belief by Miss Avery who even uttered that Margaret has her (the late Ruth
Wilcox) way of walking and said that she even took Margaret as Ruth Wilcox.

B. Transference

Margaret Schlegel - Wilcox has shown fondness of the things that the late Mrs. Wilcox (Ruth)
liked and even got to marry the husband of the latter. In just a short span of time it as if the fate of
the two characters are forever intertwined and as I have mentioned in the aforementioned
paragraph Margaret even had the ways of the late Ruth. She has shown that she has embraced
virtually every facet of the life that Ruth has adored. Her attachment to Ruth was shifted to
Howards end which symbolizes her aspiration to become the matriarch of the Wilcox family. We
could have an inference that Margaret has longed for a home all her life because although she is a
de facto matriarch in their house she felt that it was still incomplete hence, she yearns for a home
– Howards end that is.

2. Henry Wilcox - The patriarch of the Wilcox family, a prominent businessman in London.
Married to Ruth Wilcox and later to Margaret. Stuffy, conventional, and chauvinistic, Henry is
the chief representative of the Wilcox family, which represents the pragmatic, materialistic aspect
of the English upper classes.

Psychoanalytic Concept Manifested in Henry’s character:

A. Superego

Henry simply has personified the typical Englishman in this bygone era where wealth is the
barometer of success. Refined, cultured and learnt are the characteristics that his character exudes yet it’s
also revealed in the course of the novel that he was also patently arrogant which speaks of how men are
perceived during that time. After the death of his wife Ruth, Henry has devoted oneself in his business in
a way it might have helped him to be able to forget about the loss of his partner and take his mind off the
reality that he is now left alone in his room when all the lights are down. Until that one fateful day when
he had the chance to meet Margaret during a luncheon organized by his daughter, Margaret and Henry
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 20

easily got each other’s interest shortly the courtship ensued. Soon enough, Henry proposed a marriage to
Margaret which the latter happily accepted.

B. Repression

Henry’s engagement with Margaret just like any other is not always like a bed of roses. In the
latter part of their engagement the scene where Jacky Bast(wife of Leonard Bast) recognized Henryas her
former lover when she was in Cyprus a decade ago. Henry appearing to be embarrassed categorically
discarded this and hurriedly run off. Knowing the repercussion of the said incident Henry angrily tells
Margaret that she is now released from their engagement. Clearly, it is shown that Henry has exhibited
repression where he unconsciously censoredthis dark secret or memory from his past that he considers
that may be deemed unacceptable given the fact that Margaret has asked for him to consider employing
Leonard Bast (husband of Jacky Bast) there exists a conflict of interest. By shutting himself from the said
encounter he strikingly appeared to be adversely affected and he took refuge in running away from it.

3. Helen Schlegel - Margaret's sister, a passionate, flighty girl of 21 who lives for art, literature,
and "human relations." Like Margaret, Helen is a representative of the idealistic, cultured
Schlegel family, which represents the intellectual aspect of the upper classes. But Helen, who is
prettier than Margaret, is also much less grounded and far more prone to excessive and dramatic
behavior.

Psychoanalytic Concept Manifested in Helen’s character:

A. Fixation

At the Oniton Manor, Helen and the Basts have found themselves as the wedding crashers at
Evie’s wedding, here Helen has confronted Margaret about what had happened to Leonard Bast claiming
that it was their fault of what has become of him losing the job at the bank and him being in a state of
destitution because of he was ill-advised by them to leave his job at the Porphyrion. This was just one of
the string of incidents that showed Helen’s affection towards Leonard where she acts like she was so
overly invested in him despite the fact that Leonard is a married man.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 21

B. Id/Pleasure Principle

Towards the end of the novel her Id has taken over her logic because of the sexual tension that
has been growing between her and Leonard having the same interests and wavelengths culminating in
Helen’s bearing the child of Leonard.

Pleasure principle being the driving force of the id had been manifested by Helen’s desire to
obtain immediate gratification of needs by obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. She has fancied that she
will be able to make an amendment on the status quo of Leonard who is in a “sink hole” and alleviate him
from his misery (minus the wife of course).

4. Leonard Bast - A poor insurance clerk on the very bottom rung of the middle class--he has
money for food, clothing, and a place to live, but not much else, and is constantly beset with
financial worries. Married to Jacky. Leonard represents the aspirations of the lower classes; he is
obsessed with self-improvement and reads constantly, hoping to lift himself up. But he is never
able to transform his meager education into an improved standard of living. Late in the novel,
Leonard has a sexual encounter with Helen Schlegel, which results in his becoming the father of
Helen's child. Leonard is killed by Charles Wilcox near the end of the novel.

Psychoanalytic Concept Manifested in Leonard’s character:

Fantasy

Leonard is the personification of the tragedy of the society and although the novel was written a
long time ago it’s still evident up to this day. Conventional competencies such as being intelligent and
having a young robust physique are supposed to be one of the makings of a great career and a life worth
envying but instead, he’s been ensnared in a dead-end job, making ends meet and owing to pure necessity
of his job no matter how ridiculous it might be, he sticks to it. His only escape from this reality is his
appetite for the arts and constantly cultures himself through reading and music.

At one point in the story he revealed an episode of his night of walking through the woods. This
exemplified his exasperation about his current state and finds console in his dreams and fantasies. The
woods here represent his hunger for a better state of life where he could aim for more and ultimately to
reach for the stars because he knows that there are things that lie ahead far from what he has today.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 22

D. Feminism Approach of the Novel by Edizza Lynn Quides

The novel entitled Howard’s End by E.M. Forster revolved around the relationships among its
various characters. The main female characters in the novel, such as Ruth Wilcox, Jacky Bast and
Margaret Schlegel, portray the contemporary gender roles of women in our society.

Ruth Wilcox, being the first wife of Henry Wilcox, is a picture of a woman who is rather
dependent on her husband as she believes that her husband’s mental faculties are far superior to her own.
She was raised to become someone whose fate is merely to wed and become a loving wife to her husband
and a caring mother to her children. Although she is not very eloquent and handsomely educated, unlike
the Schlegels, she is very much contented with her life. For that reason, she would earn the approval of
Mr. Wilcox at most times. She is a perfect representation of someone from the upper-middle class whose
only concern was to manage her home like a typical housewife.

Henry Wilcox, just like every other man during his time, is an antifeminist who considers women
as an object to satisfy his lust, to give him pleasure and to bear his children. He had this common
stereotype about women being weak, thus could never be sent for battles. Further, the way he treated the
three main female characters in this novel somehow proves that one man cannot treat women alike.

Jacky Bast was severely oppressed on account of class and sex, due to rampant gender inequality
during her time. She is someone who could be considered as very naïve as she was uneducated, owing to
the fact that the universities in England then never afforded women the opportunity to earn their degrees.
Jacky unfortunately both has no talent and luck and she was described to be “shy” and “bestially stupid”
in the novel. To save herself, she was left with just two choices: to get married or to work at factories. Just
like what other women during her time would, Jacky picked the first choice. Apparently, she made a
wrong choice.

Just like in the present times, there are still women out there who think that a “knight in shining
armor” would come and save them from their predicaments. Moreover, committing to a relationship with
Henry was clearly frowned upon during her time since women then are n almost prohibited to engage in
promiscuous acts, unlike men who were very much tolerated to do so.

Margarey Schlegel is someone whom we can consider as the independent and confidently
beautiful woman in our contemporary society today. Due to the fact that her parents died much earlier,
she was forced to take the role of being a parent to her younger siblings. In accepting Henry’s marriage
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 23

proposal after the death of Ruth, Margaret sees this as the most viable solution to her almost hopeless
house-hunting, not only for her benefit, but necessarily for her family. Soon enough, Margaret started to
behave as a submissive housewife, just like the former Mrs. Wilcox.

When her most cherished sister Helen got untimely pregnant, that was the time when Margaret
started to see the other side of Henry, selfish and arrogant. This drove Margaret to finally break out of the
role of being a typical submissive housewife in order to protect her sister against her husband Henry.

The characters of Forster deeply show us how women are capable to break time-honored
principles of gender roles. While some may fail, more and more women each day succeed in disproving
the stereotypes about them. Luckily today, more influential people like Hollywood celebrities are
advocating for gender equality, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. From earning the right to vote to
earning a seat in the senate, the rights of women have thoroughly developed throughout the years. To the
day we realized that men and women were created equal, we just have to continue breaking the barriers of
fear and prejudice.
Critical Analysis of Howard’s End by E.M. Forster 24

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