Howards End as a symbol
What are your views on Howard's End as a symbol in the film?
shareHowards End represents the future of England. At the conclusion of the novel/movie, the three families are connected and living under the same roof. Maragaret and Henry Wilcox's marriage connects the intellectual, idealistic upperclass, with the more economically concerned, pragmatic upperclass. Helen's affair with Leonard Bast (and the resulting child) connects the upperclass with the lowerclass. Forster asserts that the future of England will depend on the coexistence and mutual reliance of the classes in a capitalist society.
shareBrilliant! Of course, this is so apparent now. Excellent analysis Janes.
Yes, the house was built by the landed gentry I believe. They were clearly in decline by this time period with the rise of Empire and nouveau riche capitlist. Of course the bourgeois middle class was also something new as well. THey talk about how London is being torn down and replaced with rather impersonal looking apartment monolithic builings.
sharePerfect analysis of Howards End. I think that's why I love this movie. You need to watch it several times to get all the symbolism. I'm shocked that it's overall imdb rating is 7.8 or something. Also, the changes to London, etc. show the changes of society. Soon the lives of the Wilcoxes will be vastly different as the Empire will fall, etc.
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You know I'm curious as to what Mr. Forster's would have thought of his England, that "sceptered isle", if he was around today. Would he have seen a communion of the classes? How would he have looked at specifically English identity? The Edwardian era is gone but I'd think its thinking still makes itself felt in that remnant of Empire that England experiences today.
And oh I thought when Margaret was dumped out of the will that that was a bad instance of fair play going out the window. I thought those Mr.Wilcoxes were made of better stuff at the time...;-)...