The novel A Room with a View by Edward Morgan Forster was published in 1908. It is considered as one of Forster’s major novels, and “[i]t is probably his most well-liked novel, perhaps because (with the dubious exception ofMaurice)it is the only one to have a happy ending” (Cavaliero 93). His novelsWhere Angels Fear to TreadandA Room with a Vieware often referred to as Forster’s ‘Italian novels’. Immediately after his return from Italy and Greece Edward Morgan Forster took up the work with a novel that can be considered as the prototype ofA Room with a View.This work is known as the ‘Lucy novel’ or the ‘Lucy fragments’. But he stopped working on it for some time, and a few years passed before he dealt again with it. Only “[i]nA Room with a ViewForster takes up the fragments contrasting Italy and England which are found in the early ‘Lucy novels’ and brings them to a successful conclusion” (Cavaliero 93).
The critic on the constrictive and rigid rules of social life in English society has often been an issue discussed by Edward Morgan Forster, and it is a central issue inA Room with a View.Furthermore Forster calls attention to the behaviour of the English people abroad. He introduces very different characters in order to show different points of view and behaviours. It is interesting that most of the English tourists described inA Room with a Vieware more or less presented as unpleasant people. This is due to the fact that they do not fit into the Italian environment because of their affected behaviour. By describing the behaviour of the English tourists and residents at Florence Edward Morgan Forster reveals a lot about English mentality, and he sometimes overtly criticizes it. As Forster himself travelled Italy and Greece, it can be assumed that he made experiences and acquaintances that served as a model for some of the situations and characters described inA Room with a View.Forster clearly distanced himself from this kind of people, or more precisely, tourists. Edward Morgan Forster offers an interesting point of view to the reader, because he was English himself, but nevertheless critically observed the attitude of his fellow countrymen. Furthermore, the behaviour of the English tourists in Italy might be considered as representative for the attitude of the English people towards the Continent, and therefore the topic of this research paper fits into the context of “The British and the Continent”.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Attitude of English Tourists Abroad
3. The Attitude of English Residents in Italy
4. The Impact of Italy on the Development of Lucy Honeychurch
4.1. Lucy’s First Impression of Italy
4.2. Lucy’s Visit to Santa Croce
4.3. The Murder
4.4. The Drive to the Countryside
5. Conclusion
Objectives & Topics
This paper examines how E. M. Forster uses the setting of Italy in his novel "A Room with a View" to critique the rigid social conventions and emotional detachment of the English middle class. The central research focus is to analyze the behavioral patterns of English tourists and residents abroad and to investigate how the liberating Italian environment initiates the personal development of the protagonist, Lucy Honeychurch.
- The clash between rigid English social norms and Mediterranean spontaneity.
- The role of the Baedeker guidebook in limiting authentic cultural experiences.
- The contrast between English tourists and long-term English residents in Italy.
- The transformative influence of Italian experiences on Lucy Honeychurch's character.
- Symbolism and mythology as devices to portray the "magic" of Italy.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2. Lucy’s Visit to Santa Croce
On her first morning at Florence, Lucy “was reduced to literature. Taking up Baedeker’s Handbook to Northern Italy, she committed to memory the most important dates of Florentine History. For she was determined to enjoy herself on the morrow” (Forster 12). Fortunately, she gets the possibility to enjoy her stay in another way. Forster introduces the character of Miss Lavish, who with her sometimes shrill and ‘know-it-all’ manner is not really a sympathetic character. Nevertheless, her pronounced unconventional manner is helpful for Lucy. Miss Lavish makes the proposal to visit Santa Croce with Lucy, not knowing that this will lead to a sequence of events that will turn out the day to become extremely important for Lucy’s further development. Lucy responds to the invitation and ”said that this was most kind, and at once opened the Baedeker, to see where Santa Croce was” (Forster 15). Miss Lavish immediately prevents her from doing so: “‘Tut, tut! Miss Lucy! I hope we shall soon emancipate you from Baedeker. He does but touch the surface of things. As to the true Italy – he does not even dream of it. The true Italy is only to be found by patient observation’” (Forster 15-16). With this quite true remark Miss Lavish pushes Lucy into a new direction of experience.
When the two women get lost in the streets of Florence, Miss Lavish resists asking for the right way. This comparably little difficulty seems to be nearly an adventure. And when they pass the side-streets where tourists normally would never go she draws Lucy’s attention to an aspect of a city and thereby to a more sensuous way to get to know a city, for she exclaims: “A smell! a true Florentine smell! Every city, let me teach you, has its own smell.” – “Is it a very nice smell?” said Lucy, who had inherited from her mother a distaste to dirt. – “One doesn’t come to Italy for niceness,” was the retort; “one comes for life.” (Forster 16).
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the thematic relevance of E. M. Forster's work, focusing on his critique of English social rigidity and his use of Italy as a backdrop to challenge his characters.
2. The Attitude of English Tourists Abroad: This chapter analyzes the inflexible nature of English tourists, who attempt to recreate English social structures and comforts abroad, thereby failing to engage meaningfully with foreign cultures.
3. The Attitude of English Residents in Italy: The author examines the specific behavior of English residents in Florence, highlighting their arrogance and their inability to adapt, despite their claims of deeper cultural knowledge.
4. The Impact of Italy on the Development of Lucy Honeychurch: This section investigates the protagonist's personal evolution, showing how specific experiences in Italy allow her to transcend her restrictive background and move toward self-determination.
4.1. Lucy’s First Impression of Italy: This sub-chapter explores Lucy's initial disappointment and her struggle with the class perceptions that define her English worldview.
4.2. Lucy’s Visit to Santa Croce: The analysis focuses on how Lucy begins to break free from the reliance on guidebooks, moving from a superficial view of culture to a more sensory engagement with her surroundings.
4.3. The Murder: The chapter interprets the incident of the murder as a catalyst for Lucy’s emotional awakening and her first significant interaction with George Emerson.
4.4. The Drive into the Countryside: This section uses the excursion to Fiesole to illustrate the ongoing tension between English social hypocrisy and the natural, passionate reality of Italian life.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the main arguments, affirming that the novel serves as a powerful testament to the conflict between social duty and the quest for authentic personal happiness.
Keywords
A Room with a View, E. M. Forster, English mentality, Italy, Florence, Lucy Honeychurch, social conventions, middle class, tourism, cultural adaptability, personal development, rigid rules, emotional restraint, passion, identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how E. M. Forster uses his novel to criticize the stiff, restrictive behavior of English people when they travel to or reside in Italy.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in the study?
The main themes include the conflict between English social conventions and Italian spontaneity, the limitations of the upper-class mindset, and the psychological growth of the protagonist, Lucy Honeychurch.
What is the primary research goal of the work?
The goal is to analyze how Italy acts as a liberating agent that forces the English characters to face their own prejudices and social inhibitions.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon primary text excerpts and secondary literary criticism to interpret the characters and symbolic settings within the novel.
What topics are addressed in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the behavior of English tourists and residents, the significance of Lucy’s experiences in Florence (such as the visit to Santa Croce and the murder incident), and the role of Italy in her character arc.
Which keywords best characterize the paper?
Key terms include "A Room with a View," "English mentality," "social conventions," "cultural adaptability," and "personal development."
How does the author interpret the role of the "Baedeker" guidebook in the novel?
The author argues that the guidebook serves as a symbol of the English refusal to engage with foreign culture, favoring structured, superficial information over genuine, sensory experience.
What does the "murder" incident reveal about Lucy's transition?
The murder serves as an encounter with raw, violent reality, which shocks the previously sheltered Lucy and marks the beginning of her emotional independence from rigid social rules.
- Quote paper
- Mieke Schüller (Author), 2001, E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View": The Attitude of English People Abroad, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/44789
