“Education in its most genuine form must be reduced to one’s relation to it.”
Although very much related to the fields of sociology, the paper can nevertheless be considered as a literary interpretation.
It is primarily targeted on examining the different aspects of class occurring in Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia and E.M. Forster’s Howards End, and will attempt to put them into relation to each other. Furthermore, the classes occurring in the two novels shall be analysed in respect of their relation to education and culture.
Especially in the course of recent discussions on poverty and the lower classes in Germany, the subject – which is significantly “harder to talk about […] than other axes of oppression” – surely does not lack a certain relevance.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Analogies
3 Karim and Leonard Bast - autodidacts with inferiority complexes
3.1 Karim vs. Eleanor
3.2 Leonard vs. the Schlegel sisters
4 .. Industrial class vs. Intelligentsia: Howards End’s Wilcoxes and Schlegels by analogy with The Buddha of Suburbia’s Ted and Jean and Eleanor
4.1 . Ted and Jean’s materialism vs. Eleanor’s “indifference to class, culture and money”
4.2 Wilcoxes and Schlegels - “Islands of money” vs. the “proponents of friendship”
5 The Attractivity of the Lower Classes
5.1 The working class myth in the Buddha of Suburbia in contrast to the reputation of the lower-middle class
5.2 The Schlegels and Leonard Bast – The Charm of the Common Man
6 Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper provides a comparative literary analysis of class structures, education, and cultural capital in E.M. Forster’s "Howards End" and Hanif Kureishi’s "The Buddha of Suburbia." It examines how characters from lower-middle-class backgrounds navigate the invisible barriers of social mobility and assesses the role of education as a form of cultural capital, utilizing sociological frameworks such as those developed by Pierre Bourdieu.
- The role of cultural capital and education in defining social class hierarchies.
- Comparative analysis of social mobility for lower-middle-class protagonists in different eras.
- The industrial class versus the intelligentsia: materialism against cultural idealism.
- The commodification and "mythologizing" of the working class by intellectual elites.
- Structural and symbolic analogies between the selected novels.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Karim vs. Eleanor
According to Rita Felski, Karim, the protagonist of the Buddha of Suburbia can be considered as “a kind of class detective, hypersensitive to the complex and often confusing codes of class distinction”. This hypersensivity regarding social affiliation is in the case of Karim directed towards different aspects, including wealth and status symbols on the one hand, and intellectuality and education on the other. Karim grows up in a lower-middle class family in the suburbs of London where “suburban obsession with houses and displays of wealth” are predominant.
Being confronted with several residences of friends and acquaintances, he complains „everyone I knew [...] seemed to live in big places, except for us. No wonder I had an inferiority complex.“ This complex also manifests itself in respect of his parent’s appearance at upper-middle class parties: „Mom and Dad always felt out of place and patronized on these grand occasions, where lives were measured by money. They were to no use to anyone [and] somehow they always seemed to wear the wrong clothes and look slightly shabby.“ But except for this slight dissatisfaction concerning the material conditions, he does not seem to be overly affected by his social background. This changes later on in the novel, when he has contact to hitherto unknown circles, which make him estimate – unfortunately a little too late – the unpayable value of genuine education.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the research focus on class distinctions in Forster's and Kureishi's novels, utilizing Bourdieu’s sociological theories to frame the literary analysis.
2 Analogies: This section identifies structural and symbolic parallels between the two novels, specifically regarding character naming, motifs of death, and the recurring symbol of the umbrella.
3 Karim and Leonard Bast - autodidacts with inferiority complexes: This chapter compares the protagonists of both works, analyzing their struggle with social inferiority and their desire to acquire genuine education.
4 Industrial class vs. Intelligentsia: Howards End’s Wilcoxes and Schlegels by analogy with The Buddha of Suburbia’s Ted and Jean and Eleanor: The chapter analyzes the clash between materialist industrial classes and the idealistic intellectual classes in both texts.
5 The Attractivity of the Lower Classes: This section investigates how intellectual elites romanticize and exoticize the working class, while simultaneously distancing themselves from them.
6 Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the enduring nature of class barriers and cultural gaps, noting that despite different time periods, the underlying social dynamics remain strikingly similar.
Keywords
Class distinction, Cultural capital, Education, Social mobility, Industrial class, Intelligentsia, Lower-middle class, Materialism, Pierre Bourdieu, Literary analysis, Social stratification, Working class, Identity, E.M. Forster, Hanif Kureishi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the intersections of class, culture, and education in the novels "Howards End" and "The Buddha of Suburbia," highlighting how characters navigate social divides.
What primary thematic fields are examined?
The analysis covers social mobility, the distinction between materialist and intellectual classes, and the tendency of elite groups to romanticize the working class.
What is the main objective of the research?
The goal is to determine how class differences have persisted over the century between the two works and to define the role of cultural and educational capital in these distinctions.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses a comparative literary interpretation, primarily informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological concept of "Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste."
What does the main body cover?
The main chapters analyze character parallels, the opposition between industrial and intellectual classes, and the symbolic "attractivity" of the lower classes to upper-class individuals.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include social mobility, cultural capital, class distinction, literary analysis, and the sociological framework of Pierre Bourdieu.
How is the "umbrella" used as a symbol in both novels?
The umbrella serves as a recurring symbol of lower-middle-class existence, representing the trivial, existential worries that distract individuals from the "greater" cultural and intellectual pursuits of the elite.
What does the author conclude about the "attractivity" of the lower class?
The author argues that intellectuals view members of the working class as objects of interest or "authentic" curiosities, rather than treating them as individuals with genuine interests, effectively maintaining a superficial engagement.
- Quote paper
- Stephanie Geissler (Author), 2007, Aspects of class and culture in E.M. Forsters "Howards End" and Hanif Kureishis "The Buddha of Suburbia", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/76845
