A review by celestesbookshelf
Howards End by E.M. Forster

emotional

Published in 1910, Forster had no idea the looming World War that would change the England, making his foresight into the changes that social hierarchies and economical conditions were undergoing impres 

Forster scales down the social classes of England to thrgroups in the novel: 

1.  Idealistic upper class - Schlegel's
2.  Wealthy upper class that represent the traditional
3. English work - Wilcox's
4.  Impoverished lower class - Bast's

He intertwines their stories, in the process revealing each social class' hypocrisy, prejudices, ideals and preconceived notions of how the "other" class should be.
 
The novel is meant to be a metaphor for which social class will come to define England, by bringing the three classes together we see the classes mingling and learning to share their status in life. Fast forward post-WWI, this is what ended up happening.
 
Human nature is another significant theme in the novel.
 
Forster outlines the Wilcox patriarch as a "traditional" man, one whom does not make allowances for others mistakes as he does for his own.
 
We have his foil, Margaret Schlegel. She allows Wilcox to go on about his prejudices up until he attempts to have his judgmental attitude keep Margaret away from her sister, Helen. Here we see a beautiful display of Margaret's unbending loyalty to her family and is quick to let Wilcox see his double standards.
 
95 years later, Zadie Smith published "On Beauty", loosely based on Howards End so the buddy read group is reading it currently.
 
Only a few chapters in but excited to notice the inspiration.

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