Room with a view

Biographical Information about Author
E.M. Forster was born in Dorset Square, London on January 1, 1879 & lived until June 7, 1970. He was born to a middle class family and was their only child. His legal name was Henry Morgan Forster, but was incorrectly named Edward Morgan at his baptism. He was a closet homosexual who never married. He inherited enough money from his great aunt to live comfortable as a writer. His great aunt died in 1887 when he was 8 years old. After college graduation he traveled to Europe with his mother and also visited Egypt, Germany, and India where he wrote most of his novels. He was the president of Cambridge Humanists from 1959 until his death. He also wrote “Passage to India” and “The Longest Journey”. Forster also volunteered with the Red Cross during World War I.

Chase.ashby 12:02, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Characteristics of Genre
A fictional romance novel represents sexuality, freedom from institutional religion, growing up, and true love. It is also the girl meets boy. Her family, society, and her ex-boyfriend intervene in their relationship and break them up. All love is lost between the two. The couple is finally happily reunited.

Chase.ashby 12:02, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Historical Information about Setting
The first part of the novel was set in Florence, Italy, a place where anything is possible. It’s a much different setting than Lucy’s quiet hometown in America. The novel takes place during the Edwardian period from 1901 through 1910. Italy was very extremely different from America. Lucy witnessed murders on streets & got her first kiss. The setting moves to London, England later in the novel, a place much more calm and homey than Italy, but also less exciting. The novel was set during World War I.

Chase.ashby 12:02, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Plot Summary
The novel Room with a View shows Lucy’s struggles as she becomes a responsible, independent woman. She transforms from confusion about the future to contentment. She is in a constant struggle between the strict values she used to have before her journeys to Italy, and her new found loose and relaxed morals. Her idea of what is right changes and matures and after visiting Italy she opens her eyes to new lifestyles that she didn’t know about when she lived in the English countryside. She notices how well society and classes mix in Italy and she hopes to bring this unconditional acceptance back to her hometown. From her experiences she learns that there can be good lessons learned from difficult situations. She determines that life is a journey of learning and evolving. When Lucy returns home, she finds that the true challenge is changing her old ways and living by her new standards. She eventually returns to her old ways and gets engaged to the arrogant Cecil. The Emerson’s open her eyes and make Lucy realize that she needs to be with the lower class George. Once she has this revelation, she follows her heart and begins her relationship with George. In the end, Lucy and George find out that they are a great match and are happy together.

Chase.ashby 12:03, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Author’s Style
E.M. Forster had a humorous and occasionally emotional style, along with a clever social commentary. He writes as a conversation and utilizes comedy to work in social criticism. He also takes a sympathetic view of some of the characters. His style is very romantic. And an example of that style is the scene when George and Lucy kiss among the violets.

Chase.ashby 12:03, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Quotes
1. George had turned at the sound of her arrival. For a moment he contemplated her, as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face; he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. The bushes above them closed. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her.

2. She led the way up the garden, Cecil following her, George last. She thought a disaster was averted. But when they entered the shrubbery it came. The book, as if it had not worked mischief enough, had been forgotten, and Cecil must go back for it; and George, who loved passionately, must blunder against her in the narrow path. “No—” she gasped, and, for the second time, was kissed by him.

3. It was not exactly that a man had died; something had happened to the living: they had come to a situation where character tells, and where Childhood enters upon the branching paths of Youth.

4. It is so difficult—at least, I find it difficult—to understand people who speak the truth.

5. Of course, it must be a wonderful building. But how like a barn! And how very cold! Of course, it contained frescoes by Giotto, in the presence of whose tactile values she was capable of feeling what was proper. But who was to tell of uncertain her which they were? She walked about disdainfully, unwilling to be enthusiastic over monuments authorship or date. There was no one even to tell her which, of all the sepulchral slabs that paved the nave and transepts, was the one that was really beautiful, the one that had been most praised by Mr. Ruskin.

Chase.ashby 12:04, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Significance of Quotes
1. George is finally acting with his heart instead of using his head to make decisions which is uncharacteristic of him. He does not normally act spontaneously on his emotions.

2. Despite Lucy being engaged to Cecil, George cannot control himself around her. He is honest with Lucy & tells her how he feels about her & kisses her right after her boyfriend walks away.

3. When Lucy viewed the murder, it took away some of her innocence, and forced her abruptly from childhood into youth. It also forces her to evaluate herself and her position in life.

4. He has a hard time believing anyone because he feels most people do not tell the truth. Everyone usually does what is politically correct regardless of the truth so it is difficult to relate to someone who is genuine and honest.

5. Since Santa Croce is supposedly a beautiful place, Lucy feels she should see the beauty in it, but if she is honest, she does not see the beauty. She is afraid to voice an opinion about what she thinks is beautiful because she fears it will not be politically/socially acceptable.

Chase.ashby 12:04, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Characters
Lucy Honeychurch- A young woman from Surrey who had the potential of being a great pianist. She wanted this so badly even if it meant she had to let go of her social status. She chose what she loved.

Charlotte Bartlett- Lucy's cousin and an old maid. She chaperoned Lucy to Italy where she showed her true side of being proper. She's against happiness when everyone else is happy and she isn't. In the end she praises Lucy for being happy and helps her gain the happiness.

George Emerson- Begins to think life isn't worth living for. He fell in love with Lucy who brought him happiness and a meaning to live.

Mr. Emerson- Can be an ambiguous person to lots of people. He seemed to be a man with good intentions, yet he offended many social classes.

Cecil Vyse- Was once Lucy's fiance and was a rude man who didn't care about hurting others feelings.

Mrs. Honeychurch- A kind hearted widow who was portrayed to be a great mother.

Mr. Beebe- A man who tried to be a good influence on others and wanted nothing but honesty.

Chase.ashby 12:04, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Setting
Florence, Italy and Summer Street, England. The two setting are not there far apart geographically but very different in the way that they operate. Florance, Italy was a place where anything and everything was possible. It is very different from her small hometown country side that she was used to. Florence is the most populous city in Tuscany with approximately 370,000 residents, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area. The Summer Street, England that E.M. Forster shows us in the novel is pleasant and homey, but it is certainly not as thrilling as Italy.

Chase.ashby 12:06, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Significance of Opening Scene
The novel opens in Florence at the Pension Bertolini, a pension for British travelers. Young Lucy Honeychurch and her cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, are bemoaning the poor rooms that they have been given. They were promised rooms with views. This has a great impact on the whole novel because it sets the theme of nothing being permittee and everything changes throughout the book. Forster wrote this novel in the early years of the Edwardian period which followed after the Victorian period. In the novel we witness the society gradually start to emerge out of the conservation.

Chase.ashby 12:06, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Significance of Closing Scene
The Emersons teach Lucy that she needs to find her individuality and follow it, Lucy shows George that there is happiness in life despite all of the sadness and unknown. In the closing scene, George comments that there's nothing to cry at and he laughs. Lucy's and the entire Honeychurch family presence has transformed George from a gloomy young man into a person able to experience joy.

Possible Themes
Love- The novel has two young attractive and emotional people, sunsets, flowes, and violence; everything a romance novel contains

Transformation- The novel has personal discovery, youth to adulthood, falling in love, shifting allegiances, moving to and from countries. There is many transformations going on throughout the entire novel.

Lies and Deceit- The main conflict of the novel is the protagonist’s struggle to face up to her feelings and simply come clean with everyone, including herself.

Womens Goals- The entire novel shows you the expactations of women in the socity Lucy lives and in and the kind of women she is expected to be.

Symbols
Music- Music was a major symbol in the novel, it was the only thing that could describe the way that Lucky was feeling throughout the whole book.

Chase.ashby 12:05, 8 May 2012 (MDT)

Stylistic Pros
1. "A view? Oh, a view! How delightful a view is!" This foreshadows that Lucy wants a room that has a nice view and it gives you an idea that she will get one later on in the novel.

2. "He did not look at the ladies as he spoke, but his voice was perplexed and sorrowful." This shows the way he is acting by telling facial expressions and describing the way he talked.

3. "The curtains at the end of the room parted, and revealed a clergyman, stout but attractive, who hurried forward to take his place at the table, cheerfully apologizing for his lateness." This sentence uses both imagery and mood. It uses imagery to show the actions he was making as the curtains parted and it shows the mood he was in when it said he cheerfully apologized for his lateness

4. "The clergyman, who had the air of one on a holiday, did not remember the ladies quite as clearly as they remembered him." This sentences uses a metaphor to compare the clergyman to a man who had the happiness of one on a holiday.

5. "My dear Lucy..." This sentence uses tone to show that the person speaking to Lucky is upset with her.

Chase.ashby 12:05, 8 May 2012 (MDT)