Themes

Abstract

Howards End is a novel which appears to adhere to the tradition of realism which was the central convention of the nineteenth-century novel, but an interpretation of it which remains at this level is not likely to be convincing. At one level, it is about the interaction of a selected group of people at a given time in given situations, but the selection has been carefully designed to allow the author to explore themes embodied by his characters or brought into focus by their interaction. The novel is set principally in London, but significant scenes take place in the countryside to the north of London at Hilton, the village where Howards End is situated, on the south coast of England at Aunt Juley’s home in Swanage, and on the borders to the north-west between England and Wales (Oniton). Each of these places has its own significance: the pattern of contrasts between the characters is repeated in contrasts between places.