Brilliant insight to a older London (Howard's End - E.M. Forster)

Member Name: Archi1066

Product:	Howard's End - E.M. Forster
Date:	12/07/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great detail

Disadvantages: some chapters drag on

Forster goes through a great deal of describing London through different parts of the book to give the reader the same image of it as he may see it. Forster recognises that London is now seen as the future for civilisation 'To speak against London is no longer fashionable' whether Forster likes it or not he can see that times are changing. Even though he can see it is the future he talks about London negatively throughout the book.
'The city seemed satanic, the narrow streets oppressing like the galleries of a mine' this quote alone gives the reader a negative view of London as it is portrayed as an evil city with 'narrow streets' with make the reader feel trapped and claustrophobic in this 'satanic' atmosphere. The sky of London is also described as being an 'infernal sky' which once again gives is that hellish image in our minds seeing it as a dark, sinister city fearing what kind of people would reside in a place like this. Seeing the city of London is described as this its not long before you do wonder who would live in a place like this and Forster tells you, he talks of the Landlords of London negatively 'Landlords are horrible' it shows that the people are just as bad as the city being selfish and cold as nobody gives their time to anybody 'with a Londoners impatience she wanted everything'.
At the beginning of chapter eleven where we find out about Mrs Wilcox's death London is mentioned as being responsible for her death 'London had done the mischief' showing that London had pushed Mrs Wilcox to her death as it was an unbearable place for her and loathed each day of being there 'there's nothing to get up for in London' London could even be seen as a murderer as you could see it from the point that it tortured her to death.
London is shown as a colourless city as its constantly related to the colour grey 'gray tides of London' This shows the city as a depressing place with no life or beauty and makes us able to understand why it pushed Mrs Wilcox to her death. The reader is influenced to picture London as a sort of living hell that lives 'the city inhaling, the city exhaling her exhausted air' This quote makes the reader picture London as some sort of monster that breathes and lives with the characters living in the belly of the beast in this hellish city. The idea of London being bearable if there was a god present is also brought up 'London is religion's opportunity-not the decorous religion of the theologians, but anthropomorphic, crude' A city that even god has abandoned is moulded upon London as even God can't be present in such a grim city.
London in 1910 was going through a change as it was the turn of an era as it was just after the industrial period and people's attitudes were changing becoming more modern. It was the time of the suffragettes' protesting for women to have equal rights as men, people have to change with the time or they will get left behind with their old simplistic attitudes, as Charles Darwin said 'the strongest species is the one that learns to adapt best'
I feel that Forster creates a brilliant representation of london similar to Sweeny Todd. A real good book that explores issues of its time. 8/10

Summary: great book definantly worth reading