Analysis Of E. M. Forster's A Room With A View

In E. M. Forster’s A Room With A View, a social commentary piece on British society of the 20th century, two distinct settings of the story are contrasted to represent two significant opposed thematic ideas with which the protagonist Lucy Honeychurch has a major internal conflict that affects the sheer dynamic of her overall disposition throughout the story. In his mission to vividly portray the meaning of the satirical work as a whole, which essentially revolves around the important life struggle and conflict with propriety versus passionate impulse or self-control and identity, Forster contrasts the settings of Florence, Italy and Windy Corner of the Surrey Hills in Southern England, and explains which thematic concept (propriety versus …show more content…
Here, the reader is introduced to Lucy’s mother, Mrs. Honeychurch, her brother, Freddy, and her new fiancé for a short period of time, Cecil Vyse. Cecil is a very dislikable, pretentious, and arrogant man who becomes engaged to Lucy for a very short period of time because of his failure to view Lucy as anything (anyone) other than a mere abstract and intangible vision that he has pretty much placed upon her. In this sense, Cecil simply objectifies Lucy, and he spends a lot of time attempting to shape her into a representation of what he personally desires of her, not what she desires of herself. In doing this, he completely deprives Lucy of all senses of individuality, identity, and self-control. Technically, Cecil is manipulating and controlling Lucy without her consent and involvement in anything. This negatively affects the progression of her overall disposition because it puts her in a position in which she can’t make her own decisions and live in accordance to her own desires, feelings, and beliefs in life. Deep down and beneath Lucy’s mental consciousness and awareness, she knows that she does not like being in a relationship with Cecil. Later in the story, Mr. Emerson speaks with Lucy and finally helps her realize and accept that she is …show more content…
M. Forster provides a social commentary of British society of the 20th century through a contrast of Florence, Italy and the Surrey Hills of Southern England, with Florence representing passion, love, self-control, individuality, identity, and happiness and the Surrey Hills of Southern England representing the ideas of propriety and social conformity/obligation. These several thematic ideas are exemplified through the protagonist Lucy Honeychurch to more clearly portray and express the significance of the life struggle and conflict with propriety versus passion or self-control and identity. E. M. Forster uses the story to commentate on the British society of the 20th century by having Lucy come to the ultimate realization that living by one’s own beliefs, thoughts, and passions, and gaining a conscious sense of identity, individuality, and happiness is always more important than giving in to social norms and expectations, which is seemingly the principle meaning/idea of the work as a