Feb 19, 2012
The end of Howard's End
So far, this has been my favorite of the ten stories we have read- not my favorite of all time (mind you) but a good tale. I like the sisters, they remind of a pair of Jane Austin heroines only with more sex scandal.
I hadn't thought of it that way, but I think you are right about Tibby. What was his role in the story anyway- a very elusive distant character if you ask me.
What I found most intriguing about the plot was the connection between relationships and money. Life hasn't really changed that much from then, in fact it might have worsened. People say that they don't like the "hold" money has on us and yet not very many persons are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to escape the money "prison". As a society we like to feel powerful and in control of our lives and for some reason we believe that money gives us the means to this victory. Much like Mr. Wilcox- he couldn't fathom the idea of someone without money living in Howard's End and yet he has all these terrible skeletons in his closet that no amount of money could ever fix. The illusion is that he has it all, because he is wealthy, when his life was the biggest shame.
Leonard is our poor man. Indeed he was a poor man, I felt sorry for him right from the beginning. Since England had no "middle" class during this time period it is inevitable that one of the characters would represent the lowest of the low. What a terrible life to lead and then the end? What an end- he didn't even know he was a father which let's be honest, probably would have thrown him completely over the very low edge he was already on. I like to think that his "time" spent with Helen was his only true happiness.
Helen tried to do well. The timing of her "awakening" unfortunately was a second too late. She could have saved the whole lot if she had realized what her sister and her were doing when they were meddling in someone's life. Once again, money was the culprit. Since she didn't have to work for money it was of no consequence what occurred to the working class person such as Leonard.
Margaret was too naive for my liking. What in the world possessed her to hide her true feelings from Mr. Wilcox when she found out about Leonard's wife? The only thing I really liked about her story was the end when she came to terms with her sister.
I hadn't thought of it that way, but I think you are right about Tibby. What was his role in the story anyway- a very elusive distant character if you ask me.
What I found most intriguing about the plot was the connection between relationships and money. Life hasn't really changed that much from then, in fact it might have worsened. People say that they don't like the "hold" money has on us and yet not very many persons are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to escape the money "prison". As a society we like to feel powerful and in control of our lives and for some reason we believe that money gives us the means to this victory. Much like Mr. Wilcox- he couldn't fathom the idea of someone without money living in Howard's End and yet he has all these terrible skeletons in his closet that no amount of money could ever fix. The illusion is that he has it all, because he is wealthy, when his life was the biggest shame.
Leonard is our poor man. Indeed he was a poor man, I felt sorry for him right from the beginning. Since England had no "middle" class during this time period it is inevitable that one of the characters would represent the lowest of the low. What a terrible life to lead and then the end? What an end- he didn't even know he was a father which let's be honest, probably would have thrown him completely over the very low edge he was already on. I like to think that his "time" spent with Helen was his only true happiness.
Helen tried to do well. The timing of her "awakening" unfortunately was a second too late. She could have saved the whole lot if she had realized what her sister and her were doing when they were meddling in someone's life. Once again, money was the culprit. Since she didn't have to work for money it was of no consequence what occurred to the working class person such as Leonard.
Margaret was too naive for my liking. What in the world possessed her to hide her true feelings from Mr. Wilcox when she found out about Leonard's wife? The only thing I really liked about her story was the end when she came to terms with her sister.
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