A Room with a View

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1908

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-7

Part 2, Chapters 8-11

Part 2, Chapters 12-15

Part 2, Chapters 16-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Economic Context: Class Politics in Edwardian Britain

The Edwardian era (1901-1910) was characterized by a period of great social change in Britain. The middle class was expanding rapidly, and with this growth came a set of social norms and etiquette that governed its behavior. At the heart of Edwardian middle-class etiquette was the concept of respectability. Respectability was a code of conduct that governed how one should behave in public and was deeply ingrained in the middle class. The key values of respectability were self-control, decorum, and propriety.

Middle class social etiquette placed a great emphasis on good behavior in public. Public displays of affection were frowned upon, and it was considered inappropriate to raise one's voice or use foul language in public. Good manners were expected at all times.

One of the most important aspects of middle-class social etiquette was the concept of class consciousness. The middle class was acutely aware of their social status, and it was important to maintain the boundaries between different classes. There were strict rules about who people could socialize with and where they could go. It was considered inappropriate for the middle class to socialize with the working class, for example.

At the same time, gender inequality was not only a reality but an expectation. Women were expected to act in a certain manner, conforming to a preexisting idea of femininity that denied them a great deal of agency. Women in the United Kingdom did not gain the right to vote on the same terms as men until 1928, nearly a decade after the end of the Edwardian era.

Social expectations of women were also informed by the Edwardian view of sex. Following on from the prudish era of Victorian Britain, Edwardian society was similarly sexually repressive. Conversations about sex were taboo, while public displays of affection were deemed crass and inappropriate. Lucy's gradual embrace of her own sexual agency—by rejecting Cecil and eloping with George— signifies a gradual progression in attitudes toward sex during this era, moving away from the Victorian past and toward something resembling (though not quite attaining) equality.

A Room with a View is infused with an Edwardian awareness of class and social etiquette. Written during the early years of the 20th century and released shortly after the end of the Edwardian age, the novel exemplifies and challenges many of these social expectations. In the novel, Charlotte functions as the high priestess of these social norms, dictating from the opening passages what she deems to be right or proper in accordance with social expectations. Lucy, conversely, is less wedded to ideas of class or social expectation. She is pleased to befriend Mr. Emerson and his son, George, even though Charlotte constantly frets that being associated with working class people will somehow sully their reputation.

Even Lucy cannot entirely escape the ingrained notions of class and etiquette, however, as she rebukes George and Emerson for acting in an improper manner on several occasions, only to regret her outbursts at a later time. Through Lucy and George's relationship, the novel charts the emergence of a cross-class romance that refuses to be beholden to Edwardian expectations of behavior.

Literary Context: E. M. Forster and Modernism

Edward Morgan Forster, known as E. M. Forster, was a British novelist, essayist, and literary critic born in London in 1879. He is considered one of the most important writers of the early 20th century, and his works continue to be read and studied today. Forster was born into an upper-middle-class family and was educated at Tonbridge School, where he began to develop an interest in writing. He went on to study at King's College, Cambridge, where he became friends with a group of fellow writers known as the “Cambridge Apostles.” It was during this time that he began to write his first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread, which was published in 1905.

Forster's early works were characterized by their sharp wit, social commentary, and exploration of themes such as class, gender, and sexuality. His second novel, The Longest Journey, was a more complex work that dealt with issues of identity and self-discovery. Forster's breakthrough came with the publication of his third novel, A Room with a View, in 1908. The novel, which explores the conflict between social convention and personal desire, was a critical and commercial success, establishing Forster as one of the leading writers of his generation.

During the period in which Forster was publishing his most famous novels, the most prominent literary movement was Modernism. Literary Modernism refers to a period of artistic and literary experimentation that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in Europe and North America. It was a response to the changing social, cultural, and political landscapes of the time, including the rise of industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancement. Modernist writers and artists sought to break away from traditional forms and conventions of literature and explore new modes of expression that reflected the complexities of the modern world. Modernist writers often rejected traditional narrative structures, preferring more experimental techniques, such as stream of consciousness, and emphasizing individualism and subjectivity.

Despite his popularity during the Modernist period, Forster's work rejects many of the structural and linguistic innovations that defined the work of writers such as Joyce and Woolf. Forster's works often explore class and economic divides through the lens of comic moralism, preferring melodrama and sincerity over the iconoclasm of the Modernists. Nevertheless, Forster was keenly aware of his peers' work and defended D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover from obscenity charges. While not a Modernist himself, Forster's work existed in conversation with Modernist writers of the era and often explored similar themes from a different perspective.