Howards End | Edwardian England, Social Class, Marriage | Britannica (original) (raw)

Howards End, novel by E.M. Forster, published in 1910. The narrative concerns the relationships that develop between the imaginative, life-loving Schlegel family—Margaret, Helen, and their brother Tibby—and the apparently cool, pragmatic Wilcoxes—Henry and Ruth and their children Charles, Paul, and Evie. Margaret finds a soul mate in Ruth, who before dying declares in a note that her family country house, Howards End, which has been the family’s connection with the earth for generations, should go to Margaret. Her survivors choose to ignore her wishes, but after marrying Henry, Margaret ultimately does come to own the house. In a symbolic ending, Margaret brings Henry back to Howards End after several traumatic events have left him a broken man.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.