Walls of Ideologies

E.M. Forster’s novel Howards End uses three families to explore the competing idealism and materialism of the upper classes and the belittling effects of poverty on the human soul. The conflict between the Schlegel family and the Wilcox family is a recurring theme that reflects the ideologies that are in E.M. Forster’s novel. The Schlegels are idealistic and intellectual , while the Wilcoxes are more materialistic and motivated by the desire to …

…status quo, and realize that ideology is everywhere, particularly in the language they speak, not necessarily by the power they hold. The Schlegels and Wilcoxes all live together in Howards End, and these living arrangements prove that with connection can there be a place for all. England finally begins to break away from the class distinction as everything slowly evens out and starts to accept the individual, regardless of what their social status may be.