A Room With A View Analysis

Explore the presentation of desire in A Room with a View

In A Room with a View, all the characters have a desire, but these are often repressed, especially the female characters. At the time there was some feminist movement but females were still generally trapped within the walls of society. After the reign of Queen Victoria, the Victorian era was over and the more modern Elizabethan era emerged. This caused societal change where whilst the Victorians remained in their rigid societal ways, the Elizabethans had a more open way of life. Characters like the Emersons would be seen as more Elizabethan and characters like Miss Bartlett and Mr. Eager are extremely Victorian in their ways. Lucy, using her desires, transitions from Victorian to Elizabethan.
He said only 10% of the mind was conscious, a larger part was preconscious which is information that can be brought up by memory (like the kiss that haunts Lucy’s mind) and the unconscious section which would be where desires and impulses would be kept and would not be let. This was known as the iceberg theory. According to Freudian theory, the personality is formed by three structures which are the id, the ego and the superego. This structural model was formed in 1923, after the novel was written but can be helpful in understanding the reasons behind the decisions of the character. The id was unconscious and focused on impulse and desire whereas the superego was partially conscious and was based on morality and society. The Ego was both and acted as the mediator of them and tried to create a balance. This theory is a way of psychoanalysing the main characters in A Room with a
How dreadful if she really wished to remain near him! Of course, the wish was due to nerves, which love to play such perverse tricks upon us.’ Her id comes out as she ‘wished to remain near him’ which is her subconscious desire but straight after this line, there is a sign of rationalism where the narrator speaking Lucy’s thoughts say ‘How dreadful if she really wished to remain near him! Of course, the wish was due to nerves…’ This again is ironic as it is clear to the reader it is not ‘nerves’ rather it is Lucy in love with George. Forster even highlights on this, having the narrator intervene as a neutral voice saying ‘It is obvious enough for the reader to conclude, "She loves young Emerson." A reader in Lucy's place would not find it obvious. Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice, and we welcome "nerves" or any other shibboleth that will cloak our personal desire.’ The ‘shibboleth’ could be representative of the old and outdated Victorian ideology. Lucy is engaged to Cecil and so it would be seen as very unacceptable for her to be love with someone else, even though Lucy’s desires are not necessarily in her control. Their meeting seemed to go well but whilst Lucy was able to repress her desires at that meeting, Forster makes it clear that ‘as the week wore on, more of her defences