E. M. Forster's A Room With A View

A Room with a View Romantic comedy/ Fiction
E.M. Forster Edwardian Era (1901-1910)
Character: Within the romantic comedy, A Room with a View, E. M. Forster incorporates numerous characters who efficiently develop the plot of the entire novel by serving as a hindrance towards Lucy’s quest to find true love. Generally, most of the characters such as Mr. Beebe, Freddy and Mr. Emerson remain flat and static because they do not undergo major transformations. Their perception of Lucy’s deplorable engagement, her talent in music and her skepticism about true love remains constant throughout the novel.
Forster depicts Lucy Honeychurch as the only protagonist who is complex because she develops intellectually and morally as the novel progresses. Lucy overcomes the obstacles proposed by her community, which lend a big hand in Lucy’s internal development. Overall, Forster reveals the major and minor characters through direct characterization and indirect characterization. By utilizing direct characterization, Forster reveals the physical aspects of the protagonists. In contrast, Forster includes indirect characterization through the dialect between the characters and their point of view towards others. Indeed, majority of the characters are believable because they reside in a typical society where their views represent internal and external conflicts for the main protagonist. Thus, the characters portrayed by Forster are flat and static, yet they contribute tremendously to the complexity of the novel.
Predominantly, Lucy Honeychurch, George Emerson, Cecil Vyse, and Charlotte Bartlett are the four central characters who serve as the foundation for the entire novel.
The plot of the novel primarily revolves around the actions and thoughts of these characters. Forster introduces these characters as the main protagonists, while their views are conflicted by society; represented as the antagonist within the novel. The society illustrated within the novel does not demolish the love that Lucy is eventually trying to find; instead, it makes Lucy’s quest a treacherous one. Forster emphasizes that all the central characters are not undermined by the negative views of society, revealing that they are persistent with their thoughts and
actions.
Lucy Honeychurch
Age: (18-25 years)
Adjectives: ignorant, dubious, and independent
Appearance: friendly, young, and naïve
Personality: charming, confident, and full of passion
Function in novel: fiancé of Cecil Vyse
Significance of name: The English name of Lucy is Lucia and her name signifies that she is a person, who always appreciates the beautiful and refined aspects of life, such as art, literature, and music. Appreciation of music especially defines Lucy because she reveals her internal feelings by playing the piano.
Sheer words are not sufficient enough to portray Lucy’s persona because she is one of the characters who transforms intellectually as the novel advances. When Lucy says to George, “kiss me here,” (238) her demand reveals that she has comprehended the preciousness of love. Forster depicts that by the resolution of the novel, Lucy is able to grasp the true meaning of love through her pure relationship with George Emerson. It is highly emphasized that Lucy has gained an understanding that in comparison with Cecil Vyse, George Emerson is the right suitor for her. Forster reveals that because of the major change in Lucy’s perception of love, she has transitioned into a strong and independent woman. Forster exposes that in order for this change to occur, Lucy had to contradict her values and morals. Thus, Lucy is conscious of her decisions and is not burdened by the negative views of society.
George Emerson
Age: (19-22 years)
Adjectives: handsome, reserved, and brooding
Appearance: conscious, respectful, and sensitive
Personality: intelligent, admiring, and patient
Function in novel: son of Mr. Emerson, admirer of Lucy Honeychurch
Significance of name: The importance of George’s name varies because it reveals that George can be a person who is quite expressive and good-natured, yet at other times could be depressive and frustrating. As depicted in the book, George is definitely polite and liberally expresses his feelings to Lucy Honeychurch.
Through his actions, George Emerson can be visualized as a protagonist who is thoughtful and considerate towards others. Within the romantic comedy, George overcomes the hardships of love, and is able to successfully acquire his true love. While proving the value of his love towards Lucy, George “managed to strengthen her,” (186) revealing that he was able to convince Lucy Honeychurch about his commendable qualities. Forster explains that by strengthening Lucy, George proved that he was going to respect Lucy’s decision and feelings towards him. Through this, he also portrayed himself as a gentleman because he values Lucy for herself and wants her to be a strong, independent woman. As the novel progresses, these distinctive values of George become crucial because they serve as a major factor in Lucy’s quest to find true love.
Cecil Vyse
Age: (19-24 years)
Adjectives: offensive, independent, and aggressive
Appearance: disrespectful, overbearing, and untroubled
Personality: handsome, refined, and arrogant
Function in novel: Lucy’s fiancé
Significance of name: The meaning of Cecil’s name accurately defines him because within the novel, he held an ambition to accomplish extraordinary things especially by undermining Lucy due to her feminine characteristics. Cecil Vyse can slightly be viewed as the antagonist in this romantic comedy because of his offensive behavior towards Lucy Honeychurch.
Throughout the entire novel, Forster describes Cecil as a person who underestimates the value of women in society. Cecil mocked “her feminine inconsequence,” (114) as Lucy reasoned that Mr. Eager did not have the courage to murder his wife. Through Cecil’s mockery of Lucy’s perception, Forster exposes him as a disrespectful and arrogant being. Forster also acknowledges that Cecil exaggerated the status of men in society by believing that women do not have the ability to reason logically. Indeed, Cecil’s views of women were hindered by the gender stratification, as illustrated by the setting and time period of this novel. Cecil’s negative thinking also becomes a stepping stone in his relationship with Lucy because she breaks her engagement after realizing his inconsiderate
views.
Charlotte Bartlett
Age: (35-43)
Adjectives: unimaginative, irritating, and concerned
Appearance: courteous, wise, and aggressive
Personality: narrow-minded, irrational, and embittered
Function in novel: Lucy’s cousin and her chaperone on the trip to Italy
Significance of Name: The significance of Charlotte’s name is that she always wants to see others happy, which represents her purpose behind reprimanding Lucy at certain stages in the novel. Charlotte Bartlett’s actions and thoughts within the novel are described by her motherly concern that she has for Lucy. Certainly, Lucy views Charlotte as being too aggressive in her role, but Lucy’s point of view is not justified because it is shaped by a modern perspective. During the exposition of the novel, Charlotte responds that it would be “out of the question,” (5) if Lucy and she decided to accept the offer of the rooms from the Emersons. It is quite evident that Charlotte does not want Lucy to dwell in the rooms of strangers because she does not trust them at all. Through Charlotte’s actions, Forster reveals the insecurity that Charlotte feels towards Lucy. Forster illustrates that Charlotte is deemed as narrow-minded because her views are heavily influenced by the society of the Edwardian Era. However, despite Charlotte’s unpleasant characteristics, she helps Lucy reunite with her love, George Emerson, revealing that deep down inside, she is optimistic and genuinely gracious.