E. M. Forster A Room with a View
Structure Two Major Settings Florence England Symbolism related to place, name, and chapter titles
Forster’s Life Member of the Apostles at Cambridge Part of the Bloomsbury Group. This group included such famous writers and artists as Virginia Woolf and her sister Vanessa Bell Works for the Red Cross in Alexandria Egypt Travels to India and works as private secretary to a maharaja
Famous Novels 1905 Where Angels Fear to Tread 1907 The Longest Journey 1908 A Room with a View 1910 Howards End 1913 Maurice (not published until after his death 1924 A Passage to India
Edwardian Society A continuation of Victorian Society where manners are more important than feelings Social status determines much Americans are uneducated; middle class with money is coarse and unmannerly Refinements breed good marriages, but also hypocrisy What is not said is as important as what is said
Look at the List of Characters Lucy Honey/Church – Saint Lucy/Lux Charlotte Bartlett – ??? Bartlett pear??? Eleanor Lavish – lavish living Mr. Bee/be – guide to George Emerson – Saint George/ Emerson/philosopher Mr. Emerson – like the philosopher/transcendentalist American Writer note American Mr. Eager – Eager to show how much he knows
Medieval and Renaissance This novel is about awakening…physical awakening and emotional awakening. Lucy begins her journey in Florence which is the cradle of the Renaissance, but notice the chapter titles…they mean something. The Renaissance is the rebirth of classical thought…and beside the Arno River, Lucy knows that “something had happened” (46). Look for awakenings and references to this
The Grand Tour Was an institution among aristocrats where men and women of privilege traveled through Europe like a finishing touch to their education As the middle class grew more affluent they began to partake in this as well
Places to Look For in Part I Arno River and Ponte Vecchio Santa Maria del Fiore Piazza del Signoria Sante Croce Giotto Tuscany
Arno River and Ponte Vecchio
Florence Map 1.Duomo 2.Baptistry 4.Santa Maria Novella 5.Santa Croce 6.Palazzo Vecchio 7.Galleria Uffizi 8.San Lorenzo/Medici Palace
FIRENZE/FLORENCE
Santa Croce
Interior of Santa Croce
Pazzi Chapel
Giotto di Bondone Precursor to Renaissance
Tuscany: Where Lucy and George have something happen to them