A Room with a View is a novel about a young woman in the sexually repressed culture of early 20th-century England, written by English writer E. M. Forster. When Lucy Honeychurch travels to Italy with her cousin, she meets George Emerson, a bohemian and an atheist who falls in love with her. Upon her return to England, she is forced to choose between free-spirited Emerson and her less emotional fiancé, Cecil Vyse. The story is a romance and a critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century. Merchant-Ivory produced an award-winning film adaptation in 1985.

Notes

• Towards the end, Forster's characters quote some unidentified stanzas ("Come down, O maid, from yonder mountain height", etc.). They are from Tennyson's narrative poem "The Princess".

• Forster's title was borrowed by Noel Coward for a song "A Room with a View" in his 1928 musical revue This Year of Grace.

Exploration of the novel - by Ceci Mourkogiannis

The main themes of this novel include opressed-sexuality, growing up and true love. It is written in the third person omniscient,though often particular passsages are "through the eyes" of a particular character.

A Room with a view is Forster's most romantic, optimistic book and is typical of his writings. He utilises many of his techniques including contrast between "round" and "flat characters". Round characters are characters whose ideas and inner-self develop or change in the plot, whereas flat characters remain constant, offering familiarity and often are a source of humour.

Published in 1908, the novel touches upon many of the issues surrounding society and politics in the early 20th century Edwardian culture. A stark difference between conservative and radical thinking is observed as well as Forster's own differentiation between Medieval (Mr. Beebe, Miss Bartlett, Cecil Vyse) and Renaissance characters (Lucy, the Emersons).

Lucy personifies the young and influencable generation that was arising at the time. Forster, manifesting his own hopes for society, ends the book with Lucy having chosen the path of her part - a free life with the man she loves; opposed to the man who is more "suitable". The novel could even be called a Bildingsroman, as it follows the development of the protagonist.

Binary opposites are played upon throughout the novel, and often there are mentions of "rooms" and "views". Characters and places associated with "rooms" are more often than not, conservative and uncreative - Mrs Honeychurch is often pictured in a room, as is Cecil. However, characters like Freddie and the Emersons are often described as being outside. This represents their forward thinking and innovative character types.

Also, their is a humourous difference between Italy and England in the first half of the book. The owner of the Pensione Bertolini is described as the "Cockney Signora" and is mocked greatly. For Forster, Italy was a place of freedom and sexual expression; as indeed it was for many. Italy held a certain raw passion that inspired many Britons who wished to escape the constrictions of English society. Whilst Lucy is in Italy, her views of the world change dramatically and scenes such as the murder in the piazza open her eyes to life beyond her "protected life in Windy Corner".

"Exploration of A Room with a View" - by Ceci Mourkogiannis

External links

• The text
• Plot summary and links

Written by Ceci Mourkogiannis

1908 novels | English novels | Modern Library 100 best novels

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