From Fantasy to Fragmentation: Forster’s Illusion of Unity and Woolf’s Reality of Division

Author: Jamila Tsang

Field of Study: Arts and Humanities

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Will Glovinsky

Easel: 29

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: In Edwardian Britain, one third of the national income flowed to less than one thirtieth of its citizens. E.M. Forster’s Howards End envisions connection across class divides as an achievable solution to this problem, manipulating plot elements to unite three social classes: the rising Wilcoxes, the rentier Schlegels, and the near-poverty Basts. However, this promising resolution sidesteps the deeper economic and social forces that maintain class divisions, offering a resolution that feels more symbolic than substantive. The novel’s problematic approach to class unity is underscored when read alongside Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, which challenges Forster’s optimistic vision by critiquing a society where class divisions remain insurmountable. Unlike Howards End, which forces a symbolic resolution through inheritance and marriage, Mrs. Dalloway exposes the reality of disconnection through fragmented interactions and unresolved struggles. Ultimately, Mrs. Dalloway highlights the limitations of Forster’s vision, revealing how entrenched social divisions persist beyond the hopeful narratives he constructs.