E.M.Forster

E.M.FORSTERBriefintroductionofEdwardMorganForster••Worksandtheme••Characterevaluation•BriefintroductionofEdwardMorganForsterBorn1January1879Marylebone,London,EnglandDied7June1970(aged91)Coventry,WarwickshireEnglandocupationWriter(novels,shortstories,essays)NationalityEnglishWritingperiod1901-1970January1879ForsterWasbornHisfatherdiedbeforeMorgan'ssecondbirthdayHeinherited£8,000Fromhispaternalgreat-aunt.Themoneywasenoughtoliveonandenabledhimtobecomeawriter.Between1897and1901,hewasatKing’sCollege,CambrigeAfterleavinguniversity,hetravelledincontinentalEurope.In1914,hevisitedEgypt,GermanyandIndiabywhichtimehehadwrittenallbutoneofhisnovels.IntheFirstWorldWar,ForstervolunteeredfortheInternationalRedCross.Inthe1930sand1940sForsterbecameasuccessfulbroadcasteronBBCradioandapublicfigureassociatedwiththeUnionofEthicalSocietiesForsterwaselectedanhonoraryfellowofKing'sCollege,Cambridge,inJanuary1946,[15]andlivedforthemostpartinthecollege,doingrelativelylittle.Forsterdiedofastroke[17]on7June1970attheageof91,AddYourTextAddYourTextSexualityClassdifferenceHumanismWhatIBelieveAPassagetoIndiaHowardsEndAroomwithaViesMauriceThehumanisthasfourleadingcharacteristics-curiosity,afreemind,beliefingoodtaste,andbeliefinthehumanraceEnglishnovelist12Essayist3Librettist4ShortstorywriterShortstories“TheOtherSideOfTheHedge”（篱笆墙外—1911）“TheMachineStops”（机器休止—1909)“TheLifetoCome“(来日方长--1922)TheEternalMomentandotherstories(1928)TheClassicalAnnexTheOtherBoatHowardsEnd(1910)WhereAngelsFeartoTread(1905)Maurice(1914finishedbutpublished，1971)APassagetoIndia(1924)TheLongestJourney(1907)ARoomwithaView(1908)Novels《天使不敢驻足的地方》《最漫长的旅程》《看得见风景的房间》《窗外有蓝天》《霍华德庄园》《此情可问天》《印度之行》《墨利斯的情人》WhereAngelsFeartoTreadThestoryofaprim（古板的）Englishfamily’sencounterwiththeforeignlandofItaly.Whenattractive,impulsiveEnglishwidowLiliamarriesGino,adashing（帅气的）andhighlyunsuitableItaliantwelveyearsherjunior,hersnobbishformerin-lawsmakenoattemptstohidetheirdisapproval.TheLongestJourney•Thehero’sacademicsuccess,butafterenteringthesociety,workandmarriagefailed.Theherohasaweakcharacterandhismindisaheadofthepace.Complexfamilybackgroundholdinghisprogress.Anaccidentbytrainbrokehislegs,bleedingtodeath.TheLongestJourneyTrillingdescribeditasperhapsthemostbrilliant,themostdramatic,andthemostpassionateofE.M.Forster'sworks.Certainlyit'sthemostautobiographical--butitsformconfusesmany.ARoomwithaViewPortraystheloveofaBritishwomanforanexpatriate(侨民)livinginItaly.Caughtupinaworldofsocialsnobbery(自以为优越的态度）,Forster‘sheroine,LucyHoneychurch,findsherselfconstrainedbytheclaustrophobic（引起幽闭恐怖的）influenceofherBritishguardians,whoencouragehertotakeupwithawell-connectedboor.Atitsheartlietwofamilies--thewealthyandbusiness-mindedWilcoxesandtheculturedandidealisticSchlegels.WhenthebeautifulandindependentHelenSchlegelbeginsanimpetuousaffairwiththeardentPaulWilcox,aseriesofeventsissparkedthatresultsinadisputeoverwhowillinheritHowardsEnd.HowardsEndWhenAdelaandherelderlycompanionMrsMoorearriveintheIndiantownofChandrapore,theyquicklyfeeltrappedbyitsinsularandprejudicedBritishcommunity.DeterminedtoexploretherealIndia',theyseektheguidanceofthecharmingandmercurialDrAziz,acultivatedIndianMuslim.ButamysteriousincidentoccurswhiletheyareexploringtheMarabarcaveswithAziz,andthewell-respecteddoctorsoonfindshimselfatthecentreofascandalthatrousesviolentpassionsamongboththeBritishandtheirIndiansubjects.APassagetoIndiaMauriceHallisayoungmanwhogrowsupconfidentinhisprivilegedstatusandwellawareofhisroleinsociety.Modestandgenerallyconformist,heneverthelessfindshimselfincreasinglyattractedtohisownsex.Compellinglyhonestandbeautifullywritten,itoffersapowerfulcondemnationoftherepressiveattitudesofBritishsociety,andisatonceamovinglovestoryandanintimatetaleofoneman'seroticandpoliticalself-discovery.FreedomEqualityHumanisticSpiritHisworksincludesixnovels,twocollectionsofshortstories,afewbiographiesandsomecomments.JohnThayerMartin:E.M.Forsterisawriterwhousedtomake,andmaycontinuetomakesharp-eyedreaderspuzzled.VirginiaWoolf:Forstertakesnovelasaparasite(寄生物)whichmustgetnourishmentfromthelife,anditcanonlyperfectlydepict(描摹)thelifeinreturn,otherwise,thenovelwillperish(灭亡).ScholarRuanWui:Forster'snovelsfundamentallyreflectadilemma(两难处境)ofmoderncivilization:theconflictandeventhealienation(疏离)ofmaterialproductionandspiritualcreationandtheseparationandeventhecontradiction(矛盾)ofbourgeois(资产阶级)andintellectuals.CharacterevaluationLiterarycriticsArnoldKate:Forsterhasadeepandeternalinsight.Heisneverafraidofthebigproblemsandalsodisdains(不屑于做)withfalsewordstohidehisdoubtorweaknessessoastoprotecthimselfandadaptstochangingtimes.AmericanliterarycriticLionelTrilling:E.M.Forsterisformetheonlylivingnovelistwhocanbereadagainandagainandwho,aftereachreading,givesmewhatfewwriterscangiveusafterourfirstdaysofnovel-reading,thesensationofhavinglearnedsomething.”