What is the central conflict of Howards End? How does this conflict relate to the motif that Forster emphasizes throughout the novel? Write an essay discussing the conflict in Howards End, describing where the main characters fit into this conflict, how Forster's key motif relates to the conflict, and how the conflict reaches a climax and an unavoidable result at the end of the book.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how Forster uses dialogue in the novel. What does dialogue do for a novel? Does it give a better sense of the characters, mood, and/or setting? Does it help move the story forward? Do you think the author captures the way people spoke at the time the novel was written or when it took place? Provide examples from the text to support your responses.

Essay Topic 3

The point of view, or the narrative voice, determines how the reader will experience a novel. Write an essay discussing the narrative voice in Howards End, describing how the narration affects the reader. Think about these questions as you shape your essay:

- Can you trust the narrator?

- Does the narrator seem reliable or trustworthy?

- Is the narrator a character in the story or an omniscient narrator outside the story?

- If the narrator is not a character in the story, how would the novel be different if the narrator were one of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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