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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Chapter 20
Explanation and Analysis—Inner Life:
The motif of the "inner life" as it relates to interpersonal connection appears regularly throughout Howards End. In Chapter 20, when Margaret and Henry Wilcox are walking together, the narrator makes the following observation about Henry’s understanding of his wife:
He supposed her “as clever as they make ’em,” but no more, not realizing that she was penetrating to the depths of his soul, and approving of what she found there.
And if insight were sufficient, if the inner life were the whole of life, their happiness has been assured.
Related Themes:
Chapter 21
Explanation and Analysis—Inheritance:
The motif of inheritance occurs throughout Howards End, as the complications of who is left property, wealth, and social standing are central to the plot. In Chapter 41, when Leonard Bast comes to Howards End to confess his "crime" to Margaret, the narrator describes Charles passing him in his motor-car:
Unlock with LitCharts A+At the chalk pit a motor passed him. In it was another type whom Nature favors—the Imperial. Healthy, ever in motion, it hopes to inherit the earth. [...] But the Imperialist is not what he thinks or seems. He is a destroyer. He prepares the way for cosmopolitanism, and though his ambitions may be fulfilled, the earth that he inherits will be grey.
Related Themes:
Chapter 22
Explanation and Analysis—Inner Life:
The motif of the "inner life" as it relates to interpersonal connection appears regularly throughout Howards End. In Chapter 20, when Margaret and Henry Wilcox are walking together, the narrator makes the following observation about Henry’s understanding of his wife:
Unlock with LitCharts A+He supposed her “as clever as they make ’em,” but no more, not realizing that she was penetrating to the depths of his soul, and approving of what she found there.
And if insight were sufficient, if the inner life were the whole of life, their happiness has been assured.
Related Themes:
Chapter 41
Explanation and Analysis—Inheritance:
The motif of inheritance occurs throughout Howards End, as the complications of who is left property, wealth, and social standing are central to the plot. In Chapter 41, when Leonard Bast comes to Howards End to confess his "crime" to Margaret, the narrator describes Charles passing him in his motor-car:
Unlock with LitCharts A+At the chalk pit a motor passed him. In it was another type whom Nature favors—the Imperial. Healthy, ever in motion, it hopes to inherit the earth. [...] But the Imperialist is not what he thinks or seems. He is a destroyer. He prepares the way for cosmopolitanism, and though his ambitions may be fulfilled, the earth that he inherits will be grey.
Related Themes:
