Summary
As he feared, Leonard Bast's visit for tea at Wickham Place is indeed a disaster. He initially considers himself fortunate to be amidst people as interesting as the Schlegels, and he thinks of them as "Romance." He is expecting an enjoyable follow-up to their last encounter, full of lively and literary conversation. When the Schlegels bring up the situation of his employment, then, Leonard is extremely frustrated and disappointed. Their frank way of speaking to him about the matter makes him suspicious. He finds it unfair that once he is able to be in their company, they choose to talk about practical rather than intellectual things.
His anger intensifies when Mr. Wilcox and Evie arrive with two dogs. Since Mrs. Wilcox's death, Evie has taken to training canines in addition to keeping her father company. Against his better judgment, Leonard begins to make a scene before leaving. He draws Mr. Wilcox into the argument, which culminates in a heated exchange between Leonard and Margaret. Margaret reminds him that a true friendship cannot exist solely on cultural interactions, for there is also the need for the mundane. That, she says, is simply the nature of life. Outraged, Leonard storms off. Mr. Wilcox compliments Margaret on her handling of the situation. The Schlegel sisters are upset over the incident because they cannot stand for anybody to be vexed, and Helen attempts to go after Leonard.
Summary
As he feared, Leonard Bast's visit for tea at Wickham Place is indeed a disaster. He initially considers himself fortunate to be amidst people as interesting as the Schlegels, and he thinks of them as "Romance." He is expecting an enjoyable follow-up to their last encounter, full of lively and literary conversation. Then, when the Schlegels bring up the situation of his employment, Leonard is extremely frustrated and disappointed. Their frank way of speaking to him about the matter makes him suspicious. He finds it unfair that once he is able to be in their company, they choose to talk about practical rather than intellectual things.
His anger intensifies when Mr. Wilcox and Evie arrive with two dogs. Since Mrs. Wilcox's death, Evie has taken to training canines in addition to keeping her father company. Against his better judgment, Leonard begins to make a scene before leaving. He draws Mr. Wilcox into the argument, which culminates in a heated exchange between Leonard and Margaret. Margaret reminds him that a true friendship cannot exist solely on cultural interactions, for there is also the need for the mundane. That, she says, is simply the nature of life. Outraged, Leonard storms off. Mr. Wilcox compliments Margaret on her handling of the situation. The Schlegel sisters are upset over the incident because they cannot stand for anybody to be vexed, and Helen attempts to go after Leonard.
The Wilcoxes and Margaret discuss the afternoon's events. Mr. Wilcox maintains that some people are rich and some people are poor, which is simply a fact of live. In his view, poverty does not necessarily mean unhappiness. Whenever Margaret tries to defend Leonard Bast, Mr. Wilcox reacts with jealousy. Margaret realizes that she is in the midst of a figurative "triangle of sex" and is mildly amused. When the Wilcoxes depart, Margaret goes to find Helen, who reports that Leonard left long ago. Helen feels very badly for Leonard and is quite annoyed with Mr. Wilcox. On the other hand, Mr. Wilcox admits to Evie when departing that he worries about the Schlegels and wants to make sure that they do not get into any trouble. Evie announces that while Helen is somewhat tolerable, she cannot stand Margaret. Soon after this encounter, Evie strikes up a relationship with one of Dolly's uncles, Percy Cahill.
In the days that follow, Margaret has an incredibly difficult time finding a house for her family. She is exasperated by the hunt, for she finds that she is not even sure of what she is looking for. Despite having resolved to spend every moment of her time on the task, she accepts an invitation to have lunch with Evie and her fiancé Percy Cahill. Upon arriving at this luncheon, Margaret sees that Mr. Wilcox will also be joining them. She ends up chatting with him throughout the lunch, as Evie and her intended are flirting incessantly. Margaret finds her conversation with Mr. Wilcox surprisingly agreeable, and realizes it must have been he, not Evie, who desired her company. After having such a pleasant time, Margaret mentions to Mr. Wilcox that she knows of another place where they should take lunch together one day.
Margaret and Mr. Wilcox have a second lunch, and shortly afterwards, the Schlegels depart for their annual visit to Swanage and Aunt Juley. Barely into her holiday, Margaret receives a letter from Mr. Wilcox. He informs her that since Evie's impending nuptials will take place at their house near Wales, Oniton Grange, he will be letting his property on Ducie Street in London. After consulting her siblings, Margaret accepts Mr. Wilcox's offer to return to London to examine the house. She suspects he might have another reason for contacting her. In the midst of showing her the property, Mr. Wilcox admits that he has asked Margaret to come to London so he can ask her something. He proposes. The moment is neither romantic nor dramatic, but still manages to delight Margaret. She resolves to return to Swanage to discuss the situation with her family and then give him her response by post.
Unaware of what has happened at Ducie Street, Helen, Aunt Juley, Frieda and her husband and child are waiting for Margaret's train. Tibby has been instructed to pick her up at that station and then join the family for a picnic. As they wait, they look out over the landscape and recall with some amusement the entire Wilcox affair between Helen and Paul. The family witness Margaret's train pass, and soon afterwards Tibby arrives with his sister. Margaret has saved the engagement news for Helen, and she immediately takes her aside in order to tell her of the proposal.
Initially horrified, Helen pleads with Margaret not to marry Mr. Wilcox. She is surprised that Margaret would even consider it. Helen has extremely negative feelings towards Mr. Wilcox, and it takes Margaret a great deal of effort to convince Helen to listen to her side of the situation. Once Helen consents to hear her out, Margaret explains how she came to recognize his affection for her in the time between Leonard Bast's visit and her departure for Swanage. Margaret claims to see and understand his faults, and is resolved not to become the typical married woman who is closed off from the world and entirely dependent on her husband. Margaret assures Helen that she will in no way compromise herself or her ideals. Helen, however, is not so sure this is possible.
Analysis
Although Margaret, Helen, and Leonard Bast share an interest in culture, they discuss things very differently. Margaret and Helen are impulsive and tend to say what they feel, throwing caution to the wind. In contrast, Leonard Bast thinks carefully about exactly how to behave around the Schlegels, for opportunities to be around "Romance," as he thinks of the sisters, are rare. The Schlegels have a security and confidence that Leonard lacks, providing support to Margaret's claim that money is an island allowing for firm ground beneath one's feet. Leonard lacks this advantage, which explains why he is so easily driven to despair. Interestingly, despite her standing on a figurative island of money, Helen lacks the stability that her sister enjoys. She is deeply affected by things, and Leonard's unpleasant departure upsets her greatly. Throughout the novel, Helen's reactions are heartfelt and emotional, which does not always serve her well.
The concept of how to approach and exist in daily life appears quite often. As she attempts to set Leonard straight, Margaret accuses him of being too fixated on the romanticism of things. She tells him that it is dangerous to focus only on things such as poetry and his evening walk, reminding him that a true relationship is about balancing daily life with the grander things. She gives Helen similar advice, reminding her to cherish the seen as well as the unseen. These are lessons Margaret learned from Mrs. Wilcox, who was an example of living in proportion and easily found happiness in the present.
In Howards End, there are many discussions of "types" of people. Leonard regards Margaret and Helen as a cultured type, and Mr. Wilcox regards Leonard as a lesser type due to his socioeconomic standing. There are multiple instances where Mr. Wilcox remarks about "knowing the type" when a specific person is mentioned. Meanwhile, Margaret and Helen try to see people for who they really are rather than placing them in limited boxes. The Schlegel sisters are guided by personal relations rather than the "outer life," and are thus more inclined to become involved with people such as Leonard Bast. When something or someone enters Margaret and Helen's lives, they cannot ignore it. Mr. Wilcox, on the other hand, has no problem leaving something behind when he no longer needs it. In this sense, the Schlegels and Wilcoxes represent the division of middle class lifestyles in England at the time: humanity, romanticism, and old money, versus capitalism, logic, and social mobility.
Despite their differences, Mr. Wilcox's proposal to Margaret is not a surprise. Forster has cleverly set up the believability of the otherwise unlikely pair. They both stay true to their characters and still manage to find some common ground. Ironically, Margaret and Mr. Wilcox bond over house hunting, after the very issue of a house (Howards End) was what once separated the Schlegels and Wilcoxes. While Margaret vows to stay true to herself in this possible marriage, the financial island on which she stands is also not providing her with all of the stability that she longs for. No matter how much money she has, nothing can stop how quickly the world around her is changing. Margaret lacks the stability of a home or a husband, which leads her to begin to value those aspects of life that she may have dismissed earlier.
Margaret and Mr. Wilcox's relationship is not a particularly romantic or passionate, but each is able to find meaning within it. Although Margaret readily admits to the lack of romance in Mr. Wilcox's proposal, something about it overwhelms and excites her. However, her loyalty to Helen still comes first, and she is unable to make a decision until she talks it over with her sister. For Margaret, her family is her home and is deeply rooted into her life, similar to Mrs. Wilcox's connection to Howards End. The marriage discussion between Margaret and Helen raises the question of whether it is acceptable to love someone once you admit to their faults and whether it is possible to change or be changed in a relationship. Even before the proposal is finalized, there are challenges in the union between Margaret and Mr. Wilcox, which foreshadows future events.
