“Only Connect” from E.M. Forsters Howards End

Catherine Porter

While the novel Howards End written by E.M. Forster is quite different from the literary works we have been reading by C.S. Lewis, a similar theme arose regarding connection in relationships. Lewis discusses the concept of love in his novel The Four Loves, while Forsters’ Howards End demonstrates how a lack of connection affects relationships. In the novel, Margaret feels as though her husband and herself lack a connection that she desires. In frustration, she says “Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.” This novel demonstrates the desire for a close human relationship with another individual and the discontent when such a connection seems lost. The quote ends with “Live in fragments no longer”. In Lewis’ chapter on “Eros” he discusses the idea of being “in love” and the difference between such a connection verses simply being married or having sexual relationships with an individual. Two individuals who engage in Eros have a connection that is different from those who just have sexual relations. While sexual interaction can be a part of Eros, it can also occur outside of such a relationship. In Howards End, Margaret and her husband may not engage in Eros, or in other words, are “in love”. The two appear to be married, engage in sexual activity, yet remain unconnected.