Symbolism In A Room With A View

A Room With A View Essay

In A Room With A View, E.M. Forster uses Setting to illustrate the differences between Italy, and the little town in England. Throughout the novel you see how many things are contrasted such as lucy’s lovers. Forster uses symbolism to thicken the plot, which ultimately helps the reader differentiate between each of the places and what they mean to the main character Lucy.

Florence, Italy is a city known for its art and out of this world scenery. This novel starts off with two women, the main character Lucy Honeychurch and her dimwitted cousin Charlotte Bartlett. Lucy decided to leave her little corner of England to escape the proper english society. “It was pleasant to wake up in Florence, to open the eyes upon a bright bare room, with a floor of red tiles which look clean though they are not; with a painted ceiling whereon pink griffins and blue amorini sport in a forest of yellow violins and bassoons.” (page 11) Everything out of Italy was such a dream. Until she witnessed murder first hand, gladly George Emerson had been there to save the day.

England is a great representation of Cecil, who would be considered very stuck up and full of himself. He even attempted to say that her family wasn't good enough for him and what he was used to. “The Honeychurches were a worthy family, but he began to realize that Lucy was of another clay; and perhaps—he did not put it very definitely—he ought to introduce her into more congenial circles as soon as possible.” (page 61) Whereas in Italy Lucy feels this pressure lifted off of her to be perfect , she’s comfortable being herself, especially around George. When she finally had her first kiss she felt as if she was finally free from being this proper english women she had been her whole