E. M. Forster’s Epigraph and the Construction of Modernity: Connection and Concentration in Forster’s Novels

Abstract

This paper aims to reexamine E. M. Forster's (1879-1970) epigraph “Only Connect” with a new lens. Conventionally, Forster's epigraph has been construed within the framework of humanist criticism, emphasizing the modern notion of “personal relations.” However, this paper contends that Forster's epigraph can be interpreted as a means of delineating modernity. Through his own exploration of relational theories, Forster offers a novel perspective on understanding the dynamics of modern societal structures, including those related to class, gender, and race. By reexamining Forster's conception of relationality, this study endeavors to enrich the field of Modernist studies. Furthermore, by asserting that Forster's epigraph suggests connection as a potent social force, this paper aims to stimulate constructive discourse within Modernist scholarship

Keywords: E. M. Forster, modernity, concentration, relationality, connection.

Highlights:

1. M. Forster’s novels should be reconsidered through a sociological and theoretical lens rather than conventional humanist criticism.
2. Forster’s notion of “connection” functions as a social principle of modernity, defined by its ongoing tension with the opposing force of “concentration.”
3. Reading Howards End and A Passage to India as literary sites where connection and concentration coexist reveals the heterogeneous and conflictual nature of modern social life.
4. Forster’s narrative logic operates within a relational theory and constructs a theoretical model that links literary form to the sociological dynamics of modernity.
5. Repositioning Forster as a theorist of relational modernity provides a new methodological and conceptual contribution to Modernist studies.