In the novel Howard House by EM Forster, the concept of connection is evident throughout the novel. Forster captures this notion through the contrast between the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes who represent very different approaches to life. The Schlegel family represents the liberal intelligentsia and social attitudes of a rapidly expanding and changing London in the era in which this novel was written. With German origins, their continental customs, philosophy and culture convey a cosmopolitanism that finds understanding and nourishment in their social circle. On the other hand, the Wilcoxes embody a more traditional British view on life and social morality and, unlike the Schlegels, are described as moralistic, chauvinistic and pragmatic. This essay will then analyze Howards End to illustrate the differences between the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, more specifically Margaret and Henry, and how their opposing views of "just connecting" and focusing", the "seen" and "unseen" and their "" internal" and "external" lives collide but manage to integrate to find common ground. From the beginning of the novel there are numerous attempts to unite the Schlegel family and the Wilcox family, even though their different values ​​tend to clash and often force social negotiations, moral compromise, and emotional turmoil. The tension between the two families is evident from the beginning through Helen's momentary and dramatic relationship with Paul Wilcox. After Helen's telegram “All over. I wish I had never written. Don't tell anyone” (9), and his return to Wickham Place, the Schlegels declare that they will have nothing to do with the Wilcoxes. This meeting illustrates how different the two families' approaches to life are, and how the di...... middle of paper ......cky is no different from that of Helen's relationship with Leonard Bast. Margaret states that "You'll see the connection if it kills you, Henry!" and in doing so she is determined to make Henry see the connection and take responsibility. Margaret wants Henry to recognize the fact that Leonard has been ruined by Henry, in the immediate sense of having lost his job and in the broader sense of being a victim of the "Wilcox world", and it is because of these factors that Helen has become involved . him first. Margaret wants Henry to connect with Helen and Leonard's relationship because doing so would mean Henry would see meaning in his life. However, Henry does not connect until Charles' efforts to remove Helen and Margaret from Howards End lead to Leonard's death. Works Cited Forster, E. M. Howards End. New Jersey: JPPiper Books, 2013. Print.