The Call Of Harmony

E. M. Forster is one of the writers who are concerned with the ecological crisis brought forth by modernity. In this thesis, I am going to discuss Forster's ecological consciousness in his novel Howards End.This thesis intends to explore Forster's ecological consciousness in dealing with alienation. And it falls into three aspects.Firstly Forster depicts a panoramic alienating situation of Edwardian England. He depicts the alienation of nature, society and humanity. He is melancholy over the alienation of nature as rural areas are encroached by cities. In portraying the alienations of society, he is concerned with the estrangement between people. As the integrity of individual is destroyed by mechanic thinking pattern, Forster expresses his pity over the alienated individual.The second aspect of the thesis will focus on Forster's resistance against the alienating processes. Three prescriptions are made by Forster to counter the alienations: firstly, to restore the original tranquility of nature, Forster proposes a simple way of living to curb the insatiable greediness; secondly, to eliminate the estrangement between people, Forster offers his personal-relation doctrine—love to connect the division; thirdly, to restore the wholeness of individual, Forster would have the suppressed individual to find a redeemable path with one's spiritual power.The last aspect of my paper will try to explore the ecological consciousness in the author's resistance strategies against alienation. Returning to nature is the ultimate purpose of simple living. In trying to eliminate the estrangement between people and to build a harmonious society with love, Forster's ecological consciousness of proportion is touched upon. Forster's strenuous efforts to restore the integrity of individual through connecting spiritual self and materialistic self of each individual express his ecological consciousness in restoring the wholeness of humanity.