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Howards End by E.M. Forster explores the changing relationships between the classes in Victorian England. This book primarily deals with the upper classes with the exception of Leonard Bast, who is of the lower middle class. The main two families, the Schlegel's and the Wilcox's are both upper class families but they bring to the book two different aspects of the upper class. The Schlegel's, represent culture, education and intellectual ideals. The Wilcox's on the other hand represent hard working, materialistic and imperialistic ideals. (I say imperialistic because Paul Wilcox is going off to Nigeria to earn his fortune). Then there is Leonard Bast who is a lowly clerk for an insurance company, and has just enough education and possessions to put himself just barely into the lower middle class.

Forster shows a few different aspects about class relationships. First there is the brief romance, and I do mean brief romance, between Helen Schlegel and Paul Wilcox. The families for both involved are against any relationship between the two. When Helen's Aunt Juley goes to Howards End to bring Helen back, she runs into Paul's brother Charles, who she mistakes for Paul. After sorting things out, Charles is furious to hear about Paul. Charles and Aunt Juley begin arguing about whose family was better and who had better ideals. This relationship is between the two upper class families and goes nowhere fast.
The next class relationship would be the relationship between Helen Schlegel and Leonard Bast. There relationship is also brief because Leonard is already married to a woman named Jackie. One night Helen and Leonard sleep together and Helen becomes pregnant. There encounter is never really mentioned in the book which shows that it is sort of taboo, in that Helen slept with someone of a lower class. Helen now has had two relationships with two people of entirely different classes, and both relationships were brief.
The final main class relationship is between Margaret Schlegel and Henry Wilcox. Henry Wilcox was married, but his wife died and Margaret who was friends with Henry's wife now becomes his friend and they become close. Eventually the two get married and there ideals are put to the test. Margaret puts her ideals to the side because she feels sorry for Henry and she allows him to dominate the situation and his ideals take over. This relationship shows that the two upper classes in the book can get along, but it is for a brief time. When Helen comes back from Germany and Margaret finds out she is pregnant, Margaret feels sorry for Helen and wants to help her. Henry does not like this because she is an unmarried woman who is carrying a child from a lower class man, and Henry and Helen simply don't get along because of their ideals. Margaret even goes as far as bringing up Henry's affair with Jackie Bast, even though it was years ago. After this was brought up Henry lightened up a little, because he had an affair with a lower class woman and was embarrassed. At the end of the book Helen comes to live with Margaret and Henry and her child is born and lives with them also. Henry and Helen finally become friends, and they live happily ever after.
The end of the book shows a sort of climax where all three classes collide. The two upper class families come together through a marriage and Helen mixes with the lower class by getting pregnant by a lower class man. Forster seems to be showing that the classes are mixing in this period of Victorian society and soon will all blend together.

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