An Archetypal Analysis Of Howards End

Edward Morgan Forster enjoys a high reputation in Britain in the first half of thetwentieth century. As a great fan of Greek and Roman mythologies, Forster constantlyemploys references and allusions in his works. According to Northrop Frye,archetypes appear in different literature works in forms of characters, images, etc. InHowards End, archetypal characters as well as archetypal images can also bediscovered and these seemingly casual and fragmentary archetypes contribute to forma structural relevance, which determines the interior consistence of the theme ofHowards End. This thesis intends to analyze Howards End in the light of Frye’sarchetypal criticism to explore the suggested meanings of characters and theseseemingly simple images, which is conductive to the revelation of theme of this novel,namely the significance of returning to the earth.The main content is divided into three parts. The first part sheds light on thearchetypal analysis of the female characters in Howards End, taking Ruth Wilcox andMargaret as representatives. Demeter and her daughter Persephone from Greekmythology can be regarded as the archetypes of Ruth and Margaret respectively. Ruthis considered as the first “reigning deity” of Howards End. Like Demeter, the goddessof nature and earth, Ruth has a special affinity with the earth. Her spiritual heir,Margaret, is the second “reigning deity” of Howards End. Similar to Persephone, thegoddess of nature and spring, Margaret serves as a messenger who shoulders theresponsibility of bringing the other characters back to Howards End and to the eartheventually. The second part devotes itself into the archetypal analysis of malecharacters, with Henry Wilcox and Leonard Bast as representatives. Henry bearsresemblance to Zeus, the god of the sky and the ruler of the Olympian gods in Greekmythology, while Leonard has similarities with Hades, the god of underworld inGreek mythology in several aspects. In sharp contrast to the female characters, themale characters are all bound up in pursuing material wealth and thus indifferent tothe power of the earth. Their alienation from the earth make it impossible to fulfill their desires. The third part intends to examine Forster’s excellent use of archetypalimages, which are classified into two groups: images associated with femalecharacters and images associated with male characters. Forster’s use of archetypalimages as an extension of archetypal characters can be attributed to the fact that thearchetypal characters and archetypal images are so well ordered and orchestrated witheach other that it is improbable to take one into consideration without the other.With an overview of the above analysis, conclusion is drawn that Forster’s use ofarchetypes in Howards End is ingenious and complicated. These archetypes are usednot only to enrich the content of this novel, but also to effectively convey andmanifest the theme of the novel. By making full use of archetypes, Forster emphasizesthe significance of returning to the earth. Only when taking root in the earth canhuman beings be able to realize real connection.