# Chapter V explained — Howards End

> Chapter companion for Howards End by E. M. Forster.

## What happens

The chapter opens with a meditation on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and the varied responses of the Schlegel party attending the concert. Margaret converses with a young man (Leonard Bast) about music and the arts, revealing her intellectual and somewhat dismissive attitude. After the concert, the Schlegels return home, where Helen's earlier encounter with Leonard Bast is discussed—she had invited him in but he fled, embarrassed by his poverty and the condescension of the household. The sisters debate the nature of their home as 'feminine' and contrast it with the 'masculine' Wilcox house. The chapter explores themes of class, culture, and the gulf between the leisured and the struggling.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Inequality

The contrast between the Schlegels' leisured, cultured life and Leonard Bast's struggle to acquire culture while working long hours highlights class divisions.

### Connection vs. Isolation

Margaret's failure to connect with Leonard at the concert and Helen's regret over his departure underscore the difficulty of bridging social and intellectual gaps.

### Gender Roles and Women's Independence

The Schlegel sisters discuss their home as 'feminine' and contrast it with the 'masculine' Wilcox house, reflecting on gender roles in domestic life.

## Character check-ins

### Margaret Schlegel

Engages in intellectual conversation with Leonard Bast at the concert, discussing music and the arts; later reflects on the feminine nature of her household.

### Helen Schlegel

Experiences the symphony with vivid imagery of goblins and heroes; feels shame after Leonard Bast's abrupt departure from their home.

### Tibby Schlegel

Attends the concert with the family, focusing on the technical aspects of the music; later criticized by Helen for not making Leonard Bast welcome.

### Aunt Juley

Attends the concert and later comments on the incident with Leonard Bast, expressing concern about his character and the safety of the household's valuables.

### Leonard Bast

Sits next to Margaret at the concert, struggling to keep up with her cultured conversation; earlier fled the Schlegel home in embarrassment after being made to feel his poverty.

### Frieda Mosebach

Present at the concert, listening attentively to the classical music, unable to respond to Helen's smiles.

## Key lines

> It will be generally admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man.

The narrator asserts that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is universally considered the most magnificent sound ever heard.

_Opens the chapter with a grand, ironic statement about the symphony's universal appeal._

> Panic and emptiness! Panic and emptiness! The goblins were right.

Helen feels a profound sense of fear and meaninglessness, agreeing with the goblins' nihilistic message in the music.

_Captures Helen's emotional response to the symphony, linking it to existential dread._

> I'd rather he had been a thief and taken all the apostle spoons than that I—Well, I must shut the front-door, I suppose. One more failure for Helen.

Helen expresses that she would prefer Leonard had stolen from them than to have caused his humiliation, calling the incident a personal failure.

_Shows Helen's guilt and empathy after Leonard's abrupt departure._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/howards_end_se/chapters/v
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- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/howards_end_se/chapters