# XLI explained — Howards End > Chapter companion for Howards End by E. M. Forster. ## What happens Leonard Bast, consumed by remorse after the events at Oniton, struggles with his conscience and deteriorating health. He attempts to find Margaret Schlegel to confess his sins, tracking her to Howards End. His psychological state worsens, marked by hallucinations and nightmares. He turns to his family for financial support, becoming a professional beggar, while maintaining a tender pity for his wife Jacky. The chapter explores his moral decay and the lasting impact of his actions. ## Themes in this chapter ### Death, Mortality, and Legacy Leonard's contemplation of suicide and his obsession with death as an escape from remorse are central to the chapter. ### Social Class and Inequality Leonard's degradation to begging and his awareness of Margaret's social position underscore the class divide and his powerlessness. ### Connection vs. Isolation Leonard's desperate search for Margaret and his isolation in his guilt highlight the tension between seeking connection and being trapped in solitude. ## Character check-ins ### Leonard Bast Consumed by remorse and guilt, Leonard seeks Margaret to confess, suffers from hallucinations, and degrades himself to begging from his family. ### Margaret Schlegel Sought by Leonard for confession; she is at Howards End with her husband, having instructed her staff not to rebuff anyone who mentions her name. ### Tibby Schlegel Asleep in the smoking-room when Leonard calls; he provides vague information about Margaret's whereabouts. ### Jacky Bast Leonard's wife, who notices his change in behavior; Leonard pities her with nobility and tries to be less irritable. ### Helen Schlegel Referenced in Leonard's thoughts; he believes she is in trouble and remembers her love for the absolute and her flight after Oniton. ## Key lines > Confession need harm no one⁠—it can satisfy that test⁠—and though it was un-English, and ignored by our Anglican cathedral, Leonard had a right to decide upon it. Leonard believes that confessing his sins will not hurt anyone and that he has the right to choose to confess, even if it goes against English social norms and religious practice. _Highlights Leonard's internal justification for seeking confession despite societal disapproval._ > Remorse is not among the eternal verities. The Greeks were right to dethrone her. Her action is too capricious, as though the Erinyes selected for punishment only certain men and certain sins. Remorse is not a universal truth; the Greeks were correct to reject it as a goddess because it punishes arbitrarily, like the Furies choosing only specific people and offenses. _Reflects the narrator's philosophical commentary on the nature of remorse and its uneven application._ > He built up a situation that was far enough from the truth. It never occurred to him that Helen was to blame. Leonard constructed a version of events that was very different from reality, and he never considered that Helen might share responsibility. _Shows Leonard's self-blame and his inability to see Helen's role in their encounter._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/howards_end_se/chapters/xli - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/howards_end_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/howards_end_se/chapters