Howards End · Chapter
XXXV explained
Margaret and Henry Wilcox travel to Howards End to confront Helen, who has been acting strangely.
What happens
Margaret and Henry Wilcox travel to Howards End to confront Helen, who has been acting strangely. Henry devises a plan to avoid a scene, but Margaret, realizing Helen is pregnant, protects her by locking her inside the house.
Themes in this chapter
Connection vs. Isolation
Margaret's protective act of locking Helen inside Howards End highlights the tension between familial connection and the isolation imposed by societal judgment.
Gender Roles and Women's Independence
Helen's pregnancy outside marriage and the men's attempt to label her as abnormal underscore the restrictive gender roles and lack of autonomy for women.
Characters to notice
- Margaret Schlegel
Margaret is deeply worried about Helen and struggles with her trust in Henry. She ultimately acts to protect her sister.
- Helen Schlegel
Helen is discovered at Howards End, sitting in the porch, and is revealed to be pregnant.
- Henry Wilcox
Henry devises a plan to capture Helen without a scene, but his dishonesty angers Margaret.
- Dolly Fussell
Dolly is present at the start of the chapter, showing vulgar excitement when Henry plans to leave without Margaret.
- Crane
Crane drives the car and is instructed to wait behind the laurels to avoid alarming Helen.
- Miss Avery
Miss Avery is seen standing in the farmyard and confirms that a cab has passed.
Key passages
“She protested no more. Whether Henry was right or wrong, he was most kind, and she knew of no other standard by which to judge him. She must trust him absolutely.”
Margaret stops arguing and decides to trust Henry completely, judging him solely by his kindness.
Margaret's internal conflict between doubt and trust in Henry.
“However piteous her sister’s state, she knew that she must be on her side. They would be mad together if the world chose to consider them so.”
No matter how pitiful Helen's condition, Margaret resolves to stand by her, even if the world labels them both as mad.
Margaret's fierce loyalty to Helen in the face of societal condemnation.