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1、Guide to Reading nHow does E M Forster cope with this difficult topic He narrows down the discussion of the English nation to the male members of the middle classes from the very beginning of his essay and concentrates on this social section Guide to reading nWhat is the English character depicted b
2、y Forster Forster depicts characters with a gentle irony that reveals the moral and emotional deficiencies of the English upper and middle classes He feels that middle class and upper class Englishmen lack a spontaneous capacity for passion and intuition He believes that the English character should
3、 be improved by the imagination mysticism and sensitivity to nature that he has observed not only in other nations but also in the English lower classes The major theme in Forster s novels nAll the four novels share a gentle irony that reveals the moral and emotional deficiencies of the English uppe
4、r and middle classes Forter s whole literary effort probes this profound pathology of undeveloped hearts This was originally given as a talk in India but later worked up for publication Usually when somebody gives a talk or writes an essay on a subject he she is likely to use words such as points re
5、flections observations to present his her views and opinions They are the notes of a student who is trying to get at the truth and would value the assistance of others E M Forster How to understand the title Part I paragraph1 nThe character of the English is essentially middle class Forster s opinio
6、n is supported by a good historical reason that is the middle classes have been the dominant force in Britain since the end of the 18th century three aspects wealth political power the rise and organization of the British Empire the literature of the 19th century Part II paragraph2 3 nThis part is a
7、bout the English public school system and its role in character building disproportionately great influence unique four features boarding school sports and games compulsory prefects and fagging good form and team spirit the lasting effect of the public school education on the middle class English me
8、n The public school system nIn England the public schools are independnt schools supported by funding through the private sector and through tuition rates So they are in fact private run elite schools Public schools are boys boarding schools and are expensive only rich middle class parents can affor
9、d to send their children to these schools Part III paragraph4 8 nThe undeveloped heart of the middle class Englishmen his explanation of what he means by an undeveloped heart an anecdote that illustrates his point Foster criticizes the middle class Englishmen for being unemotional or rather the slow
10、ness of the English character which is related to the undeveloped heart nusing himself as an example irony n I will now descend from that dizzy and somewhat unfamiliar height and return to my business of notetaking para 8 nAs the author doesn t approve of the typical Englishman s behavior regarding
11、emotions he has no desire to be a representative of the English middle classes assuming the unfamiliar position of self importance and looking down on others from a dizzy height That put me in a high position of representatives which makes me dizzy and is unfamiliar to me Now I will come down from t
12、hat height and return to my role as your commentator on the characteristics of the Englishmen n Their instinct forbade them to throw themselves about in the coach because it was more likely to tip over if they did para 8 nThe Englishmen understood facts extraordinarily well They were very practical
13、and by instinct they knew if they threw themselves about in the coach they would be more likely to cause the coach to lose balance and turn over thus adding to the danger Part IV paragraph 9 10 nA thought provoking question raised by Forster If the English nature is cold how is it that it has produc
14、ed a great literature and a literature that is particularly great in poetry n if the English nature is cold how is it that it has produced a great literature and a literature that is particularly great in poetry para 9 nForster sees a paradox a contradictory situation here If the English nature is c
15、old that is to say unemotional and unsympathetic then it is not obvious why this cold nature has produced a great literature and a literature particularly great in poetry which expresses warm sympathy romance and imagination n The warm sympathy the romance or we could not have this outburst of natio
16、nal song n The nation as a whole includes English people from all classes esp lower working classes As Forster is critical of the English middle classes he sees some fine qualities in the English working classes that the middle classes lack The author hopes that the working classes will bring some positive elements into the English national character Part V paragraph 11 15 nThe topic of hypocrisy a prime charge always brought against the English nIn Forster s opinion the English are not guilty o
