E.M. Forster's famous epigraph "Only connect" appears in which novel?

Question

Accepted Answer

Howards End. The correct answer is "Howards End." Published in 1910, the novel explores the connections and conflicts between three families representing different aspects of English society: the intellectual Schlegels, the practical Wilcoxes, and the working-class Basts. The epigraph "Only connect..." encapsulates Forster's belief in the importance of bridging the divisions between people, classes, and ways of living.

"A Room with a View" (1908) explores English tourists in Italy but uses a different thematic framework. "A Passage to India" (1924) deals with the impossibility of connection across colonial divides, which ironically inverts the "Only connect" ideal. "Maurice" (completed 1914, published 1971) explores homosexuality but was not published during Forster's lifetime.

The epigraph "Only connect" is one of the most famous phrases in English literature and appears frequently on the CLEP exam. Students should understand how it applies to the novel's plot (the connection between the Schlegel and Wilcox families), its social vision (bridging inner and outer life, prose and passion), and its broader significance in Forster's humanist philosophy.

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