A Room with a View: A Bildungsroman

E.M. Forster’s, A Room with a View, easily qualifies as a bildungsroman.  The self-cultivation, characteristic of such novels, is clearly seen in the character of Lucy Honeychurch.  After today’s discussion, I cannot stop thinking about the incredible differences between the characters of Lucy and Cecil.  Their attitudes and outlooks on life differ so extensively, that by the end of novel one can almost feel the grinding of personalities.  However, Cecil proves very useful as a foil to the psychological, internal, and social growth and development of Lucy.  Cecil is so learned in his ways that he forgets to feel or to think for himself.  It is this static, pompous, mechanistic lifestyle that brilliantly emboldens Lucy’s thoughts, feelings, and passions.  While Lucy is torn between status and passion throughout the book, it is beautiful to see her walls of comfort and familiarity begin to crack and eventually crumble, as she takes baby steps outside of what is deemed and starts to truly experience life.  By the end of the novel, Lucy has learned to listen to her drives, her feelings, her intellect, etc. and is living HER OWN life.  What’s more is that she is HAPPY.  I find this exceptionally enlightening and refreshing.