E.M. フォースター : 伝記と初期の小説

E. M. Forster is regarded in England as one of the greatest novelists and critics of this century. The United States has shown a revival of interest in Forster with the filming of A PASSAGE TO INDIA and A ROOM WITH A VIEW. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of his limited personal experiences and strict upbringing on his early work. I limited the discussion to his first two novels, both of which were written while he was in his twenties and still groping his way in life. In WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, his first novel, he shows his incapability of bringing any realism into his description of love between man and woman. This novel is a social comedy wherein lies Forster\u27s forte. Though the characters are caricatures, the writer\u27s ironic control over them is superb. The narrative language is scintilating and the plot is well constructed. But this comic manner is sometimes dissonant with the serious moral problems with which Forster is trying to deal. The profoundness and complexity of life is missing-probably because young Forster had none of the ordinary experiences of life. His second novel, THE LONGEST JOURNEY is also, although in a different way, autobiographical. Though not so precisely constructed as the first book, it abounds with Forster\u27s imagination and passion. It is truly romantically conceived and presented. It reflects young Forster\u27s viewpoint of life.E. M. Forster is regarded in England as one of the greatest novelists and critics of this century. The United States has shown a revival of interest in Forster with the filming of A PASSAGE TO INDIA and A ROOM WITH A VIEW. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of his limited personal experiences and strict upbringing on his early work. I limited the discussion to his first two novels, both of which were written while he was in his twenties and still groping his way in life. In WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, his first novel, he shows his incapability of bringing any realism into his description of love between man and woman. This novel is a social comedy wherein lies Forster\u27s forte. Though the characters are caricatures, the writer\u27s ironic control over them is superb. The narrative language is scintilating and the plot is well constructed. But this comic manner is sometimes dissonant with the serious moral problems with which Forster is trying to deal. The profoundness and complexity of life is missing-probably because young Forster had none of the ordinary experiences of life. His second novel, THE LONGEST JOURNEY is also, although in a different way, autobiographical. Though not so precisely constructed as the first book, it abounds with Forster\u27s imagination and passion. It is truly romantically conceived and presented. It reflects young Forster\u27s viewpoint of life