How_Breaking_Free_Is_Shown_in_a_Room_with_a_View

How is breaking free represented in a Room with a View' In E.M. Forster’s a Room with a View, breaking free is primarily shown through the character of Lucy Honeychurch who is constantly alternating between the repressive requirements of society and the liberation of independent conscious. Mirrored to Lucy is the character of George Emerson, who breaks free on his own accord, and is an essential tool in Lucy’s journey to breaking free. Lucy Honeychurch yearns to break free from the dullness of her repressive society. She subconsciously achieves this through her music. For Lucy, music allows her to break free and express herself in a way that words cannot. Lucy plays a passionate Beethoven piece at the Pension, which allows her to break free emotionally into her own bliss. “ Like every true performer, she was intoxicated by the mere feel of the notes; they were fingers caressing her own; and by touch, not be sound alone, did she come to her desire” The use of sensory words such as “feel”, “caressing”, “touch” and “sound”, evokes the senses of the reader and engages them in Lucy’s escape through music. “Intoxication” and “desire” are both words that are not typically associated with the restricted formal society of Lucy’s time. Therefore, they represent how through the piano Lucy is escaping from her society, and breaking free into her own independent world. The passion in which Lucy plays the piano suggests her passionate nature, how she subconsciously wants to break free and be her own individual. Despite Lucy’s efforts throughout the novel to break free, she eventually makes a conscious decision to break free. By the end of the novel, Lucy’s personality has evolved and she is emotionally ready to take the plunge into breaking free. When Mr Emerson confronts Lucy about her and George’s love, E.M. Forster uses Mr Emerson as a literary tool to assist Lucy break free. “Yet as he spoke the darkness was withdrawn, veil after veil, and she saw to the bottom of her soul” Darkness is used as a metaphor for Lucy’s inner confusion and turmoil of her love for George – Mr Emerson assists Lucy in realising that George will make her break free. The use of “veil” has marriage and relationship connotations, suggesting that Lucy will accept what Mr Emerson has been saying and pursue a romantic relationship with George. To a similar time when Lucy is subconsciously breaking free through her music, George makes a conscious decision to break free from his philosophical uncertainties and inquiries. When the Italian man is killed in the Piazza Signoria, George realises that he needs to seize every moment of his life, and live life to the fullest, because it can end in an instant. This leads to George exclaiming; “I shall probably want to live.” The largely monosyllabic portion of words in this sentence suggests how George has consciously decided to relieve himself from his philosophical muddle, and break free. However, the three syllables in “probably” - suggest something stopping him - this occurs in Italy- a place that represents breaking free, different perspectives, passion, sensuality and intuitiveness - question mark left on Pension wall contrasted to this E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View shows breaking free through literary features such as characterisation. The central characters of this novel show how one can break free subconsciously through music and consciously through decisions.