Only connect...

I've been a big fan of E.M. Forster ever since I watched Merchant-Ivory Productions of his novels during my student days; mesmerizing "Room with A View", powerfully acted and socially complex "Howards End", and my favorite, "Maurice". The film has probably been one of my top favorite of all films, as it resonates for its honesty, pain, and uncertain happy ending. The novel itself is powerful, but the film enhances the emotion, sense of danger, and hopeful naivete of the central character. I also think it is one of the most beautifully filmed British film, from Cambridge landscape to gorgeous Alec to deep green countryside pulled together with subconsciously omnipresent music.

The original book was published posthumously in 1971, and has been revised numerous times since first written in the late 1910's. I just finished reading Wendy Moffat's biography of Forster, "A New Life," which focuses on Forster's struggles with his sexuality and his writings, and begin to understand more about the context of "Maurice" as well as Forster's famous epigraph, "Only connect..."

I always thought "Maurice" more autobiographical than other novels, especially the painful relationship between Maurice and Clive, but thought Alec was a pure fantasy. My assumption turns out to be half right; when it was first written, Alec (a working-class lover with a heart of gold) was Forster's ideal, modeled after Edward Carpenter's lover, George Merrill, but not someone real for Forster. According to Moffat, there is a version of "Marice" in which Alec departs to Argentine, leaving behind heart-broken Maurice in Britain. Some parts of the novel seem to have never changed, especially the first part of the novel focused on Maurice's relationship with Clive (and I was excited to find out that there was a model for Clive...Huge Meredith who was also the model for George in "Room with A View".) Forster eventually revised the version with happy ending, dedicating the novel to "Happier Years" when homosexuality is tolerated without illegality. He also experienced homosexual relationships by then, after finding love in his later years...Mohammed el Adl and Bob Buckingham.

I always picture Forster as keen-eyed observer...someone who observes his surroundings and delves deep into the core of the matters, finding irony, humor and humanity...but not the active participant in life. His understandings of the characters of Cecil, Clive, and Philip (from "Where Angel Fears to Tread") show this trait, as he seems to have real sympathy and close association to these characters (though Clive's platonic homosexuality and conversion to heterosexuality seem to remain a mystery even for Forster.) Most of the photographs of Forster also show him as an introvert and observant, with his hunched back and quiet stillness; eyes showing active mind, but his body remaining placid. In other words, a liberal and free-thinking hermit with quiet and inactive life.

According to Moffat, Forster stopped writing the "publishable novels" after he became active participant in life (ie; started to have active sexual life in his late 30's.) I think she is right in this, as collection of short novels, "Life to Come" published posthumously and written in his 40's and thereafter, seem to be less idealistic when it comes to sexuality. They are more physically present and real, though still secretive and filled with stuffy frustrations. His sexuality is more present in these novels, though even with these traits, I believe he mostly remained an observer than participant throughout his life. This may have resulted from intolerant society that he lived in, or his highly moralistic and structured middle class upbringing. Either way, Forster seems to draw a line between him and others, including his lovers, as he never seems to have had the exclusive lovers who are solely and openly in relationship with him. Both Mohammed and Bob had wives and children (named after him,) and Forster never had the sole exclusive partnership similar to the one enjoyed by Carpenter and Merrill (or Maurice and Alec.)

It is ironic that one of his famous epigraph is "Only connect..." as I believe that is what he wanted most but never fully attained in his life as a supreme observer. Being the master observer made it impossible for him to fully immerse himself in life without care, as he could not help himself from observing himself without harsh criticism.

Yet, how he craved to live and to be connected!

"Maurice" represents this craving, and his idealism filled with secret hopes, thereby exposing his vulnerability. It is so real and painful, almost as if I am forced to look at his naked self and his craving to be "connected", which resonates with me close to my heart.

Forster ended his life with Bob and Bob's wife beside him. He may not have lived in the "Happier Years", in the ideal relationship of Maurice and Alec, but he was probably as close as being "connected" as he could be at the end of his life.

Only connect...