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Hanna Adams

AP Literature

Mrs. Morris

12 September 2016

Blood Is Not Always Thicker Than Water

I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you. These words said by Anthony

Bourdain mean that even though individuals may not always get along, they can still respect each

other. This is especially true when it comes to familial relationships. Even though families might

not always agree, deep down they still love and care about each other. In E. M. Forster's A Room

With A View, Lucy Honeychurch and her older cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, get into many situations

in which the two end up in conflict. Due to the fact that Charlotte tells Miss Lavish about Lucy

and George's kiss, she won't help Lucy confront George about Lucy's feelings after her breakup

with Cecil, and the fact that Charlotte asks Mr. Beebe for help to get Lucy out of the country,

conflict arises between the pair; however, this conflict helps to drive the point forward about the

pointlessness of societal expectations.

Due to the fact that Charlotte does not approve of a private kiss that Lucy shares with

George, conflict arises between the pair. At the beginning of the novel, Charlotte and Lucy are in

Italy. They switch rooms with Mr. Emerson and his son George so that they can have a room

with a view. After some time living next to each other, Lucy and George share a kiss. Charlotte

and Lucy are of a higher social ranking than the Emersons. Therefore, Lucy and Georges special

is not acceptable according to society. Charlotte explains to Lucy that he (George) is

obviously unrefined. Let us put it down to his deplorable antecedents and education (Forester

72). Lucys cousin is disclosing her disapproval of George due to his standing in society. Because
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the pair disagree about George, they get into a heated argument. The conflict helps to expose the

fact that society controls every decision people make. In this conflict, Lucy is defying society,

much to Charlottes disgust, and therefore helps to propel the novel forward as Lucy is

questioning society.

When Charlotte refuses to help Lucy confess her true feelings to the man she loves,

conflict arises between the pair. After Lucy goes back home, she follows the wishes of her family

and gets engaged to a high-ranking individual. However, Lucy realizes she is in love with

George, cannot force herself to fall in love with her fianc, and asks for Charlotte to speak to

George telling him how Lucy feels. Charlotte declines when Lucy asks for help and explains that

Lucys request is the kind of thing only a gentleman can handle (Forester 155). This is due to

the fact of her disapproval of different classes being together. She does not believe George is a

gentleman and does not want to help Lucy be with George; therefore, Lucy becomes annoyed

with Charlotte. This conflict shows, yet again, that Lucy is defying society and following her true

feelings whereas Charlotte is abiding by the strict societal rules. Lucys struggles reveal that it is

hard to defy society and that many will not accept it, even if it is the right thing to do. She is

following her heart, even if that means going against society, as well as her family.

Charlottes last attempt to keep George and Lucy apart is to try and get Lucy out of the

country, which causes conflict. Due to Lucy's feelings for George, Charlotte asks Mr. Beebe for

help to get Lucy out of the country and to Greece; doing so in hopes that Lucy will clear her head

of George. Charlotte explains to Mr. Beebe that Lucy going to Greece is absolutely

necessaryShe (Lucy) must not stop here a moment, and we (Charlotte and Mr. Beebe) must

keep quiet until she leaves (Forester 176). Miss Bartlett is explaining that it is Lucys best

interest to go so that she does not stay behind and attempt to pursue a relationship with George.
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Charlotte is still adamant that society is right. Conflict arises between the cousins again as they

argue whether or not Lucy should leave which causes Lucy to almost finally conform to society.

Because Lucy does not, however, listen to Charlotte, Lucy continues to question society and

follow what she believes is right.

The conflict that arises between Lucy and Charlotte in A Room With A View helps to drive

the theme that societal rankings are unimportant. When Charlotte disapproves of Lucy and

Georges forbidden kiss, the pair get into an argument due to Georges social rank. Charlottes

disapproval is shown again when she refuses to help Lucy confess her feelings to the man she

truly loves. In the end, despite Charlotte's wishes, the couple end up together and are able to see

past society's expectations of them. In Lucys case, blood was not thicker than water and she

chose the man she loved over the wishes over her cousin.
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Works Cited

Forster, E. M. A Room with a View. New York: Penguin, 2000. Print.