Even without reading the credits in House Howard by Zadie Smith, it is extremely clear that it draws its inspiration from House Howard by EM Forster. From the first line the reader can begin to draw parallels between the two novels. Surprisingly, Smith did not borrow the title from Forster's novel. It comes instead from Elaine Scarry's essay, On Beauty and Being Just, which begins with the statement that “Beauty brings copies of itself into being” (Scarry 3). With this, Smith pays homage to the beauty of Forster's novel by beautifully imitating it in a modern American version. While taking a modern approach to Forster's novel about the condition of England, it retains the central characters and conflicts that pervade the classic novel. Smith's novel, like Forster's classic, focuses on the conflicts between two families at opposite ends of the ethical and political spectrum. These clashes offer the reader significant insight into the issues of the time. Just as Forster addresses issues of class and feminism in his novel, Smith addresses issues such as race, opportunity, and intellect. Through the use of similar characters, plot points, and reactions to beauty, Smith renews the classic novel originally written by Forster. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Smith constructed main characters who are easily recognizable as modern American versions of Forster's English characters. Both novels focus on the thoughts of the main heroine. Smith's protagonist, Kiki Belsey, is obviously a reconstruction of the intellectual and liberal Margaret Schlegel. Although the similarities between the two are striking, Smith created Kiki as a stronger female figure than Margaret. Although Margaret was extremely progressive and liberal for her place and time in history, she compromises some of her core beliefs and values ​​to appease her husband. Kiki, on the other hand, refuses to make concessions on her ideas about marriage and love, which ultimately leads to her separation from her husband. Smith indicates that this rejection is the sign of a truly strong and independent woman. Although most of Smith's characters are transpositions of Forster's, she believes that some players were so complex that she found it necessary to split them into multiple people. Furthermore, it is obvious that Smith is less forgiving of his morally corrupt characters than Forster. While Henry Wilcox is certainly not a likable character, his two subsets are much more subtle. Collectively, the two embody the infidelity and arrogance present in Henry's behavior. Separately, each adopts different aspects of Henry's flawed nature. Monty Kipps represents the superiority and conservative aspects of Wilcox's personality. His traditionalist views on class structure and women's rights are reflected in Kipps' ideas on race and affirmative action. Howard Belsey, on the other hand, represents the ignorance that makes Henry such an unpleasant character. Also, Carl Thomas is a handsome hip hop rapper who represents the lower class, just like Leonard Bast. Both men aspire to and achieve a higher culture and class, which ultimately leads to their loss of identity in the process. In addition to the characters, Smith also borrowed heavily from Forster's plot in Howards End. While some of Smith's scenes are strikingly similar to Forster's, she tends to put a modern twist on Forster's outdated story. There are obvious transformations, such as Helen's letters evolving into Jerome's emails. Both novelsthey open with similar lines introducing these forms of communication. Smith opens with: “You can also start with Jerome's emails to his father” (3) while Forster states “You can also start with Helen's letters to her sister” (2). Even though these two lines seem incredibly similar, Smith goes on to further adapt Forster's plot to fit a modern American family. While class structure was an important part of English life in the early 20th century, it is not as clear-cut an issue in the United States during the 1990s, when On Beauty is set. Instead, Smith turns class into an issue of race and educational opportunity. These issues are not only much more realistic for an interracial family living in the Northeast, but they are also more relatable to its modern audience. Furthermore, perhaps the most ironic aspect of Smith's novel is the way he ended his novel. Howards End ends with Margaret finally getting her possession, the Howards End house, which answers many issues presented in the novel. Finally gaining her pastoral inheritance, Margaret discovers the primary basis of her identity and answers the question of who will inherit England. Likewise, Smith concluded his novel with a literal translation of Howard's ending. When Kiki leaves Howard, he finds that his identity begins and ends with his wife. Like Margaret, he also inherits a house, along with children and all the responsibilities that entail. Smith subtly uses Zora's mouth to speak to the idea of ​​placing so much importance on a pastoral context. Zora warns against “falling into pastoral error” which is simply “a depoliticized reification” (218). He believes that this idealization of landscapes is the opposite of what intellectuals should believe. Even though Smith ended his story with this ironic and cynical approach, both novels leave the ending open to hope for the future. Smith, like Forster, uses the beauty and reactions of his characters to comment on their distinct personalities. In Forster's novel, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony exposes each character's inner thoughts on beauty and life. As Margaret listens intently to the music, Helen imagines “a goblin walking calmly across the universe, from one end to the other” (Forster 46). Likewise, Smith uses classical music to reveal the true nature of his characters. Howard, known for his inability to truly appreciate beautiful art, simply sleeps through the masterpiece. Zora attempts to analyze the music while simultaneously listening to a commentary, which reflects her habit of “[living] through the footnotes” (Smith 70). Jerome, on the other hand, is emotionally moved by the music. Considering his sensitive nature and deep connection to Christianity, it is understandable that he would be the most moved by the piece. Like Helen, Kiki imagines inspirational illustrations to accompany the music, such as monkeys and mermaids. The fact that she is not an intellectual allows her to see beyond the academic world surrounding Mozart's work. This open mind allows her to appreciate music for what it truly is rather than analyzing it, like her daughter, or ignoring it completely, like her husband. Music isn't the only way Smith reveals the complexity of his characters. Paintings are also a major focus of Smith's novel. Howard, an art history professor, fails to recognize the beauty of anything in life, which Jerome diagnoses as “a denial of joy” (Smith 236). Carlene's Haitian painting inspires many different reactions from Smith's characters. Each character loved the painting for different reasons; Monty for monetary reasons and Levi for political implications..