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A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin

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A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin

'A Room with a View' and 'The Remains of the Day' are two novels which involve journeys of physical and spiritual discovery. The main characters of the stories are dissimilar in gender, age and social status but both experience situations and encounters which challenge their perspectives and personal values. The authors of these books have both included references to nature and landscape to emphasize, mirror and reinforce the reactions and emotions of their characters.
They have also used nature and landscape to highlight key events.

'A Room with a View' was written in 1908 and the opening chapters are set in Florence, Italy, a vibrant country, …show more content…

Eventually both ladies have their rooms with views and Lucy throws open her windows and admires the lights dancing over the Arno, in sharp contrast to the cypresses and Apennines, black against the rising room. This is like a metaphoric opening of Lucy's eyes and mind in preparation for the adventures which await her. In addition, this black and white vignette is a romantic, idyllic view of the Arno and is in contrast with the brightly coloured, sunlit scene of the following morning, which is full of life, movement and noise, as the Italians go about their daily routines and Lucy views the reality which is about to alter her world for ever.

By comparison, 'The Remains of the Day' is set in the rolling countryside of England between the two Wars. Stevens is the old butler at Darlington Hall and he has lived his life in service, metaphorically confined within large, country houses. He has had a sheltered, privileged life, gaining his knowledge of England from employers, guests, staff and books, especially 'The Wonder of England' by Mrs Jane Symons. His present employer, Mr Farraday, an American, observes that 'you're always locked up in these big houses' and encourages Stevens to get out and see 'this beautiful country of yours'. Stevens begins his journey along routes which 'surprised' him due to their 'familiarity'. However, he soon experiences a 'sense of unease mixed with exhilaration' as the surroundings become unrecognizable.
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