The art of characterization exhibits the skill of a psychologist and the observer of life. Forster’s art of characterization is spectacular and it has its unique impact on the readers rather than individuals. Forster makes a very remarkable distinction between two types of characters that we generally come across in his novels. He says that a novel has usually two types of characters, the round and the flat. The character of E.M. Forster are quite convincing and some of them represent Forster’s philosophy of life. And some times like the characters of G.B. Shaw they look like the mouthpiece of the novelist.
Significantly, the characters of Forster are types not individuals. They stand for certain vices and virtues. They are the enemies of ideas. They destroy love because their hearts are under developed and they cause the delicate fibers of human relationship to wither. Such people make admirable officials because the are less than human. Interestingly, human beings tend to fall in two main groups, the crustaceans and the vitalists. The vitalist feel deeply and they are not afraid of their hearts guide them in their relation with others who take the broad views and refuse to let respect for conventions and strife, their generous impulses.
The striking features of Forster’s art of characterization is that his characters whether male or female there is a lack of passion and sensual fulfillment. A religiosity colors Forster’s major characters in “Where Angels Fear To Tread” Philip Herriton views Caroline Abbott a goddess and she like the goddess of Greek is capable of physical love. Philip’s love of Abbott is a specimen of his self denying asceticism. Further in Forster’s art of characterization, a reader feels the sense of detachment in manifesting the feelings of the characters. The character of Philip seems to pass through the world without colliding with it or moving it. The most startling qualities of his character are the detachment of Forster with his characters. Forster doesn’t identify himself exclusively with any of his characters. In “WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD” Forster’s acumen and perfection in portraying the principle characters of this novel are noticeable. Each character has his own color and traits. Mrs. Herriton represents the conventional, sophisticated, aristocratic and the snobbery of the rich people. she cant make compromise with high prestige and conventional temperament. And it is because of her abdusrate temperament, the family suffered irreparable loss. She judges everything from the angle of her conventional morality. Love has no say in her heart. It is for the prestige of her family, she sends Philip to Italy and then her daughter Hamlet. Her purpose was to break the relationship. She did not succeed but certainly brought loss to the innocent lives. Her sense of showiness and aristocratic temperament inculcated in her a veneer culture that became apocryphal to the relationship of heart.
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Lilia is another important character of this novel and she is a foil to Mrs. Herriton. She is a soft determined and has great faith in elemental human passion culture and status are no hurdles in the human relationship. Lilia considers the interaction of human culture and relationship of spectacular importance. Gino’s character has been portrayed in a different style. His character is a fine blend of virtues and vices. His different aspect of character have been presented in an interesting and impressive way. As a lover, as a husband, and as a father his character his character has been highlighted but to top all these qualities his filial feelings for his child have unleashed a great impact on Miss Abbott. Philip and Miss Abbott have great admiration for Gino for his deep love, for human relationship. The changes in the character of Philip and to a great extent in Mrs. Herriton’s character leave no doubt about the triumph of human relationship over all other nations of life. In brief, Forster has united his artistic skill and perfection in his art of characterization in this novel, WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD.
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