I made up a list of essay questions for Howards End because I had a look online and couldn’t find any!

These are targeted towards the CIE / Cambridge A-Level Literature Exam Board, but you can use them for any other exam board or level too — AQA, Edexcel, WJEC, Eduqas, OCR, and so on.


If you find this useful, you can take a look at our other essay writing and literature resources here.

Check out my article on Howards End Essay – Leonard and Social Class.


Howards End – Essay Questions:

These are a mixture of discursive essay questions — some are also close reading, which means they focus on an extract. For the extract questions, I’ve given the rough scenes or chapters that I feel fit best with the question. If you practice these ones then try to choose a 1–2 page section out of the whole chapter to focus on.

  • Discuss ways in which Forster presents clashes of different classes in the novel.
  • Comment closely on ways in which the following passage presents Margaret’s experience of the proposal. (Proposal scene)
  • In Leonard’s last moments, Forster writes that ‘Squalor and tragedy can beckon all that is great in us, and strengthen the wings of love.’
  • In light of this, discuss Forster’s presentation of the final stages of Leonard’s life.
  • Comment closely on ways in which Forster develops the reader’s response to the exchange between Charles and Aunt Juley in the following passage. (the driving scene at the beginning)
  • Discuss ways in which Howards End explores relationships within families.
  • Comment closely on ways in which the following passage from Howards End creates an atmosphere in the story. (Leonard becoming angry at being asked his financial status) OR (Passage describing Mrs. Wilcox’s death)
  • Discuss Forster’s presentation of Jacky and consider her significance to the novel.
  • Comment closely on ways Forster presents Helen’s thoughts in the following passage. (Chapter 44)
  • Discuss the effects which Forster creates with his use of third-person narration.
  • Comment closely on the following passage, paying particular attention to ways in which Forster presents the relationship between Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox. (Chapter 9)
  • Discuss ways in which Forster presents the characters’ relationships with different places.

Thanks for reading! If you found this useful, you can take a look at our other essay writing and literature resources here.