Journal3

            Because it’s her first day in Italy, Lucy wants to go and visit the surrounding area.  Lucy tries to convince her cousin Charlotte that she doesn’t need her to come along. Charlotte isn’t comfortable about this, so she allows Lucy to go as long as Miss Lavish is with her. Of course, they both get lost, and Miss Lavish ends up leaving Lucy being without a map. Lucy eventually runs into Mr. Emerson and his son. Mr. Emerson explains to Lucy that his son is depressed and that she needs to cheer him up. After an immensely awkward conversation, Lucy finds Charlotte and rejoins her.

            Throughout the novel, setting portrays an underlining sense of irony. Florence, Italy is known as a beautiful tourist destination, but it seems to be often over-romanticized. You would think that everything in Florence would be beautiful and care-free, but, whenever the setting is mentioned, it almost always is described negatively. Forster wants to portray that reality is often much more harsh than what we imagine. I believe the ironic in setting is meant to correspond with the many instances of irony throughout the novel.

Journal 2

EM Forster’s A Room With a View is filled to the brim with random fiascos. The book starts with two cousins, Lucy Honeychurch and Charlotte Bartlett, arriving in Italy. Immediately, they start complaining about their room’s lack of a view.  Lucy tells her cousin it doesn’t matter, but Charlotte is determined to get the room they were promised. Overhearing the ladies bickering, a strange man offers to exchange rooms. Charlotte, feeling uneasy about the offer, politely refuses. This enrages the old man causing him to nearly assault Charlotte. Later, Lucy and Charlotte send Mr. Beebe, a clergyman, to apologize on their behalf and to tell Mr. Emerson they will change rooms. Mr. Emerson happens to be taking a bath, so he sends his son to confirm the room changes.

The relationship between Lucy and Charlotte seems to be very important. Charlotte acts like Lucy’s chaperon, always shadowing her around. It seems like Lucy’s mother sent her to watch over her.

Why is reading important?

Reading is, by far, the most important skill for anyone living in the modern world to master. Anyone who can’t read is at a huge disadvantage in life. Almost every profession requires the ability to read.  Also, without the ability to read, Learning would be nearly impossible. Recording discoveries and previous knowledge would serve no purpose if nobody could read.  Our society would be forced to portray our history through oral tradition, a technique used by ancient and under developed cultures. Computers and technology would become useless, and society would only have limited means of communications. The amounts of knowledge lost by illiteracy would be tremendous.

 Reading is not only needed in the process of learning. It is also necessary for living a safe existence. Whether reading a stop sign or the Constitution, the ability to communicate through writing keeps us united and safe. If we couldn’t read, how could we live under a common set of laws? There would be no government or order; our lives would be complete chaos. In order to exist, advanced society requires everyone to have at least a basic comprehension of language.