A Room WIth A View by E.M. Forster explores the journey of Miss Lucy Honeychurch as she discovers what she really wants in life. Along the way, she meets two young suitors that represent two completely different places in society. George Emerson is middle to lower class, but thrives in society seemingly free from most if not all societal constraints. In contrast, Cecil Vyse is of the upper class in Victorian society, striving as much as possible to adhere to those same societal constraints. Lucy chooses Cecil at first, wanting to please those around her and be a part of Victorian society. After she discovers Cecil’s controlling attitude and behavior, however, she realizes that the freedom from society that George experiences is what she wants …show more content…
By definition, a vise is a metal tool with movable jaws that are used to hold an object firmly in place while work is done on it, typically attached to a workbench. It was also used as a torture device in the Medieval period. Incidentally or perhaps not, Cecil is also characterized as being “medieval” (71). His views toward women, especially Lucy, are primitive and antiquated. Despite this being the norm for Victorian society, Cecil was very excessive in this regard. He “always felt that he must lead women” as seen at the bathing incident at Sacred Lake (107), though he did not know why. Much like a vise, he was determined to grip onto and keep a hold on both societal standards and Lucy. Freddy, Lucy’s brother, expressed his “dim mistrust” in Cecil and how he “made one talk in one's own way.” (70). After his very first meeting with Cecil, Freddy is already mistrustful and confused at the way Cecil presents himself. Similarly, Lucy also gets confused. When she finally accepts his third marriage proposal, the audience can see that Lucy is always in some sort of confusion or muddle all the way up to the breaking off of their engagement. Whether it is determining how to act or what to feel, she never seems sure of