At the start of the novel what kind of barriers does Forster show us facing Lucy? In the beginning of the novel there are three main barriers that Lucy- a young twentieth century girl- is faced with. The first being barriers to her happiness- presented through characters such as Charlotte Bartlett as well as Lucy’s expectations of Italy versus what she is faced with, barriers to her freedom shown through attitudes and expectations held by the people surrounding her and finally barriers to her growth demonstrated through Lucy’s reactions to situations and again through other people’s expectations of her. Younger readers both in edwardian and recent times will be able to empathise with Lucy as we too begin to be presented with barriers similar to Lucy’s. These barriers are not however, impossible to overcome …show more content…
Lucy’s reaction displays the appal she feels towards the tedious and familiar sense of what should be a foreign and exciting experience that breaks away from the then suffocating english culture. This is further emphasised by Lucy’s comment to her cousin “Don’t you feel too that we might be in London?” and the narrator 's rhetorical question “Was this really Italy?” The other thing upsetting Lucy is that the promised room overlooking the Arno is not within her possession. Lucy explicitly states that she “wanted so to see the Arno” and is clearly disillusioned as she expresses that “it is a shame.” If Italy represents what could be the future promised for newly Edwardian England; passionate and beautiful then being denied this view is being repressed to the smog filled streets and strict Victorian etiquette. Readers, especially in the 21st century might be able to sympathise with Lucy’s reluctance to go on living in the- even then- outmoded Victorian