Maurice

Many of the places Maurice depicts—Cambridge, Penge, the British Museum, etc.—are symbolic in some way. What might Forster be trying to say about the importance of setting?

What does the novel mean when it says Maurice’s inner life is split between “the brutal” and “the ideal”? How does this idea reflect the novel’s themes?

Discuss the role that sickness plays in Clive “becom[ing] normal” (116). How does this episode relate to Maurice’s ideas about being gay and death?

After Alec reiterates his intention to emigrate, Maurice reflects, “Love was an emotion through which you occasionally enjoyed yourself. It could not do things” (233). Discuss this statement with reference to the novel’s themes.

Compare and contrast the greenwood and Ancient Greece as models for love between men.

What role does class play in Maurice’s relationships with Clive and Alec? Why does Forster ultimately provide Maurice with a working-class lover?

Several of the novel’s minor characters—Mr. Ducie, Mr. Borenius, Dr. Barry, Mrs. Durham, etc.—can be read as embodying societal norms and values. Choose one of these characters and analyze their role in Maurice.

Besides describing its characters’ dreams, how else does the novel represent unconscious experience?