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In our discussion group on Thursday we talked about a lot!  However, what interested me the most was Forster’s “only connect.”  We talked for along time about what could be connected and what Forster intended.  We do see connections however, we see more than just interpersonal connections we see social class, world views, the arts, gender and all ages connect.  Is it possible that in order to see a “whole” view of the world one must connect all of these areas?  Perhaps that is what Margaret and Helen are doing when they start to interact with Leonard, they are trying to connect their experience with his and then with the outside world.  What struck me as interesting is the use of the word only; we are to “only connect.”  Is this connection that Forster is asking us to make meant to be limited?  Is this a restriction, and why must there be a restriction?

As I read further I began to see that connection in this sense is only a connection like connecting a cable there is no inherent meaning.  I wonder why this would be so.  After I finished this week’s reading it became a little clearer to me. At least in this setting, at this time, classes should only connect for a slight understating and nothing more.  We see Helen and Margaret go beyond connecting with Leonard and his wife and it ends in a horrible mess for the lower class, the Bast’s.  Perhaps the classes are meant to connect in a way that they see and know each others existence but to make no more connection than this, for the outcomes are negative.

 I do not think that the limitation of “only connect” applies to our lives to day, but perhaps.  In this class we are doing just that we are connecting the idea of literature and evolution however is there a restriction on this?  Are there limitation that we should be making or perhaps will these become clear further along in the course.