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In her novel, On Beauty, we see considerable evidence of Zadie Smith emulating Forster and his novel, Howard’s End.  From the almost identical beginning sentence to the detailed coming-to-life of two very different families we see similarity in the plots, structure, and conflicts generated within these two novels.  But most importantly, Smith attempts to not only re-create an updated version of Forster’s plot; she also sets out to reach a higher ground by not getting bogged down in the differences but instead emphasizing the strength and heart of the characters and by adding humor to the story.  From the plethora of connections forged in Smith’s On Beauty to Howard’s End, it is clear that she is by no means hiding her adoration of Forster’s old English novel.  Thinking back to biological evolution, I can almost see Smith’s reconstruction of Howard’s End as a model for the process of natural selection. That is, the job of a good novel could be to create a story telling process through which the author is able to successfully develop and create themes.  Once freed from their specific contexts, these themes have the power to penetrate a society; expanding the understanding of individuals and the world in which they live.  To Smith, the way in which Forster constructs his themes of class, society, art, and intellectualism, are revolutionary.  She has examined his novel and observed the effectiveness of his story telling process, and as she goes forth into the literary world, she too wants to be the “fittest” author: able to leave behind her unique themes to subsequent generations.  The fact that she is describing a very different world from that of Forster requires her to adapt her story.  And she does.  Drawing in the modern themes of racial diversity, nationality, and identity, Smith in On Beauty allows her characters to struggle with issues that will hopefully look very different a century from now, just as can be said when we look back at Forster’s novel today. She introduces a new species of novel, and yet, the homologies between the two books are still there.  Natural selection is at work – just with a few tweaks.

~eb