Where Angels Fear to Tread
Where Angels Fear to Tread follows the Herriton family of Sawston, England, whose respectable order is upended when the widowed Lilia Herriton travels to Italy as a companion to Caroline Abbott and, at Monteriano, impulsively marries Gino Carella, the young son of the local dentist. Philip Herriton, Lilia's brother-in-law, is sent to break off the engagement but arrives too late; Gino has already married her. Lilia's married life proves stifling: Gino, though affectionate at first, controls her absolutely, forbids her solitary walks, keeps her from society, and is repeatedly unfaithful. Isolated, cut off from her daughter Irma (raised by the Herritons in England) and from her own family's sympathy, Lilia dies giving birth to a son, whom Gino adores with fierce paternal passion. Back in Sawston, Mrs. Herriton conceals the scandal from Irma and society, but Irma learns of her Italian half-brother through Gino's postcards, forcing the family's hand. Caroline Abbott, tormented by guilt for having failed to stop the marriage, pushes Mrs. Herriton to rescue the baby from what she sees as a corrupting Italian upbringing. Philip and his sister Harriet are dispatched to Monteriano to secure the child, with Caroline following independently, resolved to act where the others temporize. In Monteriano, Philip finds himself charmed anew by Italy and by Gino's warmth despite his flaws, while Caroline, visiting Gino, witnesses him tenderly bathing and cherishing his son and abandons her mission, recognizing genuine love where she expected only vice. Philip's negotiations with Gino likewise dissolve into friendship rather than confrontation; an evening at the opera further softens Philip toward the "vulgar" Italian world he once resented. Only the rigid Harriet remains fixed on the original plan. Unbeknownst to the others, Harriet secretly takes the baby from the house and flees toward the station. On the dark, rain-soaked road their carriage collides with another; in the crash the infant is thrown out and killed. The novel closes just after this catastrophe, with Philip, his arm injured, recovering the dead child in the mud with Caroline Abbott's help, and Harriet in a state of near-collapse, repeating that she "stole" the baby. The immediate task left before them is that someone must go and tell Gino the news.
By E.M. Forster · First published 2023 · Genre: Classic Literature, Drama, Romance · 10 chapters · 61,661 words
First lines
They were all at Charing Cross to see Lilia off -- Philip, Harriet, Irma, Mrs. Herriton herself. Even Mrs. Theobald, squired by Mr. Kingcroft, had braved the journey from Yorkshire to bid her only daughter good-bye. Miss Abbott was likewise attended by numerous relatives, and the sight of so many people talking at once and saying such different things caused Lilia to break into ungovernable peals of laughter.
"Quite an ovation," she cried, sprawling out of her first-class carriage. "They'll take us for royalty. Oh, Mr. Kingcroft, get us foot-warmers."
What this Textopian page supports
Where Angels Fear to Tread is listed on Textopian as a novel by E.M. Forster, dated 2023 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: E.M. Forster
- Date: 2023 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Classic Literature, Drama, Romance, Social Critique, Comedy
- Length: 61,661 words
- Structure: 10 chapters, 1,320 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Where Angels Fear to Tread?
- How does this novel by E.M. Forster fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Classic Literature first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Classic Literature — The book by E.M. Forster is considered a classic, originally published in 1905. It uses traditional literary techniques and the formal English of its time period.
- Drama — The novel involves interpersonal relationships, confrontations, and personal transformations. Involving much tension and emotional intensity.
- Romance — Elements of romance are present in the plot as it involves love affairs, matrimonial relationships, and related conflicts.
- Social Critique — Forster uses the novel to critique and examine British and Italian social norms and standards of the early 20th century.
Tags
love · betrayal · cultural clash · Italy · family · society · class · romance · tragedy · adventure · conflict · identity