Writing Prose
In the novel, Forster focuses on the craft of storytelling and the aspects at play in writing prose. By exploring story, characters, plot, fantasy, prophecy, pattern, and rhythm Forster formulates a standard for prose writing. He stresses the distinction between story and plot and how each serves its individual purpose while complementing each other. As a result, he criticizes curiosity as a facility in writing but rather the writer should aim at causality by offering the why. He also explores a significant aspect of writing which is characterization where he expounds on flat and rounded characters. He recognizes the flat characters in great fiction but also affirms the significance of rounded characters.
Pseudo-scholarship
In the initial sections of the novel, Forster handles the idea of pseudo-scholarship and pseudo-scholars by dispelling certain elements of literary criticism. He asserts there is a historical tendency to group the literary community chronologically for the scholars to extend their self-styled criteria. He acknowledges the need for pseudo-scholars to offer their critiques in the same manner he offers his breakdown of fictional prose. Therefore he renounces himself as a scholar in order to offer a more transparent and honest take on literary theory. Thus, attests that art is timeless and seldom alters through time as opposed to history therefore chronology is irrelevant to the literary sphere.
Literary Theory
Essentially, the book which is a collection of lectures and references to great novelists expounds on the elements of literary theory. In that Forster explores the nature of literary works to highlight how meaning is conveyed and interpreted through the aspects of writing. Consequently drawing comparisons between the texture and form of literary works to a symphony. Therefore demonstrates the core of fictional prose and how social prophecy, human nature, and moral philosophy should preoccupy the core of the novel.
