&quot;Howards End&quot;, written in 1909 and Forster&acute;s fourth novel , is often proclaimed as his most mature novel and his masterpiece.<br /><br />&quot;Howards End&quot; is a finely nuanced depiction of the relationships among three families from drastically different backgrounds and world views. Their paths cross and intertwine throughout the novel, with fatal consequences.&nbsp;<br />The novel questions the rigid class system and the moral hypocrisy of early 20th-century patriarchal society, but in the end paints a rather bleak picture of the ability either to overcome class barriers or escape gender stereotypes and roles.