Howards End Ending Explained

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Spoiler warning: this post explains the full ending of Howards End. If you have not finished the book, stop here and come back later.

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Quick answer: Charles Wilcox attacks Leonard Bast, the father of Helen Schlegel's unborn child, with a sword, and Leonard dies of a heart attack. Charles is jailed for manslaughter, his broken father Henry gives Howards End to his wife Margaret, and Margaret, Henry, Helen and her baby live together at the house, which will pass to Helen's son.

Quick facts

– Book: Howards End by E.M. Forster

– First published: 1910

– Type: A literary novel

– Tone of the ending: Bittersweet and hopeful

What Leads Up to the Ending

The intellectual Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen, befriend the practical, wealthy Wilcox family and a struggling clerk, Leonard Bast. Mrs. Wilcox leaves Howards End to Margaret in a note, but the Wilcoxes ignore it. Margaret later marries the widowed Henry Wilcox. Henry's careless advice ruins Leonard.

What Happens at the End of Howards End

Helen, furious with Henry, who once had an affair with Leonard's wife Jacky, spends a night with Leonard and becomes pregnant, then flees to Germany. When she returns, Henry refuses to let her stay one night at Howards End. Margaret confronts him about his double standard, since his own affair was forgiven. Leonard, guilty about Helen, comes to Howards End to confess. Charles, enraged, strikes him with the flat of an old sword, and a bookcase falls on Leonard, who dies of heart failure. Charles is convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. Henry collapses, and Margaret cares for him. Fourteen months later, Margaret, Henry, Helen and her baby boy live together at Howards End, which Henry wills to Margaret and then to Helen's son. Margaret learns that Mrs. Wilcox had wanted her to have the house all along.

The Ending in 4 Quick Points

Leonard dies.
Charles is imprisoned.
Margaret inherits the house.
The classes connect at Howards End.

What Happens to the Main Characters

Character	What happens to them
Margaret Schlegel	Inherits Howards End
Helen Schlegel	Lives with her baby
Henry Wilcox	Broken
Leonard Bast	Dies
Charles Wilcox	Imprisoned

What the Ending Means

The ending shows Forster's idea “Only connect” bringing different classes and values together.

Themes the Ending Brings Together

Class. Class divides people.

Connection. “Only connect.”

Home. Howards End unites them.

Is the Ending Happy or Sad?

Most readers describe the ending of Howards End as bittersweet and hopeful. How you feel about it usually depends on what you hoped for the characters and what you expected E.M. Forster to do with the story, so it is worth asking friends how they felt before you compare notes.

Who Will Like This Ending

Readers who enjoy endings that are bittersweet and hopeful will find a lot to talk about here. If you prefer every thread tied up neatly, it helps to know in advance how E.M. Forster closes the story, which is exactly why many readers look it up. Either way, the final chapters reward a second look once you know where everything is heading, because small details from the middle of the book start to matter. If you are reading with a group, agree beforehand whether everyone has finished, so nobody has the last chapters spoiled.

Book Versus Adaptation

The 1992 Merchant Ivory film follows the ending closely.

Discussion Questions About the Ending

If you are reading Howards End with a book club or a friend, these questions work well once everyone has finished:

Did the ending surprise you, or had you seen it coming from the first chapters?
What does the final scene say about class, and do you agree with E.M. Forster's view?
Which character made the most important choice in the last part of the book, and was it the right one?
How would the story feel if it had ended one chapter earlier or one chapter later?
Does the ending leave you hopeful about the characters, or do you worry about what comes next?
Would you describe the ending as bittersweet and hopeful, or would you choose a different word?

How to Read the Final Chapters Again

Compare the opening with the close. Look at how the first chapter introduces class and how the ending answers it.
Track each final choice. The table above shows where every main character ends up, so ask which of those outcomes was earned.
Notice what E.M. Forster leaves unsaid. Gaps in the last pages are often deliberate, and they are where most of the debate about the ending begins.
Listen for echoes. Images, phrases or settings from earlier in Howards End often return in the final scene with a new meaning.

Questions to Ask Yourself After Finishing

Was the ending of Howards End earned by what came before it, or did it feel sudden?
Which character's final moment affected you most, and why?
If you could change one thing about the last chapters, what would it be?
Did the ending change how you think about the opening pages?

Check price of Howards End on Amazon

Books to Read After Howards End

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens at the end of Howards End?

Charles Wilcox attacks Leonard Bast, the father of Helen Schlegel's unborn child, with a sword, and Leonard dies of a heart attack. Charles is jailed for manslaughter, his broken father Henry gives Howards End to his wife Margaret, and Margaret, Henry, Helen and her baby live together at the house, which will pass to Helen's son.

Is the ending of Howards End happy or sad?

Most readers call it bittersweet and hopeful.

What does the ending of Howards End mean?