An Event in Your Life

Chapter 1 The Bertolini Summary We open in Florence at the Pension Bertolini, a support for British travelers. YoungLucy Honeychurchand her cousin,Charlotte bartlett pear, are bemoaning the poor populates that they yield been given. They were promised rooms with views. The devil women sit at dinner in their pension, along with the other guests. Lucy is disappointed because the pension hostess has turned come in to be British, and the decor of the pension seems lifted right out of a room in London. While everyplacehead down bartlett pear and Lucy talk, an aged(prenominal) man interrupts them to testify them that his room has a nice view. The man isMr.Emerson he introduces his son,George Emerson. Mr. Emerson offers get away Bartlett and Lucy a room swap. The men go out take the rooms of all timeyplace the courtyard, and Lucy and Charlotte will take the more pleasant rooms that tolerate views. bunk Bartlett is horrified by the offer, and refuses to accept she sticks to ignore the Emersons and resolves to switch pensions the a exceptting day. Just then,Mr. Beebe, a clergyman that Lucy and Charlotte know from England, enters. Lucy is delighted to meet psyche she knows, and she shows it now that Mr. Beebe is here, they must stay at the Pension Bertolini. Lucy has perceive in letters from her mother that Mr.Beebe has just accepted a position at the parish of Summer Street, the parish of which Lucy is a member. Mr. Beebe and Lucy devour a pleasant talk e veryplace dinner, in which he gives Lucy advice well-nigh the sites of Florence. This vacation is Lucys first time in Florence. Soon, al most(prenominal) everyone at the table is giving Lucy and hightail it. Bartlett advice. The torrent of advice signifies the sufferance of Lucy and run Bartlett into the proper graces of the pension guests Lucy nones that the Emersons are outside of this fold. subsequently the meal, some of the guests move to the drawing room. set down Bartlett discusses t he Emersons with Mr.Beebe Beebe does not imbibe a very high opinion of Mr. Emerson, only he thinks him harmless, and he believes no harm would have come from Miss Bartlett pass judgment Mr. Emersons offer. Mr. Emerson is a Socialist, a term that is used by Mr. Beebe and Miss Bartlett with clear disapproval. Miss Bartlett continues to ask Mr. Beebe about what she should have through about the offer, and if she should apologize, until Mr. Beebe expires annoyed and leaves. An old lady approaches the two women and talks with Miss Bartlett about Mr. Emersons offer. Lucy asks if perhaps there was something beautiful about the offer, horizontal if it was not delicate.Miss Bartlett is puzzled by the question to her, beauty and slenderness are the same thing. Mr. Beebe replicas he has arranged with Mr. Emerson to have the women take the room. Miss Bartlett is not quite undisputable what to do, but she accepts. She takes the larger room, which was word of honored by George, because she does not regard Lucy to be indebted to a preteen person man. She bids Lucy goodnight and inspect her new quarters, and she finds a piece of paper pinned to the washstand that has an rattling(a) note of interrogation scrawled on it. Though she feels threatened by it, she saves it for George surrounded by two pieces of blotting paper.Chapter Two In Santa Croce with No Baedeker Summary Lucy looks out her window onto the beautiful scene of a Florence morning. Miss Bartlett interrupts her reverie and encour festers Lucy to begin her day in the dining room, they argue politely about whether or not Miss Bartlett should accompany Lucy on a smirch of sightseeing. Lucy is eager to go but does not wish to tire her cousin, and Miss Bartlett, though tired, does not want Lucy to go alone. A clever lady, whose image is Miss munificent, intercedes. after(prenominal) some discussion, it is agreed that Miss lavish and Lucy will go out together to the church of Santa Croce.The two women go out, and have a lively (but not in any case involved) conversation about authorities and people they know in England. Suddenly, they are lost. Lucy tries to consult her Baedeker travel guide, but Miss Lavish will have none of it. She takes the guide book away. In their wanderings, they cross the Square of the Annunziata the buildings and sculptures are the most beautiful things Lucy has ever seen, but Miss Lavish drags her forward. The women eventually reach Santa Croce, and Miss Lavish spots Mr. Emerson and George. She does not want to run into them, and seems disgusted by the two men. Lucy defends them.As they reach the step of the church, Miss Lavish sees someone she knows and rushes off. Lucy waits for a while, but then she sees Miss Lavish wander down the street with her title-holder and Lucy realizes she has been abandoned. Upset, she goes into Santa Croce alone. The church is cold, and without her Baedeker travel guide Lucy feels unable to correctly view the galore(p ostnominal) famous works of art housed there. She sees a child hurt his pedestal on a tomb sculpture and rushes to help him. She then finds herself side-by-side with Mr. Emerson, who is likewise helping the child. The childs mother appears and sets the boy on his way.Lucy feels determined to be good to the Emersons disdain the disapproval of the other pension guests. But when Mr. Emerson and George invite her to stick them in their little bout of the church, she knows that she should be offended by much(prenominal) an invitation. She tries to seem offended, but Mr. Emerson sees immediately that she is trying to behave as she has seen others behave, and tells her so. Strangely, Lucy is not angry about his forwardness but is instead somewhat impressed. She asks to be taken to look at the Giotto frescoes. The trio comes across a tour group, including some tourists from the pension, led by a clergyman namedMr.Eager. Mr. Eager spews input on the frescoes, which Mr. Emerson mallil y disagrees with he is skeptical of the praise and romanticizing of the past. The clergyman icily leads the group away. Mr. Emerson, worried that he has offended them, rushes off to apologize. George confides in Lucy that his buzz off ever so has that effect on people. His earnestness and bluntness are cheating(a) to others. Mr. Emerson returns, having been snubbed. Mr. Emerson and Lucy go off to see other works. Mr. Emerson, sincere and earnest, shares his concerns for his son. George is unhappy. Lucy is not sure how to react to this direct and honest talk Mr.Emerson asks her to befriend his son. She is close to his age and Mr. Emerson sense much that is good in the girl. He hopes that these two young people can learn from each other. George is deeply saddened by animateness itself and the transience of human existence this cerebral sorrow all seems very crazy to Lucy. George suddenly approaches them, to tell Lucy that Miss Bartlett is here. Lucy realizes that one of the old w omen in the tour group must have told Charlotte that Lucy was with the Emersons. When she seems distressed, Mr. Emerson expresses sympathy for her. Lucy becomes cold, and she informs him that she has no need for his pity.She goes to join her cousin. Chapter Three Music, Violets, and the Letter S Summary bingle day by and by lunch Lucy decides to play the piano. The narrator tells us that Lucy has a expectant love for playing she is no genius, but she is talented and passionate, always playing on the side of Victory. Mr. Beebe recalls the first time he heard her play, back in England, at Tunbridge Wells. She chose an unusual and intense piece by Beethoven. At the time, Mr. Beebe remarked to someone that if Lucy ever learned to live as she plays, it would be a great event. Now, Mr. Beebe makes the same remark to Lucy directly.Miss Bartlett and Miss Lavish are out sightseeing, but it is raining hard outside. Lucy asks about Miss Lavishs novel, which is in progress. Lately, Miss Lav ish and Miss Bartlett have become close, leaving Lucy feeling like a third wheel. Miss Catharine Alan enters, complimenting Lucys playing. She discusses the impropriety of the Italians with Mr. Beebe, who half-agrees with her in a subtly and playfully mocking way. They discuss Miss Lavish, who once wrote a novel but lost the thing in heavy rains. She is working on a new book, set in modern Italy. Miss Alan talks about Miss Lavish first conflict with the Emersons.Mr. Emerson do a chin wagging about acidity of the stomach, trying to be helpful to another pension guest. Miss Lavish was drawn to his directness. She time-tested to stand up for the Emersons for a while, talking about commerce and how it is the heart of Englands empire. But after dinner, she went into the smoking room with them. A few transactions later, she emerged, silent. No one knows what happened, but since then, Miss Lavish has made no attempt to be friendly to the men. Lucy asks Miss Alan and Mr. Beebe if the E mersons are nice after some discussion, Mr. Beebe gives a qualified yes and Miss Alan a no. Mr.Beebe, though he does not say it, does not approve of the Emersons attempts to befriend Lucy. Mr. Beebe feels gravely for the Emersons nonetheless they are thoroughly isolated at the pension. He taciturnly resolves to organize a group outing so that everyone will have a good time. Evening comes on and the rain keeps. Lucy decides to go out for a walk and enjoy the last bit of daylight. Clearly, Miss Alan disapproves and Mr. Beebe does not approve entirely. But Lucy goes out anyway Mr. Beebe chalks her behavior up to too much Beethoven. Analysis Music and Lucys relationship to her music is one of the novels themes.Mr. Beebes comment becomes the readers hope for Lucy perhaps one day she will play as well as she lives. Forster speaks in this chapters opening pages of musics transcendent abilities. It can be the gift of anyone regardless of social class or education. Through Beebes statement , Forster is suggesting that these qualities in addition apply to passionate living. To live life well is within the cop of anyone, despite the prejudices and proprieties of Lucys adult male. Her choice of unusual Beethoven pieces is indicative of her passion. She needs more of an outlet than music, but for now her music will have to do.Music puts her in touch with her desires and feelings the passion of Beethoven makes her resolve to go out alone, despite the disapproval of others. Chapter Four Summary Lucy goes out longing for adventure, hoping for something great. She buys some photographs of great artworks at a junk shop, but remains unsatisfied. She wanders into the Piazza Signoria it is nearing twilight, and the military man takes on an aura of unreality. Nearby, she sees two Italians arguing. One of them is struck lightly on the chest he wanders toward Lucy, trying to say something, and blood trickles from his lips.The light strike was actually a stabbing. A crowd surroun ds them and carries the man away. She sees George Emerson, and then the world seems to fall on top of Lucy suddenly, she is with George Emerson, sitting on some steps some distance away. She fainted, and George has carried her here. She thanks George and asks him to fetch her photographs, which she dropped in the square when he leaves to get them, she tries to sneak away. George calls to her and persuades her to sit down. The man who approached her is dead or dying. A crowd surrounds the man, down by the fountain, and George goes to investigate.George returns, and they talk of the murder. They walk back to the pension along the river, and George suddenly tosses something into the water. Lucy angrily demands to know what he threw away, suspecting that they might be her photographs. After some hesitation, George admits that they were. He threw them away because they were covered with blood. At Georges request, they stop for a moment. He feels something incredible has happened, and he wants to figure it out. Leaning over a parapet, Lucy apologizes for her fainting and asks that he not tell anyone at the pension what happened.She realizes that he is not a intrepid man, meaning he is a terra incognita to old-fashioned ideas of courtesy and propriety, but she excessively realizes that George is intelligent, trustworthy, and kind. She says that events like the murder happen, and that the witnesses go on living life as usual. George replies that he does not go on living life as usual. Now, he will want to live. Analysis Forster spends the first part of the chapter explaining Lucys character. She is naive, but she has some strength and passion. She is defeated by the constraints on her gender, but she is also no firebrand by nature.She feels that she should be ladylike, in the old-fashioned sense of the word, but in utilisation she wants to be more free and adventurous than that label allows. She feels her emotions most stormily and deeply after she has played pia no. Forster often uses the landscape to mirror Lucys mood. After she finished playing the piano, the rain cleared, mirroring Lucys tendency to know her own desires most clearly after playing music. As she wanders into the square, the world seems touched by unreality. She longs for an adventure, and she is conscious of being in a different place and missing to see something rule.It is twilight, a transitional time between day and night, and Lucy is about to have a very confusing and important commence. She is rescued by George, and she cannot seem to decide what to think about it. For his part, George is as taciturn and strange as ever. Forster lets us into his characters heads, but with George and Mr. Emerson we have only their outward actions and dialogue. Lucys have got is confusing not only because she watches a man die, but also because she is not sure how to deal with George and how he makes her feel.She recognizes that he is not chivalrous or proper, but she sees goodness i n him. She stops by the river and feels in some manner comfortable with him, but she nervously asks him not to tell anyone that she fainted and he carried her. For George too, the experience is important. For whatever reason, and in ways that Forster will not allow us to see directly, he is changed. He tells Lucy that he will not return to life as he lived it before now, he wants to live. The experience has made him appreciate life, perhaps in part because he shared something rare with Lucy.