Set in Edwardian England, Howards End is the portrait of a lost era, a deceptively golden time before the First World War that would change values and lifestyles forever. To illuminate these changing times, Forster throws together three vastly dissimilar classes of people: the Schlegels— Helen and Margaret— educated, compassionate and independently wealthy; the Wilcoxes— nouveau riche Empire builders; and Leonard Bast, an ambitious but struggling bank clerk. As these three groups move in and out of each other' s worlds, disasters and discoveries ensue.