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While there are many differences between "Howard’s End" and "On Beauty" subtle commentaries on class can be seen in both novels. I thought the interaction between Monique, the cleaning lady, and Kiki was particularly interesting. Kiki’s behavior changes dramatically when she is around Monique. Zadie Smith writes, “Kiki stayed in her strange movement, nervous of what this black woman thought of another black woman paying her to clean. She spoke in a quite different formal voice, stripped of its Florida music.” Kiki feels that she has to be a different person around Monique because she is her employer but, also because she is black. Kiki’s nervousness suggests that she feels that she feels there is something wrong with her hiring a black women to clean her house. One of the reasons I was so sensitive to this interaction between Kiki and Monique is because of Smith’s language. She writes with a specific attention to detail which really allows her readers to gain a better understanding of the character of her characters.

The epitome of this particular style of writing is seen when Smith describes the Belsey residence. In chapter 3 she eloquently describes what makes the family home so special. Her vivid descriptions allowed me to picture exactly how the home looked and I felt as if I was seeing the house for the first time instead of just reading about. Her descriptions reinforced the idea for me that there is a difference between a house and a home. A house is simply a place where someone lives. But, a home is so much more. A home is so special because it can’t be separated from it’s history. In learning about the home one has the treat of learning about the family’s house as well. Every mark on the floor and dent in the banister has a special purpose and story behind it. I haven’t reached the end of On Beauty but, I hope that the home plays a special role in the plot as howard’s end did in Forster’s novel.