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            In finishing Howard’s End I find myself depressed by the moral I got from it in the end.  Nothing changes truly.  Mrs. Wilcox may have died, but Margaret has taken her place.  The only real changes are the shift in Margaret’s character and the birth of the illegitimate child.  Both of which leave little opportunity for real change in the future.  Margaret has left her liberal ways behind to pursue a quiet life in the country catering to her ill husband’s every need.  She held so many chances for opportunity.  She was in such a unique position for a woman of her time in that she was entirely independent of any men.  She was able to provide for herself and her family.  While the lease may have run up on her house, she had enough money to find them a new place to live.  Instead she gave herself over to the conservative Mr. Wilcox because she was so afraid of choosing the wrong house, and it seemed so much easier to have a strong, willful man in her life.  Helen’s child on the other hand I find even more depressing.  While it is a nice thought to think that the son of a poor clerk will inherit an old money mansion in the country, that is not the reality of the situation.  Somewhere in his mind the boy will know of his real descent, but it wont truly mean anything to him.  The male role models for him will all be Wilcoxes.  He will be raised a Wilcox too in the end.  He will never have to wonder where his next meal is going to come from or how he will pay the rent as his father did.  Really all it proves is that you can’t change the system no matter how hard you try.