My Wood

3 Pages 695 Words

“My Wood”, by E.M. Forster is a witty essay depicting Forster’s reaction to the ownership of a small estate he bought with the royalties from a novel he wrote. He cleverly discusses the effects the wood may have on him. Forster conveys a humorously negative attitude toward his experience of acquiring property through the use of biblical allusions, word choice, and the manipulation of sentences.
The use of Biblical allusions supports Forster’s point, and reveals his attitude on his owning of land. “They point out what is perfectly obvious, yet is seldom realized: that if you have a lot of things you cannot move about a lot, that furniture requires dusting, dusters require servants, servants require insurance stamps, and the whole tangle makes you think twice before you accept an invitation to dinner or go for a bathe in the Jordan.” Forster is evidently indicating that while initially something may seem simple, a person should ‘think twice’ before they engage in any endeavor. His attitude is rather obvious; Forster is contemplating whether the purchasing of the wood will result in dire consequences. The reference to the Jordan River is regarding to the river where John the Baptist baptized repentant sinners. Forster is concluding that a person should think before they obligate themselves to something, just as one would consider being baptized. His conscious is forcing him to realize the negative effects the wood has on him.
Forster begins the essay by explaining how he bought land, and how the purchasing of the land made him question the effect that property has on one’s character. What’s the effect on me of my wood?” Forster was concerned with the consequences that may result from the ownership of land, and uses droll word choice to exemplify his attitude. “ In the first place, it makes me feel heavy. Property does have this effect. Property produces men of weight, and it was a man of weight that...