E.M. Forster's Howards End offers a glimpse into the class divides that have been ubiquitous in our world. Forester brings his explanation of this divide to life through his various characters, each with their own unique stories. In this book, social class is not a stagnant concept that characters are forced to accept, and while some do, others wish to push the boundaries of what it means to have a desirable social status. Leonard Bast is one such character, who embodies the idea of ​​redefining class. It attempts to walk the fine line between classy and classless. However, the question arises: does this line he believes he is walking on really exist? Is it possible for an individual like Leonard to transcend the boundaries of social class, move beyond the lower class category in which he is placed, and join the ranks of the upper class as he wishes? Throughout the book, Leonard Bast's life has shown that this answer is no. There is too much power in wealth to transcend the label you are given. Leonard is a frustrated individual who sees himself as a man who belongs to the higher end of the social ladder, as seen on page 39, a line that says: "he would rather die than confess any inferiority to the rich. On the contrary, the lines that follow say: “This may be splendid of him. He was inferior to most rich people, there is not the slightest doubt about that. He was not as polite as the average rich man, nor so intelligent healthy, nor so lovable his body had remained unnourished, because he was poor, and because he was modern they wanted more and more food. The contrast of these two lines shows a sense of pride on Leonard's part, but nothing in his favor for having transcended class boundaries.. ....middle of paper......the truth of the power of wealth came down Leonard one last time Leonard was a proud man who refused to accept defeat in his quest to succeed socially. However, the one aspect of life he could never escape was ideology. The world has given a definition of what it means to be at the higher levels of social class and at the lower levels. The way class is defined is very stagnant in the world, but Leonard refused to accept that. He did everything he could to convince the upper class that he had the characteristics of an upper class man, but his wealth did not agree. If Leonard had been a rich man with the same “backstory,” I am almost certain he would have been willingly accepted by those of the upper class, but he met his end at their hands. Leonard Bast was the emblem of defiance of norms and the emblem of his potential failure to reach his end..