E. M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy

Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Domains

Political Science

Dates

First circulation or publication 1951

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Essays/ Lectures (any)
Non-fictional prose

Resources

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Published in 1951

Two Cheers for Democracy

is Forster's second collection of essays after

Abinger Harvest

in 1936. It contains essays and articles written in the fifteen years between the two books. The book's title (stating that two, not three cheers is enough) comes from the famous essay of 1939, included here, “What I Believe”, in which Forster begins by saying “I do not believe in Belief” and culminates his views in the opinion that he would sooner betray his country than his friend.

The book is divided into two parts, the first entitled “The Second Darkness” and the second “What I Believe”. The first part is concerned with World War II, and ranges over such subjects as anti-semitism, the Nazis, and censorship. His conclusion, he says, is that “though we cannot

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212 words

Citation: Childs, Peter. "Two Cheers for Democracy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8494, accessed 24 April 2024.]

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