Jacky Bast is a minor character in E.M. Forster’s novel “Howards End.” She does not have a significant role in the plot’s resolution and her fate is not explicitly detailed by the end of the novel.
In “Howards End,” Jacky Bast is the wife of Leonard Bast, a struggling insurance clerk. She is portrayed as a woman of lower social standing and questionable reputation, having lived in Cyprus where she may have been involved in morally dubious activities. Jacky’s past is hinted at being somewhat disreputable, and she is a source of social embarrassment for Leonard.
Throughout the novel, Leonard Bast seeks to improve his social and economic position, and his interactions with the main characters, the Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen, as well as with the wealthy Wilcox family, form a significant part of the narrative. Jacky’s most notable involvement in the plot occurs when she unexpectedly shows up at a music recital attended by the Schlegels and Henry Wilcox, revealing to the group that she and Henry were previously acquainted. This revelation leads to discomfort and the eventual disclosure that Henry had an affair with Jacky in his past.
The encounter with Jacky at the recital contributes to the novel’s exploration of class differences, hypocrisy, and the complexities of human relationships. However, after this incident, Jacky recedes into the background of the story. The novel does not provide a clear conclusion to her story, leaving her ultimate fate open to interpretation. The focus instead shifts to the main characters and the symbolic legacy of Howards End, the Wilcox family’s country home, which represents a connection to the English landscape and a more idealistic vision of social harmony.