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My Wood
by E. M. Forster (1879-1970)
1 A few years ago I wrote a book whih dea!t i" #art with the
diffi$!ties of the E"g!ish i"
I"dia. Fee!i"g that they wo$!d ha%e had "o diffi$!ties i" I"dia
the&se!%es' the A&eria"s
read the book free!y. he &ore they read it the better it
&ade the& fee!' a"d a hek to
the a$thor was the res$!t. I bo$ght a wood with the hek. It is
"ot a !arge wood--it
o"tai"s sare!y a"y trees' a"d it is i"terseted' b!ast it' by a
#$b!i foot-#ath. ti!!' it is
the first #ro#erty that I ha%e ow"ed' so it is right that other
#eo#!e sho$!d #artii#ate i"
&y sha&e' a"d sho$!d ask the&se!%es' i" ae"ts that
wi!! %ary i" horror' this %ery
iorta"t *$estio"+ What is the effet of #ro#erty $#o" the
harater, o"t !ets to$h
eo"o&is/ the effet of #ri%ate ow"ershi# $#o" the
o&&$"ity as a who!e is a"other
*$estio"--a &ore iorta"t *$estio"' #erha#s' b$t a"other o"e.
ets kee# to
#syho!ogy. If yo$ ow" thi"gs' whats their effet o" yo$, Whats
the effet o" &e of &y
wood,
I" the first #!ae' it &akes &e fee! hea%y. 2ro#erty does
ha%e this effet. 2ro#erty
#rod$es &e" of weight' a"d it was a &a" of weight who
fai!ed to get i"to the 3i"gdo&
of 4ea%e". 4e was "ot wiked' that $"fort$"ate &i!!io"aire i"
the #arab!e' he was o"!y
sto$t/ he st$k o$t i" fro"t' "ot to &e"tio" behi"d' a"d as
he wedged hi&se!f this way
a"d that i" the rysta!!i"e e"tra"e a"d br$ised his we!!-fed
f!a"ks' he saw be"eath hi& a
oarati%e!y s!i& a&e! #assi"g thro$gh the eye of a "eed!e
a"d bei"g wo%e" i"to the
robe of 5od. he 5os#e!s a!! thro$gh o$#!e sto$t"ess a"d
s!ow"ess. hey #oi"t o$t
what is #erfet!y ob%io$s' yet se!do& rea!i6ed+ that if yo$
ha%e a !ot of thi"gs yo$ a""ot
&o%e abo$t a !ot' that f$r"it$re re*$ires d$sti"g' d$sters
re*$ire ser%a"ts' ser%a"ts
re*$ire i"s$ra"e stas' a"d the who!e ta"g!e of the&
&akes yo$ thi"k twie before
yo$ ae#t a" i"%itatio" to di""er or go for a bathe i" the orda".
o&eti&es the
5os#e!s #roeed f$rther a"d say with o!stoy that #ro#erty is
si"f$!/ they a##roah the
diffi$!t gro$"d of asetiis& here' where I a""ot fo!!ow
the&. $t as to the i&&ediate
effets of #ro#erty o" #eo#!e' they $st show straightforward
!ogi. It #rod$es &e" of
weight. Me" of weight a""ot' by defi"itio"' &o%e !ike the
!ight"i"g fro& the East $"to
the West' a"d the ase"t of a fo$rtee"-sto"e bisho# i"to a #$!#it
is th$s the e:ata"tithesis of the o&i"g of the o" of Ma". My
wood &akes &e fee! hea%y.
; I" the seo"d #!ae' it &akes &e fee! it o$ght to be
!arger.
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< he other day I heard a twig s"a# i" it. I was a""oyed at
first' for I tho$ght that
so&eo"e was b!akberryi"g' a"d de#reiati"g the %a!$e of the
$"dergrowth. =" o&i"g
"earer' I saw it was "ot a &a" who had trodde" o" the twig
a"d s"a##ed it' b$t a bird'
a"d I fe!t #!eased. My bird. he bird was "ot e*$a!!y #!eased.
Ig"ori"g the re!atio"
betwee" $s' it took f!ight as soo" as it saw the sha#e of &y
fae' a"d f!ew straight o%er
the bo$"dary hedge i"to a fie!d' the #ro#erty of Mrs. 4e"essy'
where it sat dow" with a!o$d s*$awk. It had beo&e Mrs. 4e"essys
bird. oði"g see&ed gross!y a&iss
here' soði"g that wo$!d "ot ha%e o$rred had the wood bee"
!arger. I o$!d "ot
afford to b$y Mrs. 4e"essy o$t' I dared "ot &$rder her' a"d
!i&itatio"s of this sort beset
&e o" e%ery side. Ahab did "ot wa"t that %i"eyard--he o"!y
"eeded it to ro$"d off his
#ro#erty' #re#aratory to #!otti"g a "ew $r%e--a"d a!! the !a"d
aro$"d &y wood has
beo&e "eessary to &e i" order to ro$"d off the wood. A
bo$"dary #rotets. $t--#oor
!itt!e thi"g--the bo$"dary o$ght i" its t$r" to be #roteted.
>oises o" the edge of it.
?hi!dre" throw sto"es. A !itt!e &ore' a"d the" a !itt!e
&ore' $"ti! we reah the sea. 4a##y
?a"$te@ 4a##ier A!e:a"der@ A"d after a!!' why sho$!d e%e" the
wor!d be the !i&it of
#ossessio", A roket o"tai"i"g a "io" ak' wi!!' it is ho#ed' be
short!y fired at the
&oo". Mars. iri$s. eyo"d whih . . . $t these
i&&e"sities e"ded by sadde"i"g &e. I
o$!d "ot s$##ose that &y wood was the desti"ed "$!e$s of
$"i%ersa! do&i"io"--it is so
s&a!! a"d o"tai"s "o &i"era! wea!th beyo"d the
b!akberries. >or was I o&forted
whe" Mrs. 4e"essys bird took a!ar& for the seo"d ti&e
a"d f!ew !ea" away fro& $s
a!!' $"der the be!ief that it be!o"ged to itse!f.
B I" the third #!ae' #ro#erty &akes its ow"er fee! that he
o$ght to do soði"g to it. Cet
he is"t s$re what. A rest!ess"ess o&es o%er hi&' a %ag$e
se"se that he has a
#erso"a!ity to e:#ress--the sa&e se"se whih' witho$t a"y
%ag$e"ess' !eads the artist to
a" at of reatio". o&eti&es I thi"k I wi!! $t dow" s$h
trees as re&ai" i" the wood' at
other ti&es I wa"t to fi!! $# the ga#s betwee" the& with
"ew trees. oth i$!ses are
#rete"tio$s a"d ety. hey are "ot ho"est &o%e&e"ts
towards &o"ey&aki"g or
bea$ty. hey s#ri"g fro& a foo!ish desire to e:#ress
&yse!f a"d fro& a" i"abi!ity to e"oy
what I ha%e got. ?reatio"' #ro#erty' e"oy&e"t for& a
si"ister tri"ity i" the h$&a" &i"d.
?reatio" a"d e"oy&e"t are both %ery' %ery good' yet they are
ofte" $"attai"ab!e witho$t
a &ateria! basis' a"d at s$h &o&e"ts #ro#erty #$shes
itse!f i" as a s$bstit$te' sayi"g'
DAe#t &e i"stead--I& good e"o$gh for a!! three.D It is
"ot e"o$gh. It is' as
hakes#eare said of !$st' Dhe e:#e"se of s#irit i" a waste of
sha&eD+ it is Defore' a oy
#ro#osed/ behi"d' a drea&.D Cet we do"t k"ow how to sh$" it.
It is fored o" $s by o$r
eo"o&i syste& as the a!ter"ati%e to star%atio". It is
a!so fored o" $s by a" i"ter"a!defet i" the so$!' by the fee!i"g
that i" #ro#erty &ay !ie the ger&s of
se!f-de%e!o#&e"t
a"d of e:*$isite or heroi deeds. =$r !ife o" earth is' a"d o$ght
to be' &ateria! a"d
ar"a!. $t we ha%e "ot yet !ear"ed to &a"age o$r
&ateria!is& a"d ar"a!ity #ro#er!y/
they are sti!! e"ta"g!ed with the desire for ow"ershi#' where
(i" the words of a"te)
D2ossessio" is o"e with !oss.D
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A"d this bri"gs $s to o$r fo$rth a"d fi"a! #oi"t+ the
b!akberries.
7 !akberries are "ot #!e"tif$! i" this &eager gro%e' b$t
they are easi!y see" fro& the
#$b!i foot#ath whih tra%erses it' a"d a!! too easi!y gathered.
Fo:g!o%es' too--#eo#!e wi!!
#$!! $# the fo:g!o%es' a"d !adies of a" ed$atio"a! te"de"y e%e"
gr$b for toadstoo!s to
show the& o" the Mo"day i" !ass. =ther !adies' !ess ed$ated'
ro!! dow" the brake" i"
the ar&s of their ge"t!e&e" frie"ds. here is #a#er'
there are ti"s. 2ray' does &y wood
be!o"g to &e or does"t it, A"d' if it does' sho$!d I "ot ow"
it best by a!!owi"g "o o"e
e!se to wa!k there, here is a wood "ear y&e egis' a!so $rsed
by a #$b!i foot#ath'
where the ow"er has "ot hesitated o" this #oi"t. 4e has b$i!t
high sto"e wa!!s eah side
of the #ath' a"d has s#a""ed it by bridges' so that the #$b!i
ir$!ate !ike ter&ites whi!e
he gorges o" the b!akberries $"see". 4e rea!!y does ow" his
wood' this ab!e ha#.
i%es i" 4e!! did #retty we!!' b$t the g$!f di%idi"g hi&
fro& a6ar$s sha!! o&e to this i"
ti&e. I sha!! wa!! i" a"d fe"e o$t $"ti! I rea!!y taste the
sweets of #ro#erty. E"or&o$s!y
sto$t' e"d!ess!y a%ariio$s' #se$do-reati%e' i"te"se!y se!fish' I
sha!! wea%e $#o" &yforehead the *$adr$#!e row" of #ossessio"
$"ti! those "asty o!shies o&e a"d take it
off agai" a"d thr$st &e aside i"to the o$ter dark"ess.
(19)
