"Fools rush where angels fear to tread", is a saying commonly used to highlight how ignorance can lead to decisions that lead to unfavorable situations . Similarly, in Where Angels Fear to Tread, Edward Morgan Forster uses irony, point of view, and satire to effectively highlight how stereotypes, prejudice, misunderstanding of cultural differences, and hypocrisy can lead to unfavorable circumstances. Where Angels Fear to Tread begins as a light and comic novel but later develops to become more dense and tragic. The novel begins at a train station in England where a widow named Lilia Herriton prepares to leave on a trip to the fictional Italian town of Monteriano. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Herriton, and her two children, Phillip and Harriet, send her on this journey in hopes of separating her from her suitors. Lilia is accompanied by a family friend, Caroline Abbott, who the Herritons hope will watch over her. A month passes and the Herritons receive a letter informing them that Lilia is engaged to an Italian, Mr. Gino Carella. Enraged, Mrs. Herriton sends her son Phillip to break off the engagement. However, Filippo arrives too late and Lilia has already married Mr. Carella. Phillip and Mrs Abbot then return to England after failing to break up the marriage. Months pass and the Herritons receive another letter informing them that Lilia had given birth to a child but had died during childbirth. Mrs. Herriton did not believe that Mr. Carella was capable of being a father and sent Phillip and Harriet to Italy to retrieve the child. Mrs. Abbott, believing she had failed Lilia the first time, joined them on their journey. While in Italy, Mrs. Abbott and Phillip change their minds and...... middle of paper...... list. The novel ends with Phillip and Mrs. Abbott returning to England after learning an important life lesson. Overall, the use of irony, point of view, and satire in this novel effectively emphasizes the central message of the dangers of stereotypes, prejudice, obsession with social conventions, and hypocrisy. Where Angels Fear to Tread is a novel that goes through different phases of happiness and sadness. It takes the reader through a roller coaster ride of emotions as it follows the characters and their revelations. The novel teaches the reader to avoid generalizations and judge people before knowing their true personality, so that they can avoid unfavorable situations and avoid being the "fools" who "rush where angels fear to tread." Works Cited Forster, E.M. Where Angels Fear to Tread. . 10th ed. Oxford: Project Gutenberg, 2001. eBook.