In Hartley's "The Go-Between", Leo suffers a nervous breakdown following his three-week stay at Brandham Hall in 1900. He feels completely responsible for what happens to the central characters. There are aspects of Leo's character that certainly contribute to the outcome, his personal weakness and also the pressures of 1900 society are to blame. Hartley explores the difficult path of forbidden love of Marian and Ted, upper class and working class, against the strict social class background …showed first 75 words of 805 total…

…showed last 75 words of 805 total…to crisis's in the novel, The Go-Between. Leo's belief of his own magical powers gave him an unrealistic view of himself at Brandham Hall. He thought he had the power to control people and events. Leo's infatuation with Marian led to unclear judgment of her. Society certainly contributed to the major crises of the novel, if there was no pressure on Marian to marry an upper-class man, this story could have had a happy ending.