Henry James is often considered a master of nuance in fiction. He rarely shows readers just one side of a question, but rather displays fully rounded characters in all their complexity. Thus, the answer to the question is that James is not presenting us with an either/or dichotomy but rather a character that evokes complex reactions that reveal the viewpoints of other characters and readers.
Daisy Miller is an independent, innocent, spontaneous, and unconventional young woman. She is uncultured and ignorant and at times seems rather self-centered, oblivious to the opinions and desires of others. In many ways she represents the United States as a country. While some characters find her refreshing and admire her beauty and innocence, others deplore her lack of culture and insensitivity to local beliefs and customs. Even though from a feminist point of view, her insistence on walking after dark alone and associating with Giovanni should be her personal choices, they still display insensitivity to her social circle.
Also, Daisy seems crassly materialistic and rude, talking about Paris mainly in terms of clothing and seeing social circles entirely in terms if herself. At the castle, Winterbourne "saw that she cared very little for feudal antiquities and that the dusky traditions of Chillon made but a slight impression upon her."
Thus James seems to be letting readers see that the expatriates who are striving to be obsessively European, assimilating to Europe's culture and manners and prejudices, and the brashly ignorant Daisy are both unbalanced in their approach to social interactions and is maybe suggesting that a happy medium would be preferable.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
In the story "Daisy Miller" is she a vulgarian who corrupts high standards of culture OR is she simply a naive girl corrupted by European decadence? What textual evidence makes readers feel either way? In other words, is the evidence in the text or a product of readers' own attitudes/prejudices?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in diverse environments (such as the ocean, the soil, and the human body). Various bac...
-
Note that these events are not in chronological order. The story is told by the narrator, looking back upon her life. The first notable even...
-
It seems most likely you are asking about Michael Halliday's theories of language. He argues children have seven main functions they use...
-
Under common law, any hotel, inn, or other hospitality establishment has a duty to exercise "reasonable care" for the safety an...
-
James is very unhappy on a number of occasions throughout the story, but he's especially unhappy with his life situation as the story be...
-
One of the plot lines in Pride and Prejudice is Mrs. Bennet’s plan to marry off her daughters, preferably to rich men. Throughout the novel...
No comments:
Post a Comment