The Character of Daisy Miller

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the character of Daisy Miller as found in "Daisy Miller", written by Henry James. The paper describes the times in which the book was set and the expectations of women in those times. The paper then discusses how Daisy Miller does not conform to the typical role of women of that era. It also shows how some of the other characters react to her.

From the Paper:

"It is evident that the character of Daisy was constantly misunderstood by the society of Europe in the late 1800s. The character was considered a disgrace to her gender and socially inferior because of elements in her character that could not be tolerated by the social elite. While it could be contended that Daisy Miller was attempting to rebel against the European upper class, or that she was irresponsible to her social position, Daisy Miller was simply being true to her American beliefs about gender. Women's Suffrage and the progress of women outside of the home framed Daisy's viewpoints on her existence. Once in Europe these notions began to shape her relationship with others, both of European and American backgrounds. As the Europeans were insisting that Daisy understand the European customs in relation to propriety, the same people were negligent in comprehending Daisy's American heritage. However, the misconceptions that occurred throughout the story demonstrated how assumptions only serve to create a wider gap of communication between all people. James shows his readers that the practice of guilt by means of assumption occurs in reality, as well as in fiction."

Sample of Sources Used:

• James, Henry. "The Art of Fiction". Gonzega. 16 September 2006. < http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/engl462/artfiction.html>
• James, Henry. "Daisy Miller". University of Virginia Library. 16 September 2006. < http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/JamDais.html>

More papers on The Character of Daisy Miller:

• Analytical Essay # 129630 : "The Character of Daisy Miller"
• Analytical Essay # 123832 : "Point of View of 'Daisy Miller'"
• Comparison Essay # 103545 : "Daisy Miller" and "The Awakening"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: