Modernism and Henry James Daisy Miller - Dissertation Example

Modernism and the Search of Self in Henry James’ Daisy Miller Introduction Henry James was an American during the transition period betweenthe 19th and 20th century. As he lived during the transition years, he was able to witness the cultural differences of both times, the Old World and New World (Edel, 1963, p. 5). His works centered mainly on the realities of existence particularly those that pertain to culture and traditions. Aside from this, he travelled throughout America and Europe for twenty years, which gave him a full grasp of the cultures of both continents. Accounting for the significant differences of both cultures, he wrote a series of novels concerning American experience in Europe (Wardley, 1991, p. 232). In his novella, Daisy Miller (1879), James portrayed both the American and European cultures as well as challenged social expectations and gender conventions (Hammad, 2010, p. 28). This paper aims to discuss the cultural differences of America and Europe as shown in Daisy Miller. Accordingly, this paper also discusses the characters of Daisy and Winterbourne to elaborate the cultural differences of those continents. Initially, this paper suggests that responsible exercise of free will, rather than strict conformity to moral standards, enables people to find their own identity. The Characterization of Daisy and Winterbourne As the story revolves on the necessity of free will in the life of human beings, James projects the characters of Daisy and Winterbourne in such a way that those two characters symbolize the two types of people: those who exercise their free will, and those who conform to social conventions. Daisy is a native of Schenectady, New York, who travels to Europe with her mother. As mentioned by Howells (2001), Daisy Miller is a type of person who disregards social rules because those are purely instruments to restrain people (p. 76). Social rules are made for no reason at all because societies change, and the social rules that are applicable today may not be application in the next years. Thus, as Daisy posits: “the only thing I do not like is the society. I suppose there is some society somewhere, but I haven’t seen anything of it” (James, 2008, p. 9). In this line, Daisy implies that there is no single society that could govern all people; instead societies are made through friendships such as the ones she had in New York. Contrastingly, Winterbourne sees the society as a single entity that is entitled to govern its inhabitants. He is born in America, but he spends most of his life in Europe where he is exposed to the sophisticated European culture. As mentioned by Deakin (2001), Winterbourne is a lover of beauty; he values the categories people, rather than their individual characteristics (p. 80). However, although Winterbourne’s family sees Daisy as ignorant, he still defends Daisy against the prejudice of the society because he is attracted to her. Winterbourne finds Daisy’s tactless manner of speech and outgoing nature attractive. However, as the society concludes that her behavior is, indeed, unacceptable, Winterbourne left Daisy alone. Thus, “though Miss Daisy Miler was a young American lady, her behavior was not representative--was regarded by her compatriots as abnormal” (James, 2008, p. 34). The most significant difference between Daisy and Winterbourne lies in their perceptions regarding social conventions and morality. Daisy, as an American, grows up with the idea of democracy and freedom, which are the founding values of American society. Contrastingly, Winterbourne, as a European, grows with the notion of aesthetics and order. For Winterbourne, people should be able to conform to social standards of propriety and morality because conformity to standards makes a person socially acceptable. The idea of being socially acceptable raises questions regarding identity. Relatively, as James projects the different attitudes of Daisy and Winterbourne, James also illustrates the two kinds of human identity: those who can decide on their own, and those who depend on the society to make decisions for them. With the character of Daisy, James illustrates the attitudes of the modern American woman, who resists rules and stands by her own principles of freedom. Contrastingly, Winterbourne stands by his own principles of morality and propriety. The American and European Tradition Aside from the value of free will and morality, James also illustrates national, cultural differences between America and Europe in the characters of Daisy and Winterbourne (Stănescu, n.d.). For instance, the line: “in Geneve, as he had been perfectly aware, a young man was not at liberty to speak to a young unmarried lady except under certain rarely occurring conditions...” suggests that European society sets the standards of propriety that every one should follow (James, 2008, p. 7). With this line, James suggests that, in European tradition, adhering to social conventions is necessary for one to be socially acceptable. Contrastingly, American tradition is shown by how Daisy acts on her accord, even going out with Giovanelli at night in the Coliseum. While this act was interpreted as inappropriate and unsanitary for a lady, Daisy still goes with Giovanelli as he deemed him a gentleman. As the story concludes with Giovanelli declaring Daisy’s innocence, the people in the funeral, especially Winterbourne, cannot believe Giovanelli’s word as they consider Daisy’s behavior as inappropriate. The people are blinded by the standards set by the society. Additionally, Winterbourne was not able to appreciate and understand the character of Daisy as he only saw her superficial attitudes. The Modern American Identity in James’ Daisy Miller Aside from Daisy’s actions and intention, the dialogues of Daisy and Winterbourne project their differences in attitudes and cultures. Accordingly, readers will be able to understand both characters by the way they speak. Additionally, the character of Daisy Miller may be seen as a portrayal of a modern American girl who is independent. Daisy Miller is an outgoing young girl, who enjoys the neighborhood; she prefers to go with as many people as possible as this would mean more fun to her. In contrast, Winterbourne, although born in America, assimilates the culture of European countries in a way that he adheres to the social standards of propriety in Europe. Although Winterbourne also has a prejudice against women of Daisy’s type, he cannot deny the feeling that he is attracted to her, and he is concerned with Daisy’s reputation as a woman. The character of Daisy Miller signifies modern American woman in a way that they are independent and responsible enough to make their own decisions even against the social standards. In this context, it can be said that James, as a writer during the transition period from Old to New World American, promotes the significance of free will. Relatively, the story tells the experiences of women during the transition years from Old to New World America. Daisy Miller shows the complexities of American experience in relation to its European counterpart, including their differences in culture, beliefs, and social standards. Conclusion Taken together, the narrative of James in his story Daisy Miller allows the readers to have a full understanding of the characters of Daisy and Winterbourne. The dialogues of the two characters show their differences in attitudes, cultures, and perceptions on life. While Daisy died at the end of the story, it can be said that the legacy of James’ idea of a modern American women lives on and continue to project an image of freedom, which later becomes an example of women liberation from social standards, especially those related to gender roles. Conclusively, Henry James’ Daisy Miller seeks only to illustrate the differences between American and European culture, not widen the cultural gap between the two continents. The characters of Daisy Miller and Winterbourne illustrate a person’s quest in finding his/her own identity regardless of social pressures. References Deakin, M. (2001). On Winterbourne. In H. Bloom (Ed.), Henry James (79-81). Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers Edel, L. (1963). Henry James. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Hammad, L. K. (2010). America vs Europe and identity recognition in the teaching of Daisy Miller. Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice, 4 (1), 26-39. Howells, W. D. (2001). Daisy Miller. In H. Bloom (Ed.). Henry James (76-77). Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers. James, H. (2008). Daisy Miller and other stories. Stilwell, KS: Digireads.com Publishing. Stanescu, M. (n.d.). American innocence vs. European vice in Henry James Daisy Miller. Retrieved from http://egophobia.ro/?p=5302 Wardley, L. (1991). Reassembling Daisy Miller. American Literary History, 3 (2), 232-254. Read More