Portrait Of A Lady Analysis

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The Portrait of a Lady is a well-known masterpiece of Henry James. All the parts of this novel are like a chain which helps James to show the contrast of America and Europe while remaining neutral towards them. The main way which James choose to start and progress his story in this novel, is his common way of bringing an innocent American girl to a European society, this young and innocent girl in this novel is Isabel Archer. The entire story is shown through the process of Isabel’s decision for coming and living in Europe with the hope of gaining a better life and a high culture and civilization. But again, like most of James’ well known heroines, this American young girl is deceived in Europe. Because of her innocence and lack of knowledge, …show more content…

All these Americans had left America and had come to Europe in the search of a high culture. They think of Europe as a place of culture, so to live like Europeans, means being cultural for these Americans. Actually Isabel also is coming to Europe again in the search of a high culture and a better life. And it is through her decision to leave America and live in Europe for its high culture that James develops his international theme of ‘America versus Europe’ in this novel.
All the elements in this novel cooperate in depicting this contrast between America and Europe, they all are planned to show Europe as a place of high culture and sophistication while America in the place of morality and innocence. Even the houses in this novel includes in showing this contrast. Albany, the house where Isabel lived in America, is standing for America and Gardencourt, the house where Isabel lived in London, is standing for England or for Europe.
Albany, the house in America, has an important room named “the office”.It shows the “officiousness” of America. Although America is full of lecture halls and platforms, it lacks royal residences and glorious palaces, and remarkable artistic figures which are the sign of high culture. But the house in Europe was a symbol of Europe’s high

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