daisy miller
In 1878, Henry James wrote, Daisy Miller, a novella about a young American girl and her travels in Europe. Daisy Miller is a complex short story with many underlying themes such as, appearance versus reality, naivity versus wrecklessness, jealousy versus concern, and feminism versus antifeminism. In this short story, one is left to judge whether Daisy Miller, the main character of the story, is “a pretty American flirt” or a misunderstood, modern young woman. While one takes a deeper look into Daisy’s character, it becomes obvious that Ms. Miller is merely a misunderstood young woman. ... To the Europeanized Americans in the story, Daisy’s independence causes her to appear promiscuous. ... Daisy seems to rebel because she is unaware of the rules which bind the society. ... The great theme of the disparity between reality and appearance is at its greatest strength in the relationship between Winterbourne and Daisy because of the conflict which roars inside of Winterbourne regarding the appearance he cannot overcome and the reality he cannot accept. ... Winterbourne attempts to apply the conventional rules he has accepted since leaving America to Daisy without realizing that she is not dissecting the world with the same meditating process that he undertakes. In Europe, Daisy behaves just as she had back in America.