Why did James create such a beguiling and bewildering character? Since the publication of James's novel in 1878, Daisy has worn several labels, among them "flirt," "innocent," and "American Girl." Daisy's representation of an American Girl of the late 19th century is evident. Her free-spiritedness and individuality reflect the social movement of the American middle-class.
The “depths” of Daisy Miller that Kelley refers to could be read as “unsounded,” since the reader receives little insight to her feelings, and “unappreciated,” based on the perceptions of most characters. James likely viewed Daisy as admirable because of the individuality displayed in her actions, attitudes, and contrast to Winterbourne.
When she enters the novella, Daisy quickly defies European conventions: after speaking with Winterbourne as though they had been long acquainted, he notes, “She had a spirit of her own” (472). Though perhaps not surprising to modern audiences, Daisy shocks Winterbourne, her mother, and Eugenio when she asks Winterbourne to take her out in a boat at night, declaring, “That's all I want -- a little fuss” (483). This assertive nature is later seen when Daisy invites Winterbourne to travel with the Millers and teach her brother Randolph, likely violating the etiquette with which Winterbourne is so familiar (471); ignoring the expectations for subtlety that Winterbourne complies with, Daisy tells him, “I don't want you to come [to Rome] for your aunt, I want you to come for me” (485).
In Rome, Daisy continues conducting herself independent from the external influences of society. Mrs. Costello, who represents the geographically transcendent society, remarks that Daisy is a “dreadful girl” (477); she updates Winterbou...
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...s too late[;] she was ‘carried away’ by Mr. Giovanelli” (501), and similarly when he acknowledges to Mrs. Costello that he had mistakenly thought Daisy reciprocated his affection (506). Thus when Winterbourne reveals “it was on his conscience that he had done [Daisy] injustice” (506), he probably refers to his deciding that she was not respectable (503), in addition to his comment about whether she was engaged.
Daisy Miller can be viewed as an endorsement for individuality: James celebrates Daisy's independence in the face of society's imposition while ruining Winterbourne’s prospects for happiness as a consequence for his passivity. Readers should pity Winterbourne, and thusly admire and sympathize for Daisy; regardless of her dying, Daisy did not live unhappily like Winterbourne does.
Works Cited
James, Henry. Daisy Miller. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
Her only profession is finding ways to keep her husband satisfied. So, that he should procure whatever she currently desires. The constant state of leisure that surrounds her everyday life gets too boring for Daisy. She seeks new, exciting, and passionate beginnings in her life. After all, Daisy Buchannan always gets what she wants. When Jay Gatsby finds himself reacquainted with his lost love, Daisy takes this opportunity to entertain her presently dull lifestyle. Their escapades all suited Daisy, until Gatsby presented Daisy with an ultimatum. She had to tell Tom she never loved him, and then she can run away to live happily with a man who adores her. The idea seemed romantic, until Tom caught on to Daisy’s deception. Of course he would still want her, and he made a few convincing arguments to keep Daisy from leaving him. Daisy left for the Buchannan’s house with Gatsby feeling conflicted and confused about Tom’s promise of a better marriage. In her disgruntled state, Daisy wound up killing Tom’s mistress in a hit-and-run car accident, a true show of irony. She didn’t even stop to see if the person she hit was alright, and she honestly didn’t care. Daisy continued her way home, because her relationship was more important than the death of a human
As you read on, Daisy’s true character is slowly revealed, and you come to achieve that she is a very careless person. She seems to never care about the consequences of her actions, and this is proven when she is driving home from the city, and hits Myrtle with Gatsby’s car. Unlike most other people, she didn’t even hesitate and just drove home, without a care in the world about what she had done. One of Nick Caraway’s final assessments of Daisy after the accident is that she is very careless. He even says; “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made”. (Fitzgerald 187) This quote is proof that people i...
“Uncle Fester”. Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture, 5th Edition. Port Townsend, Washington, USA: Loompanics Unlimited, 1999.
Daisy's carelessness reveals her corruption as a human being. She uses her wealth and social status to escape whatever she chooses, like the death of Myrtle. Additionally, her actions demonstrate the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain and attention. Daisy’s character, due to her money, inherently values her advantage over the lower class, revealing a nature of entitlement. Additionally, she gives no respect to anyone around her, sometimes n...
Coulter, M., Decenzo, D. A., & Robbins, S. P. (2013). Fundamentals of Management (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s consideration of gender roles throughout The Great Gatsby reflect the sheer unbalance between the value of men and women in traditional households. Throughout the novel women are seen living a life controlled by men, and accepting their loss of independence for the materialistic values of life. Women follow the social code of the 1920’s to seem ladylike, leading them to succumb to uniform and object like personas. Scenes of blatant sexism are the strongest representation of the gender gap and the loss of morals throughout the 1920’s.
The story of Daisy Miller starts off in Vevey, Switzerland with Winterbourne and Daisy meeting through Daisy's brother Randolph. Winterbourne is immediately attracted to her stating, "she was strikingly, admirably pretty" (James 470). The story continues with Winterbourne giving Daisy a tour of the Chateau de Chillon, and Winterbourne returning to Geneva, where he had an older women waiting for him. Daisy ends up meeting an Italian man, Giovanelli, which eventually leads to her death of malaria. Although the characters seem simple enough, they symbolize much more than themselves. In Henry James's Daisy Miller, Daisy symbolizes all American women who travel abroad to Europe, while Winterbourne symbolizes the European mentality of American tourists.
Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2007). Management (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Robbins, S. P., Decenzo, D. A., & Coulter. M. (2013). Fundamentals of Management (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
In Daisy Miller, Henry James slowly reveals the nature of Daisy"s character through her interactions with other characters, especially Winterbourne, the main character. " The author uses third person narration; however, Winterbourne"s thoughts and point of view dominate." Thus, the audience knows no more about Daisy than Winterbourne. " This technique helps maintain the ambiguity of Daisy"s character and draws the audience into the story. At first glimpse, Daisy is portrayed as a "pretty American flirt" whose innocence Winterbourne is unsure of, and yet he says he was "almost grateful for having found the formula that applied to Miss Daisy Miller" (James 1563).
One can easily view Daisy as a victim. Fitzgerald distinctly exposes Daisy’s need for stability, which, according to Fitzgerald, or perhaps the mentality of the time period, can only be found in a man. “Her need for stability was immediate, and she attempted to satisfy that need through something tangible, something close at hand” (Fryer 51).... ... middle of paper ...
Although Solar Energy is a flexible source of where energy could be directly or indirectly converted into forms of energy, it’s still not perfect. With its inefficiency, scientists are trying to find alternative solution to store solar cells for as long as possible. The main process of capturing solar energy happens at the nanoscale. With solar cells, it gets more efficient the tinier it gets. The converting rate of solar energy is equally price competitive as fossil fuel, with a dollar per watt of solar energy. With the help of nanotechnology, it could help raise solar energy conversion efficiency and help lower costs making it the ultimate method of raw energy conversion. To make sure the process of generating energy is kept at a low cost and energy output...
In today’s competitive business environment, effective management plays a crucial role. The article Five Minds of a Manager by Jonathan Gosling and Henry Mintzberg, identify some important aspects of effective managers. According to the author, “The world of the manager is complicated and confusing.” Consequently, mangers need to think above ordinary employees. In particular, managers should, think global and act local, collaborate through competitions, be agents of change and maintain order. This paper provides a reflective review of the article Five Minds of a Manager by Jonathan Gosling and Henry Mintzberg.
The dominant image concerning Daisy throughout the entire work is that she seems to be frank and thus never tries to conceal her inner mind like the typical European girls with a view to arresting attention from men. However, that prevailing image is bound to be changed by the last twist of plot. At the moment of death, Daisy's wish is that Winterbourne should know that she is not engaged with that Italian guy. Then, why? Actually, it is quite ambiguous; none the less, her wish can be interpreted as her desperate trial to overcome the European prejudices against shallow American culture. In other words, behind her vulgarity and innocence, there is a fundamental desire to appreciate and enhance one's dignity even in love affairs, which is not vulgar at all, and which makes Winterbourne study