The Portrait Of A Lady Analysis

In Henry James’s novel, The Portrait of a Lady, two characters, Madame Merle and Isabel Archer, discuss what constitutes the self. Madame Merle states that the things we chose to surround ourselves with, our clothes and our hobbies, are what make up one’s self. Isabel Archer states that nothing other than herself, her thoughts and feelings, expresses who she is. I agree with Isabel Archer that one should be seen for how one acts or thinks, but I also agree with Madame Merle that what we chose to surround ourselves with is an extension of oneself.

Madame Merle states, “There’s no such thing as an isolated man or woman; we’re each made up of some cluster of appurtenances.” Madam Merle’s definition of the self takes into count one’s actions, hobbies, and belongings. We see examples of this in everyday life. For example, there could be hundreds of teachers in a school and every single one of their

Dressing a certain way can change the world’s perception. This idea of changing one’s appearance to change one’s self is a common occurrence in movies and on TV: Mulan, Mrs. Doubfire, Just one of the Guys, etc. For example, in the movie Coming to America, Eddie Murphy’s character pretends not to be rich in order to find a woman who likes him for more than just his money. In reality, the opposite of this is far truer. How often do we wear our most expensive clothes to a wedding, where we will be meeting many people for the first time? There are children who would rather walk home that be picked up in their families beat up car or who are ashamed that they have to take their lunch in a paper bag rather than a canvas one. A person never wants to be judged by what they don’t have. Someone who is proud of what they have may be more inclined to believe what Madame Merle does. But someone, possibly of a lower class, who doesn’t have much to be proud of, would much rather be judged on their character, like Isabel