The Portrait of a Lady, Volume 2One of the great heroines of American literature, Isabel Archer, journeys to Europe in order to, as Henry James writes in his 1908 Preface, "affront her destiny." James began "The Portrait of a Lady" without a plot or subject, only the slim but provocative notion of a young woman taking control of her fate. The result is a richly imagined study of an American heiress who turns away her suitors in an effort to first establish--and then protect--her independence. But Isabel's pursuit of spiritual freedom collapses when she meets the captivating Gilbert Osmond. "James's formidable powers of observation, his stance as a kind of bachelor recorder of human doings in which he is not involved," writes Hortense Calisher, "make him a first-class documentarian, joining him to that great body of storytellers who amass what formal history cannot." |
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afraid appeared aunt Bantling Bedfordshire believe better Caspar Goodwood charming clever companion Correggio Countess Gemini course cousin cried daughter deal dear delightful Edmund Ludlow Edward Rosier England everything exclaimed expressed eyes face father feel felt Florence fond Gardencourt gave gazed gentleman Gilbert Osmond girl give glad hand happy Henrietta hope Hôtel de Paris husband idea interest Isabel answered Isabel asked Italy kind knew laugh live looked Lord Warburton Madame Merle marriage marry mean Merle's mind Miss Archer Miss Molyneux Miss Stackpole mother murmured never niece one's Pansy Pansy's perfectly perhaps person poor present Ralph Touchett remarked Rome seemed seen silent simply sister smile sort speak stood suppose sure talk tell things thought to-day told tone took UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA visitor wait wish woman wondered young lady