The Awkward AgeJames had conceived of The Awkward Age to be a coming of age story for a young girl in an elite and decadent social circle. However, as with much of James' work it quickly became a commentary on more than just the character. |
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Common terms and phrases
added afraid Aggie's amusement answer appeared asked awfully Awkward Age beautiful Beccles broke Brook Brookenham Cashmore Cashmore's charming child companion continued course dare say daugh dear dear Jane dropped Duchess Edward ejaculated enham everything exactly eyes face fact feel gave girl give Grendon hand Harold headshake hesitated hostess idea instant interest Jane keep kind Lady Fanny Lady Julia least little Aggie Longdon looked Lord Petherton mamma marriage marry matter mean mind minute Mitchett Mitchy's mother Nanda never Oh yes one's pause perhaps person poor presently pursued quavered question recognise replied returned round seemed silence simply smile sofa somehow sort speak spoke stared straight suppose sure talk tell there's thing thought Tishy told tone took turned understand Van's Vander Vanderbank laughed visitor waited watch what's woman wonder young
Popular passages
Page xvi - ... object. The central object was my situation, my subject in itself, to which the thing would owe its title, and the small rounds represented so many distinct lamps, as I liked to call them, the function of each of which would be to light with all due intensity one of its aspects. . . . Each of my "lamps...
Page 358 - The kind that would make me painful to you. Or rather not me perhaps," she added as if to create between them the fullest possible light; "but my situation, my exposure - all the results of them I show. Doesn't one become a sort of a little drain-pipe with everything flowing through?
Page xv - I had meanwhile been absent from England, and it was not till my return, some time later, that I had from my publisher any news of our venture. But the news then met at a stroke all my curiosity. 'I'm sorry to say the book has done nothing to speak of; I've never in all my experience seen one treated with more general and complete disrespect.
Page xvi - The dramatist strong in the sense of his postulate . . . has verily to build, is committed to architecture, to construction at any cost; to driving in deep his vertical supports and laying across and firmly fixing his horizontal, his resting pieces — at the risk of no matter what vibration from the tap of his master-hammer.
Page xv - It comes back to me, the whole 'job,' as wonderfully amusing and delightfully difficult from the first; since amusement deeply abides, I think, in any artistic attempt the basis and groundwork of which are conscious of a particular firmness. On that hard fine floor the element of execution feels it may more or less confidently dance; in which case puzzling questions, sharp obstacles, dangers of detail, may come up for it by the dozen without breaking its heart or shaking its nerve. It is the difficulty...
Page xvi - I drew on a sheet of paper . . . the neat figure of a circle consisting of a number of small rounds disposed at equal distance about a central object. The central object was my situation, my subject in itself, to which the thing would owe its title, and the small rounds represented so many distinct lamps, as I liked to call them, the function of each of which would be to light with all due intensity one of its aspects.
Page 313 - Mere, mere, mere. But perhaps it's exactly the "mere" that has made us range so wide.' Mrs. Brook's intelligence abounded. 'You mean that we haven't had the excuse of passion?' Her companions once more gave way to merriment, but "There you are!
Page xvii - To make the presented occasion', writes James in the Preface to The Awkward Age, ' tell all its story itself, remain shut up in its own presence and yet on that patch of staked-out ground become thoroughly interesting and remain thoroughly clear, is a process not remarkable, no doubt, so long as a very light weight .is laid on it, but difficult enough to inspire great adroitness so soon as the elements to be dealt with begin at all to "size up".
Page 230 - ... properly controlled" — as in one's mind and what one sees and feels and the sort of thing one notices.' Nanda paused an instant; then 'There you are ! ' she simply but rather desperately brought out. Mr Longdon considered this with visible intensity. 'What you suggest is that the things you speak of depend upon other people?' 'Well, every one isn't so beautiful as you.
Page 303 - The thing is, don't you think?' — she appealed to Mitchy — 'for us not to be so awfully clever as to make it believed that we can never be simple. We mustn't see too tremendous things — even in each other.' She quite lost patience with the danger she glanced at. 'We can be simple!