[Modernism and the Search for Self]

by

Modernism and the Search for Self

Introduction

Modernity is generally defined as a period in the history of Western European and American cultures beginning around the middle of the 19th century, whereas modernism is usually understood as an aesthetic response to the social conditions of modernity and most evident in the period of approximately 1890-1930. The terms have been contentious ones. Some critics have argued that modernity begins earlier than the 19th century with the intellectual developments of the Renaissance or the Enlightenment, while others have maintained that modernity is not confined to Western cultures but is also evident in 19th- and 20th-century colonial and postcolonial societies (Reed & Beidler, 2005). Similarly, the precise features of modernism, and the issue of exactly which writers and other artists qualify as modernist, continue to be much debated. This study in this connection is going to investigate Henry James literature master piece “Daisy Miller.” Streamlining the study further, this paper will look at Daisy and Winterbourne as examples of Americans and will answer the following questions:

What characteristics does James give to the modern America?

What seems to be the message about non-conformity and resistance of tradition here, given what happens to Daisy and Winterbourne?

Discussion and Analysis

Daisy Miller, which established James's reputation as a leading novelist both in England and the United States, announces several of his recurring themes and motifs. The story is an uncomplicated one, from the standpoint of plot. Frederick Winterbourne, a sophisticated young American who lives in Europe, meets Daisy Miller, who is visiting Europe with her mother and younger brother; Mr. Miller is back in Schenectady, New York, presumably making enough money to allow his family to travel comfortably. The essence of the novella is the relationship that develops between the young, cosmopolitan expatriate (a not uncommon type in James's fiction) and the pretty, naïve, and willful girl (Keeler & Wood, 2005).

In Daisy Miller a central issue is whether Winterbourne could have prevented the tragedy that ends Daisy's life. As he gets to know her better and comes to like her, he becomes increasingly distressed at Daisy's refusal to heed the warnings of Mrs. Costello, his aunt, and Mrs. Walker, another Europeanized American society matron (it is significant that the people who most condemn Daisy are not native Europeans but expatriates) (Kafalenos, 2006). Daisy stubbornly continues to consort with the gigolo Giovanelli, who is seen with her all about Rome, much to the dismay of the society people, who are scandalized by such “loose” behavior — even the Romans joke about it in a subdued fashion, which only irritates Winterbourne the more. He tries to warn Daisy that she is seen too much with Giovanelli — “Everyone thinks so” — but she refuses to take his cautions seriously: “I don't believe a word of it. They're only pretending to be shocked. They don't really care a straw what I do.” This perverse attitude finally leads to Daisy's death, when she goes, against Winterbourne's urging, to the ...