Daisy Miller
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- For the 1974 film adaptation of this novella, see Daisy Miller.
| Daisy Miller | |
| Author | Henry James |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novella |
| Publisher | Cornhill Magazine |
| Publication date | June-July 1878 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 43 Daisy Miller was pirated by two American magazines, Littell's Living Age and Home Journal, in July-August 1878 |
Daisy Miller is an 1878 novella by Henry James. It portrays the confused courtship of the eponymous American girl, who is very beautiful, by Winterbourne, a compatriot of hers with much more sophistication. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates they meet in Switzerland and Italy.
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[edit] Plot summary
The pair first meet in Vevey, Switzerland, where Winterbourne is vacationing from his studies. They are brought together by young Randolph Miller, Daisy's irrepressible brother. Randolph considers his hometown of Schenectady, New York to be far superior to all of Europe, particularly in the quality of candy available. Daisy, though, is absolutely delighted with the Continent, especially the high society she wishes to enter.
Winterbourne is at first confused by her attitude, but soon determines that she is nothing more than a young American flirt. He continues his pursuit of the fair Daisy in spite of the disapproval of his imperious aunt Mrs. Costello, who spurns any family with so close a relationship to their courier as the Millers have with their Eugenio. She also thinks Daisy is a shameless coquette for agreeing to go sight-seeing with Winterbourne after a mere half hour's acquaintance. The two have a fine time touring the Château de Chillon, an old castle, then Winterbourne informs Daisy that he must go to Geneva the next day. Daisy extracts a promise from him to meet her in Rome, and they part.
Winterbourne and Daisy do meet in Rome, unexpectedly in the parlor of Mrs. Walker, a fellow American. Daisy shocks the local society by walking out with Mr. Giovanelli, a handsome young Italian of no status. Daisy is undeterred by the open disapprobation of the other Americans in Rome, and her ineffectual mother seems quite oblivious to underlying tensions. Winterbourne attempts to extricate Daisy from her situation, but she refuses to take any of it seriously.
One night, Winterbourne takes a walk through the Colosseum and finds the couple sitting there. Although some readers have commented that this exploration of the Colosseum is another one of Daisy's foolish vagaries, Winterbourne concludes that Daisy is too common for him to love, and lets her know it. Daisy is heart-broken, and so takes no precautions with her health in spite of Winterbourne's warnings about the deadly "Roman fever" (malaria) that is caught by wandering in the unhealthy night air. Daisy falls ill and dies a few days later. Winterbourne finally realizes that she did reciprocate his feelings for her, in spite of her playful denials, and that she was just an innocent flirt. He goes back to Geneva and resumes his studies and his interest in a "clever foreign lady".
[edit] Key themes
This short story serves as both a psychological description of the mind of a young woman, and an analysis of the traditional views of a society where she is a clear outsider. Henry James uses Daisy's story to discuss what he thinks Europeans and Americans believe about each other, and more generally the prejudices common in any culture. In a letter James said that Daisy is the victim of a "social rumpus" that goes on either over her head or beneath her notice.
The names of the characters are also symbolic. Daisy is a flower in full bloom, without inhibitions and in the springtime of her life. Daisy contrasts sharply with Winterbourne, who is more ambivalent and unwilling to commit to any relationship. Flowers die in winter and this is precisely what happens to Daisy, after catching the Roman Fever or, to put it more bluntly, the attention of foreign men. As an objective analogue to this psychological reality, Daisy catches the very real Roman fever, the malaria that was endemic to many Roman neighborhoods in the 19th century.
[edit] Critical evaluation
Daisy Miller was an immediate and widespread popular success for James, despite some overheated criticism that the story was "an outrage on American girlhood". If the Amazon.com sales ranks are any guide, the story continues to be one of James' most popular works, along with The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady. Critics have generally praised the freshness and vigor of the storytelling, though the point of the narrative has gotten somewhat lost. Not too many people nowadays would care about Daisy's flirtations, after all.
Despite changes in times and customs, the forthright if naive Daisy can still cast a spell on today's readers. The touches of humor help offset the pathos of the tale, and the supporting cast is vividly portrayed. While some may feel that James tries to overload a simple story with too many trappings of tragedy, few readers will be unaffected by Daisy's fate.
In 1909 James revised Daisy Miller extensively for the New York Edition of his fiction. He deepened the tone of the story but some feel he robbed the original version of its color and immediacy. Fortunately, both the early and late versions of the tale are available online (see below) so readers can compare for themselves.
[edit] Derivative works
James converted his story into a play that failed to be produced, much to his chagrin. He published the play in The Atlantic Monthly in 1883, and it shows many changes from the original story. In particular, a happy ending was inserted to please what James believed to be the preferences of theater-goers.[1]
A 1974 film adaptation directed by Peter Bogdanovich starred Cybill Shepherd as Daisy.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Masterpiece Theatre: The American. PBS. Retrieved on 2007-06-06. “Professional events 1882: James adapts "Daisy Miller" for the stage. Eager for theatrical success, James adapts "Daisy Miller". Despite his new happy ending, New York producers call it "too literary". They "behaved like asses and sharpers combined", said James. "This episode... would make a brilliant chapter in a realistic novel."”
[edit] References
- Tales of Henry James: The Texts of the Tales, the Author on His Craft, Criticism edited by Christof Wegelin and Henry Wonham (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003) ISBN 0-393-97710-2
- The Complete Plays of Henry James edited by Leon Edel (New York: Oxford University Press 1990) ISBN 0-19-504379-0
- The Tales of Henry James by Edward Wagenknecht (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1984) ISBN 0-8044-2957-X
[edit] External links
