Realist, Henry James Henry James Stands Alone

¶ … Realist, Henry James Henry James stands alone among nineteenth-century United States writers. He is known primarily as a realist novel writer, though his novels and short stories include a wide variety of definitions. According to Paul Lauter, James was the first writer in English to see the "high artistic potential of the novel as a form" (Lauter 548). His fiction has attracted many sophisticated readers who regard him as a master craftsman.

James is able offer valuable insights into the human psyche, often enhanced with subtly and woven with delicate strands that often unravel a deeper truth. Henry James explained that the most important definition of the novel is something that represent a "personal and direct impression of life" (Lauter 548). He felt that the overall success of a novel depended on the impression it made on the reader and how well it dealt with the human experience in all its complexities.

It is clear through James' writing that he lived up to his own expectations by creating stories that represented a vast collection of interesting people and situations. James' work thrives primarily on paradox and ambiguity, and his stories also successfully reveal the delicate nature of humanity. His novels deal with aspects of reality that many may not consider to be morally good. However, by consciously selecting descriptive details, James creates stories that every reader can relate too.

James was able to turn the novel inward in that he was able to "dramatize consciousness, and modern fiction owes him a great debt in that regard." (Lauter 548) His stories proves to be ones that are lasting because they speak to the reader's heart and have a remnant of something that is credible. The creation of character was complex, according to James.

Characters "are interesting in fact, as subjects of fate, the figures of whom a situation closes, in proportion as, sharing their existence, we feel where fate comes in and just how it get at them" and: works of art are produced from every possible point-of-view and stories will continue to be written in which the evolution is that of a dance -- a series of steps the more complicated the better, of course, determined from without and forming a figure.

This figure will always find favor with many readers, because it reminds them enough without reminding them too much of life. (Trilling 592). With James, we recognize his intention he is guided by his material and training and commitment, and his imagination that accepts and understand those limits. James like other realistic writers, "seized the public's mind" (Trilling 417). He incorporated reality into his novels because he deemed it poetic. (Trilling 592) His realistic novels revolve around scenarios that contrast American and European social orders.

James often wrote about international events to get at the peculiarities of the American character that represented life from a lofty point-of-view. This paper will examine "The Portrait of a Lady" and "Daisy Miller: A Study," and how James is able to bring the elements of realism into his technique of story telling.

An example of how James convincingly portrays realism in the lives of his characters in "The Portrait of a Lady." Through Isabel, the reader is given a glimpse of a woman who is on a quest for her own personal freedom. During a time in history when women could rarely make a stand for independence and still be respected, James skillfully employs his technique using conscious details. For instance, Isabel expresses her opinions very firmly when she sates that she is:very fond of her liberty" (James 35).

This represents a frame of mind that, though not commonly expressed, was probably shared by many women of that time. Isabel is not afraid to let others know how she feels. Through the character of Isabel, James skillfully describes a shift that is beginning to occur not only with one woman, but in society during the late nineteenth century. James also creates within the reader a sense of understanding in relation to accepting the consequences of one's actions.

By witnessing Isabel struggle through the difficulties of decision making when it comes to accepting a marriage proposal from Lord Warburton and later Osmond, the reader can identify with Isabel's situation. In addition, the reader is able to relate to Isabel's conviction and ultimate acceptance that she did the right thing. Through the colorful depiction of struggling with the vast decisions of life, James illustrates how Isabel is a character to which all readers can relate.

"The Portrait of a Lady" examines how mistakes can be made despite all efforts and supposed logic. Another example of James' unique story telling technique is "Daisy Miller: A Study." This story emphasizes an "upper-class expatriate's effort to understand and deal with a charming, independent but uninformed heroine who poses a strong challenge to conservative manners" (Trilling 592). One of James' predominant contributions to the novel is how he lends his novels to work from the point-of-view of the narrator.

Actions are of limited interest, James states, unless they are reflected in an engaged consciousness. Characters become interesting only as they are able to feel the respective situations. (Trilling 301). He exhibits this relationship between the reader and the narrator in the story of Daisy Miller. This story is unique at its time because of its presentation, which is through the eyes of the narrator, Winterbourne, and remains restricted to his image of Daisy.

James displays his ability to construct real characters, especially in Daisy, and how those around her respond to her. James is able to reveal complexities through Winterbourne's obvious attraction to her while he is at the same time seeking evidence to condemn her. (Lauter 570) While Winterbourne passes judgement on Daisy, the reader passes judgement on Winterbourne.

Through James' concise writing and specific commitment to keeping the story completely in the framework of Winterbourne's scope, the reader understands that any misconceptions of Daisy fall completely on the lack of what Winterbourne is not able to see. This theme is repeated again in the novel when Winterbourne encounters Daisy in.