good essay

Chapter One Analysis:
The main theme which Henry James explores in his novella, Daisy Miller, concerns the contrast between American and European societies in the second half of the nineteenth century. Symbolically these societies represent, respectively, an innocent and natural way of life as compared to a ritualized, experienced, and artificial manner which was more present in Europe. James had lived comfortably in both the United States and abroad. He was the first author truly capable of exploring the differences between the two societies. His writing explored those of a standard of living which allow them to experience the luxuries and pleasures of education, travel, and high society. Yet within this narrow view, James was characterized as having a very realistic writing style. In this sense, he was always consistent and true to his characters' personae. Once James has defined the character's behavior and attitudes are defined, he remains loyal to these. One is usually able to predict how the character would react in any situation based on one's knowledge of that character. Unlike authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne who would design a theme and then create characters and situations to illustrate the theme, James thought first of characters and situations. He then developed the plot as he went along. He often would not know the outcome of his writing until he arrived at its end. Accordingly, critics sometimes highlight the unreal quality of his writing, especially his characters, who seem more fictitious than one would find in ordinary life. Some more realist authors have criticized James for his limited scope of social class issues.
The names of our main characters give us the first insight into their personae as archetypal symbols. Winterbourne is introduced first by the anonymous yet strangely familiar first person narrator. We are told that two or three years ago, at this detail he is not certain, a "young American" sat in the garden of the Trois