lane 341 .critical essay

[mohammad_4909]

Critical Essay: Meaning through Social Contrasts
Henry James was the first novelist to write on the theme of the American versus the European with any degree of success. Almost all of his major novels may be approached as a study of the social theme of the American in Europe, in which James contrasts the active life of the American with the mannered life of the European aristocracy or he contrasts the free open nature of the American with the more formalized and stiff rules found in Europe. Embodied in this contrast is the moral theme in which the innocence of the American is contrasted with the knowledge and experience (and evil) of the European. Daisy Miller is one of James’ earliest works involving this theme. All the comments presented here are not found in this work, but for the sake of James’ entire theory, it is useful to see how he took some of the basic aspects found in Daisy Miller and used them consistently throughout his fiction.
In its most general terms, that is, in terms that will apply to almost any Jamesian novel, the contrasts as seen as follows:
THE AMERICAN vs THE EUROPEAN
innocence vs. knowledge or experience
utility vs. form and ceremony
spontaneity vs. ritual
action vs. inaction
nature vs. art
natural vs. artificial
honesty vs. evil
The above list could be extended to include other virtues or qualities, but this list, or even half this list, will suffice to demonstrate James’ theme or idea in the use of this American-European contrast.
The reader should also remember that James uses these ideas with a great deal of flexibility. It does not always hold that every European will have exactly these qualities or that every American will. Indeed, some of the more admirable characters are Europeans who possess many of these qualities and in turn lack others. Because a European might possess urbanity and knowledge and experience does not necessarily mean that he is artificial and evil. And quite the contrary, many Americans come with natural spontaneity and are not necessarily honest and admirable.
In Daisy Miller, James is more concerned with the difference in behavior than he is with the specific person. But generally, the character that represents the American is, of course, Daisy Miller herself. The representative of the European attitude in the worst sense of the word is Mrs. Costello, and to a lesser degree Mrs. Walker and Winterborne. Of course, all of these “Europeans” were actually born in America, but they have lived their entire lives in Europe and have adopted the European mode of viewing life.
One of the great differences that is emphasized is the difference between the American’s spontaneity and the European’s insistence upon form and ceremony. Daisy likes to react to any situation according to her own desires. Even though people tell her that certain things are improper, Daisy likes to do what she thinks is free and right. On the contrary, Mrs. Walker would never act in any manner except that approved by all society. The American than acts spontaneously, while the Europeans have formalized certain rituals so that they will never have to confront an unknown situation. Thus, there is a sense of sincerity in the American’s actions, whereas the European is more characterized by a sense of extreme urbanity. Throughout the novel, we never see Daisy perform any action but that which is natural and open.
The American’s sense of spontaneity, sincerity, and action leads him into natural actions. He seems to represent nature itself On the other hand, the European’s emphasis on form, ceremony, ritual, and urbanity seems to suggest the artificial. It represents art as an entity opposing nature.
Ultimately, these qualities lead to the opposition of honesty versus evil. This question is not investigated in Daisy Miller, but in terms of James’ final position, it might be wise to know his final stand. When all American qualities are replaced by all of the European, we find that form and ritual supplant honesty. The ideal person is one who can retain all of the American’s innocence and honesty, and yet gain the European’s experience and knowledge.
Test your knowledge. Take the quiz, click submit, and see how you scored.

1: Where is Daisy Miller’s home town?

a. Vevey, Switzerland

b. Schenectady, New York

c. Geneva, Switzerland

d. London, England



2: Why does Winterborne go to Vevey in the summer?

a. To do research

b. To visit his aunt

c. To find an American wife

d. To look for his brother



3: Why does Mrs. Costello refuse to meet Daisy?

a. Because Mrs. Costello is a recluse and refuses to meet anyone

b. Because Mrs. Costello is jealous of Daisy’s mother

c. Because Daisy’s family is not from Switzerland

d. Because Mrs. Costello disapproves of Daisy’s behavior



4: What does Daisy do that shocks and offends Mrs. Walker in Rome?

a. She plans to go alone to meet Mr. Giovanelli

b. She agrees to go for a boat ride with Winterborne

c. She asks to bring Randolph to the party

d. She fails to introduce Mrs. Walker to her mother



5: Who does Mrs. Walker pick up in her carriage?

a. Winterborne

b. Daisy Miller

c. Mrs. Costello

d. Mr. Giovanelli



6: What is Mr. Giovanelli’s profession?

a. Gentleman

b. Scholar

c. Businessman

d. Lawyer



7: Why does Winterborne go to the Colosseum?

a. To retrieve his pocket watch

b. To propose to Daisy

c. To enjoy the moonlight

d. To look for Mr. Giovanelli



8: What is Daisy Miller’s real name?

a. Amy C. Miller

b. Angie P. Miller

c. Annie P. Miller

d. Penny E. Miller



9: Who accompanies Daisy and Winterborne on their visit to the castle?

a. Eugenio

b. Mr. Giovanelli

c. Randolf

d. No one accompanies them.



10: What does Daisy say that she prefers more than advice?

a. Tea

b. Shopping

c. Light conversation

d. Sightseeing


11: How does Daisy die?

a. She poisons herself.

b. She is fatally injured in a carriage accident.

c. She catches Roman fever.

d. She dies of pneumonia.



12: How does Winterborne come to finally understand Daisy’s personality?

a. Daisy sent him letters from her deathbed.

b. Winterborne has a long conversation with Mrs. Miller.

c. Daisy comes to him in a dream.

d. Winterborne reads Daisy’s diary after her death.

Essay Questions

1. Why does James shift his setting from Switzerland to Italy?
2. What is the purpose of having a narrator who comes from America but has lived so long in Europe?
3. In addition to functioning as Winterborne’s confidante, what other purpose does Mrs. Costello serve?
4. If Daisy’s actions in going to the castle with Winterborne were innocent, why does he assume that her actions with Mr. Giovanelli are improper?
5. What is gained by having Daisy die at the end of the story?
6. Does Winterborne learn anything from his associations with Daisy?
7. Why does Mrs. Walker try to save Daisy and then later snub her?
8. What does Mr. Giovanelli expect from his relationship with Daisy?
9. Describe Daisy’s system of values.

10. How innocent is Daisy of the fact that she is being improper?

[warm heart]

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[عبدالله الوبيرى]

رحم الله والديك على المجهود الرائع

ياليت تحل اسئله العام الماضى

[شمس الليل]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة mohammad_4909 critical essay: Meaning through social contrasts henry james was the first novelist to write on the theme of the american versus the european with any degree of success. Almost all of his major novels may be approached as a study of the social theme of the american in europe, in which james contrasts the active life of the american with the mannered life of the european aristocracy or he contrasts the free open nature of the american with the more formalized and stiff rules found in europe. Embodied in this contrast is the moral theme in which the innocence of the american is contrasted with the knowledge and experience (and evil) of the european. daisy miller is one of james’ earliest works involving this theme. All the comments presented here are not found in this work, but for the sake of james’ entire theory, it is useful to see how he took some of the basic aspects found in daisy miller and used them consistently throughout his fiction. in its most general terms, that is, in terms that will apply to almost any jamesian novel, the contrasts as seen as follows: the american vs the european innocence vs. knowledge or experience utility vs. form and ceremony spontaneity vs. ritual action vs. inaction nature vs. art natural vs. artificial honesty vs. evil the above list could be extended to include other virtues or qualities, but this list, or even half this list, will suffice to demonstrate james’ theme or idea in the use of this american-european contrast. the reader should also remember that james uses these ideas with a great deal of flexibility. It does not always hold that every european will have exactly these qualities or that every american will. Indeed, some of the more admirable characters are europeans who possess many of these qualities and in turn lack others. Because a european might possess urbanity and knowledge and experience does not necessarily mean that he is artificial and evil. And quite the contrary, many americans come with natural spontaneity and are not necessarily honest and admirable. in daisy miller, james is more concerned with the difference in behavior than he is with the specific person. But generally, the character that represents the american is, of course, daisy miller herself. The representative of the european attitude in the worst sense of the word is mrs. Costello, and to a lesser degree mrs. Walker and winterborne. Of course, all of these “europeans” were actually born in america, but they have lived their entire lives in europe and have adopted the european mode of viewing life. one of the great differences that is emphasized is the difference between the american’s spontaneity and the european’s insistence upon form and ceremony. Daisy likes to react to any situation according to her own desires. Even though people tell her that certain things are improper, daisy likes to do what she thinks is free and right. On the contrary, mrs. Walker would never act in any manner except that approved by all society. The american than acts spontaneously, while the europeans have formalized certain rituals so that they will never have to confront an unknown situation. Thus, there is a sense of sincerity in the american’s actions, whereas the european is more characterized by a sense of extreme urbanity. Throughout the novel, we never see daisy perform any action but that which is natural and open. the american’s sense of spontaneity, sincerity, and action leads him into natural actions. He seems to represent nature itself on the other hand, the european’s emphasis on form, ceremony, ritual, and urbanity seems to suggest the artificial. It represents art as an entity opposing nature. ultimately, these qualities lead to the opposition of honesty versus evil. This question is not investigated in daisy miller, but in terms of james’ final position, it might be wise to know his final stand. When all american qualities are replaced by all of the european, we find that form and ritual supplant honesty. The ideal person is one who can retain all of the american’s innocence and honesty, and yet gain the european’s experience and knowledge. test your knowledge. take the quiz, click submit, and see how you scored. 1: Where is daisy miller’s home town? a. vevey, switzerland b. schenectady, new york c. geneva, switzerland d. london, england 2: Why does winterborne go to vevey in the summer? a. to do research b. to visit his aunt c. to find an american wife d. to look for his brother 3: Why does mrs. Costello refuse to meet daisy? a. because mrs. Costello is a recluse and refuses to meet anyone b. because mrs. Costello is jealous of daisy’s mother c. because daisy’s family is not from switzerland d. because mrs. Costello disapproves of daisy’s behavior 4: What does daisy do that shocks and offends mrs. Walker in rome? a. she plans to go alone to meet mr. Giovanelli b. she agrees to go for a boat ride with winterborne c. she asks to bring randolph to the party d. she fails to introduce mrs. Walker to her mother 5: Who does mrs. Walker pick up in her carriage? a. winterborne b. daisy miller c. mrs. Costello d. mr. Giovanelli 6: What is mr. Giovanelli’s profession? a. gentleman b. scholar c. businessman d. lawyer 7: Why does winterborne go to the colosseum? a. to retrieve his pocket watch b. to propose to daisy c. to enjoy the moonlight d. to look for mr. Giovanelli 8: What is daisy miller’s real name? a. amy c. Miller b. angie p. Miller c. annie p. Miller d. penny e. Miller 9: Who accompanies daisy and winterborne on their visit to the castle? a. eugenio b. mr. Giovanelli c. randolf d. no one accompanies them. 10: What does daisy say that she prefers more than advice? a. tea b. shopping c. light conversation d. sightseeing 11: How does daisy die? a. she poisons herself. b. she is fatally injured in a carriage accident. c. she catches roman fever. d. she dies of pneumonia. 12: How does winterborne come to finally understand daisy’s personality? a. daisy sent him letters from her deathbed. b. winterborne has a long conversation with mrs. Miller. c. daisy comes to him in a dream. d. winterborne reads daisy’s diary after her death. essay questions 1. Why does james shift his setting from switzerland to italy? 2. What is the purpose of having a narrator who comes from america but has lived so long in europe? 3. In addition to functioning as winterborne’s confidante, what other purpose does mrs. Costello serve? 4. If daisy’s actions in going to the castle with winterborne were innocent, why does he assume that her actions with mr. Giovanelli are improper? 5. What is gained by having daisy die at the end of the story? 6. Does winterborne learn anything from his associations with daisy? 7. Why does mrs. Walker try to save daisy and then later snub her? 8. What does mr. Giovanelli expect from his relationship with daisy? 9. Describe daisy’s system of values. 10. How innocent is daisy of the fact that she is being improper?

[Elliot]

كل الشكر ياغالي

[mohammad_4909]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاتة
اخي /عبدالله الوبيري
هذه بعض المقالات إن شاء الله تفيدكم في حل اسئلة العام الماضي وكذلك انصحك بالتحليل الموجود في موقع سبارك نوت فهو مفيد جدا . اسأل الله عز وجل ان يوفقنا جميعا

I wandered lonely as a cloud

William Wordsworth in his Poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” clarifies the importance of nature and the close bond between mankind and nature. He creates a feeling of solitary bliss with nature.
This poem depicts the poet’s aimless wandering and his discovery of a field of daffodils by a lake, the memory of which pleases him and comforts him when he is lonely or bored. The first line of the poem phorically compares the speaker to a cloud. This comparison to a cloud gives us the impression that the speaker’s spirit is unbounded, free and light-hearted just as a cloud. Wordsworth uses reverse personification to create the idea of inherent unity between man and nature. The poet compares himself to a cloud while the daffodils are personified as a crowd of people. This personification indicates the contrast of feelings with the beauty of nature either feeling lonely or finding the unity and companionship.
Clearly, the poet values the rewards of nature above material possessions by using the word “wealth”. He alludes that nature is an essential aspect of a person’s life. Wordsworth emphasizes the power of vision. The deion places more value on natural beauty over human creations that result from complex thought processes. Through using literary techniques, Wordsworth creates a work to honor the nature.
I think that through this poem, Wordsworth was trying to translate his discovery that more joy can be found in the simple, untouched aspects of nature over the material gains.


Childhood in Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper”
William Blake in his poem addresses a social issue publicized during his time. He protests against the living conditions, working conditions, and the overall treatment of young chimney sweeps in the cities of England.
In this poem, the boy sees the injustice and speaks against the establishments that left him where he is. This boy is an example of all young people who work as chimney sweeps. They slept in cellars on bags of the soot that they had swept, and they were poorly fed and clothed. They would sweep the chimney naked so their masters would not have to replace clothing ruined, and they were rarely bathed. Those who were not killed by fires in chimneys usually died early anyway. Many people viewed them as subhuman creatures and not as part of human society. They are usually exploited and oppressed. This image of childhood which is portrayed by this young chimney sweeper highlights the situation where children are isolated from society and institutions in the same line as their parents, who think they do no harm.
The boy believes that his pious parents sold him as a chimney sweeper because he was happy. Thus, the parents have the idea of depriving the childhood from happiness. Clothing him “in the clothes f death” refers to their life as a social outcast and their being destined to an early death because of the working and the living conditions of their profession.
Blake attempts to create a disturbing portrait which reflects a rapidly harsh point of view. He depicts the boy as “A little black thing among the snow”. Just a society neglects to view these children as valid members of the civilized culture; Blake does not even acknowledge that the child is human at all. He is nothing more than a “thing”, a tiny black dot spoiling the pure whiteness of the snow. The child seems to blame his parents for putting him in his torturous position. His speech is filled with a palpable sense of sarcasm. The boy has become wise enough to realize that he has been abandoned by his parents, as well as by society as a whole, as the “parents” spoken of in the poem could be seen as a societal phor. Blake seems to think it ironic that people who abandon their own children are the same ones who devoutly worship.
In sum, instead of portraying and considering the children as the white innocent dots in the corruption of civilized life, they have been depicted as little black things in the whiteness of snow. They have been deprived from their happiness and innocence instead of being endowed them.


Blake’s views on religion in his poem “The Chimney Sweeper”
Deeply reading the Chimney sweeper, Blake presents a world where misery, inhumanity, and frailty are presented in a seemingly darker, sadder fashion. He still aims to create a social commentary through his poem, and continues to speak out against the desolate life which the young chimney sweeps were forced.
Blake criticizes the churches and the religious institutions through the words of the chimney sweeps that are ignored by society as valid members of the civilized culture. He states that when saying that both parents of the child are living and have gone to the church to pray, which is a clear criticism of the Church of England since the chimney sweepers were not welcome in church. The boy believes that his pious parents sold him as a chimney sweeper because he was happy. Clothing him “in clothes of death” refers to his life as a social outcast and his being destined to an early death because of the working and living conditions of his profession. However, his parents believe that they have done no harm and have “gone to praise God and his priest and king”. This is not only a criticism of the parents who sell their children into this life but of the Church of England and the government for condoning the ill-treatment of these chimney sweeps. He also seems to be criticizing God hi, self, who seems so cruel for allowing those who practice this treatment to go unpunished. The boy does not seem to endorse the Christian idea of having joy in the midst of adversity. In fact, the God that his parents praise seems as cruel as others who allow children t be mistreated in such a way. The boy mentions established institutions such as the Church of England and the government in the same line with his parents who think they have done no harm. These institutions could have used their power to improve life for those chimney sweeps, but they have made little if any effort to do so.
Blake seems to think it ironic that people who abandon their own children are the same ones who devoutly worship. He sees this as a desperate attempt for immoral people to try and prove their worth and save their souls. It is a sad fact that the supposedly virtuous institutions would side with the immoral masses, leaving the innocent young people to experience only a slow, painful corruption.






4- Some of James’s contemporaries thought his portrait of Daisy insulting to Americans. Can you suggest why?

Daisy Miller is an image of the Americans in Europe. Those Americans who started to visit Europe after the Civil war and the clash between the two cultures was a novel and widespread phenomenon.
James was more sympathetic with the European way of life, with its emphasis on culture, education, and the art of conversation. Like most Europeans, he saw his compatriots as boorish, undereducated, and absurdly provincial, unaware of a vast and centuries-old world outside their new dominions.
James in his novella presents Daisy as a pretty American girl who wants to be exposed to European high society but refuses to conform to old world notions of propriety laid down by the American community there. In this image, he depicts the Americans as ignorant of the customs of Europeans of comparable social status. Therefore, James’s contemporaries thought that portraying the Americans in Daisy’s character as young, fresh, ingenious, clueless, naïve, innocent, well-meaning, self-centered, untaught, scornful of convention, unaware of social distinctions, utterly lacking in any sense of propriety, and unwilling to adapt to the mores and standards of others is insulting to all Americans; since Daisy is often seen as representing America. She was seen as a tiresome flirt. She has no social graces or conversational gifts, such as charm, wit, and a talent for repartee, and she is only interested only in manipulating men and making herself the center of attention. They consider all of these traits as faults.
In short, James’s contemporaries thought that Daisy’s image distorts the American picture and America in general in one way or another rather than giving an example of that poignant innocence of the American national character with its emphasis on earnestness rather than artifice.

Discuss the importance of setting in Daisy Miller.
Daisy Miller’s setting in the capitals of Italy and Switzerland is significant on a number of levels.
For the purposes of Daisy Miller, the two countries represent opposing values embodied by their capital cities, Rome and Geneva. Geneva was the birthplace of Calvinism, the fanatical protestant sect that influenced so much the American culture, New England in particular. Geneva is referred to as “the dark old city at the other end of the lake.” It is also Winterbourne’s chosen place of residence.
Rome has many associations for cultivated people like Winterbourne and Mrs. Costello. It was a city of contrasts. As a cradle of ancient civilization and the birthplace of the Renaissance, it represented both glory and corruption, a society whose greatness had brought about its own destruction. Rome is a city of ruins, which suggest death and decay. Rome is also a city of sophistication, the Machiavellian mind-set. In a sense, Rome represents the antithesis of everything Daisy stands for ـــ freshness, youth, ingeniousness, candor, innocence, and naïveté.
In sum, selecting such a setting is a great deal since Geneva and Rome at that time were the main Capitals in Europe that most Americans had headed to. It is Where either to “do as the Romans do” or to meet a downfall there as Daisy had met.

Is Daisy Miller more about our discovering what kind of person Daisy is or what kind of person Winterbourne is? Defend your answer.
In Daisy Miller, the heart of the novel would be Winterbourne’s character, not Daisy herself. He is as central a character as Daisy and may very well be the story’s true protagonist. Certainly, he is the novel’s central consciousness, the character through whose we experience and see everything.
Early on, we were told that Winterbourne is “addicted to observing and analyzing” feminine beauty. However, he does not appear to be a very deep or discriminating thinker. He seems to hold in high regard what his aunt tells him, about the Millers as much as anything else. Out loud he defends Daisy, albeit rather feebly, but the whole novel is, in a sense, the story of Winterbourne’s attempts and inability to define Daisy in clear moral terms. Winterbourne is preoccupied with analyzing Daisy’s character. He wants to be able to define and categorize her, pin her down to some known class of woman that he understands. Daisy is a novelty to him. Her candor and spontaneity charm him, but he is also mystified by her lack of concern for the social niceties and the rules of propriety that have been laid down by centuries of European civilization and adopted by the American community in Rome. He befriends Daisy and tries to save her but ultimately decides that she is morally beyond redemption.
In this novella, the protagonist, not Daisy but Winterbourne, owing to some aspect of his own character, such as an unconscious fear or a lack of passion or feeling, lets some opportunity for happiness go by and realizes it too late. Winterbourne spends his entire novel trying to figure out Daisy. In fact, it has been argued that Daisy Miller is not really so much about Daisy herself as it is about Winterbourne’s wholesale failure to understand her.

Why do you think James chose to call his heroine “Daisy Miller”? Do the names “Winterbourne,” “Mrs. Walker,” and “Giovanelli” seem significant or perhaps ironic in any way?
Henry James heard a piece of gossip from a friend in Rome about a young American girl traveling with her wealthy but unsophisticated mother in Europe. The girl had met a handsome Italian of “vague identity” and no particular social standing and attempted to introduce him into the exclusive society of expatriate Americans in Rome. The incident had ended in a snub of some sort, a “small social check….of no great gravity,” the exact nature of which James promptly forgot. Nevertheless, he never knew the young lady in question or heard mention of her again, but he proceeded to immortalize the idea of her in Daisy Miller.
The name “Winterbourne” refers to that type of Europeanized expatriate. He is closely associated with New England Puritanism: he makes his home in Geneva, “the dark old city at the other end of the lake” that James is at pains to identify as the wellspring of Calvinism not out of necessity but by choice. His name refers to the image of conforming to old- world notions of propriety laid down by the expatriate community there. He is so strict to the values and to what his aunt, Mrs. Costello, tells him.
Mrs. Walker is an American widow who lives in Italy. She knows Winterbourne from Geneva, and has befriended Daisy. Mrs. Walker shares the values of the rest of the American expatriate community, but she genuinely seems to care what happens to Daisy and tries to save her. She was among the Americans who have been scandalized by Daisy’ behavior. She is also at the center of Rome’s fashionable society.
Giovanelli is an Italian of unknown background and origins. His indiscreet friendship with Daisy is misinterpreted by the American community and leads, directly or indirectly, to Daisy’s ostracism and death. His name as it means “handsome gentleman” refers to that kind of people whose daisy is attracted to away from that type of American Expatriate in Europe who tries to imitate the European society with its values and notions. He refers to that kind of European personality that starts giving up all the old values that old Europeans and Americans believe in.

[الازدي]

thanks for this work dear