Henry James 1843 1916 A famous novelist and

Henry James （1843 -1916） A famous novelist and literary critic

Life of Henry James • Born in a wealthy family in New York to a philosopher and theologist father • Brother William James a famous philosopher, psychologist, and founder of utilitarianism. • Father encouraging children to familiarize themselves with all kinds of thoughts and things, to make their own judgment, to cultivate independent thinking (inwardness)

Life of Henry James • Frequent tour to Europe learning Henry James with the long history and brilliant culture of Europe (known for his international topic, world citizen) • Acquaintance with William Dean Howells in the 1860 s and publishing short stories and articles on The Atlantic Monthly, North American Review

Life of Henry James • Acquaintance with Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, Gustave Flaubert, Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola, and Adlai Ewing Stevenson • Settling in London from 1875 on • A English man in 1915 • Death in 1916

Periodization of James’s Career • The experimental period (1865 -1881) – Collection of creative materials and international subject – Realistic, rich content – Vivid characters – Daisy Miller (1879) – The Portrait of A Lady (1881) – The American (1877)

Periodization of James’s Career • The Second period (1881 -1895) – More forms of art (novel, story, play) – Subject matters other than international cultural conflict (social and political problems but conservative) (The Bostonians, 1886; The Princess Casamassima, 1886) – Morality and good conscience of modern man (What Maisie Knew 1897) – Art and life (The Tragic Muse, 1890)

Periodization of James’s Career • The Third Period (1895 -1916) – International cultural themes but more emphasis on the harmony between cultures and between men – Ambiguous attitude toward European and American culture (sophistication & hypocrisy & arrogance vs. vulgarity & simplicity & equality & kindness) – The Wings of he Dove (1902) – The Ambassadors (1903) – The Golden Bowl (1904)

Literary Contribution of James • Literary criticism – The Art of the Novel – Terms: • • “theme” “technique” “narrative angle” “showing” (with the character’s interior monologue) and “telling. ”

Literary Contribution of James • Novel Creation Theories – Content more important than form – A novelist’s peculiarity in creation – Novelist like artist – Art based on life, reflecting realistically life, but elevating life – Morality, truth and beauty as the novelist’s concern

Literary Contribution of James • Psychological Realism – Novels faithful to life – Plot not so important as the characterization, esp. their psychological activities – Plot depending not on external events but the characters’ internal consciousness – Forerunner of Stream of Consciousness novel

Literary Features of Henry James • The cultural conflict between Europe and America • The psychological activities of character • Upper class men and women, esp. children, women, artists and writers • Fluid, orthodox, subtle, well-chosen language • Integrity of form and content • Dramatic effect • Ambiguity in attitude towards many things

Negativity of Henry James’s Novels • Narrow, sometimes disgusting, psychological “realities” • Extravagant and ambiguous beyond the limit (the cathedrals of frosted glass) • James a snobbish aesthete • Too autobiographical • Ornamented language

The Portrait of A Lady • Characters Mr. and Mrs. Touchett Ralph Touchett Lord Warburton Casper Goodwood Gilbert Osmond Madame Merle Isabel Archer

The Portrait of A Lady • Questions – Who is the “lady”? What is the implied meaning of this word? – What kind of person is Isabel Archer? – What is James’s attitude towards the Europeans – What is James’s attitude towards Madame Merle? – What do you think about the structure of this novel?