Quote:
“‘You were right in that remark that you made last summer. I was booked to make a mistake. I have lived too long in foreign parts.’…he went back to live at Geneva…A report that he is “studying” hard—an intimation that he is much interested in a very clever foreign lady” (James 329)
Summary:
This is the end of the story of Daisy Miller: A Study. Here, Winterbourne is talking to Mrs. Costello, saying that she was right about the Millers. After Ms. Miller death, Winterbourne went back to Geneva and went back to his normal life, where he was supposedly studying and also was having an affair with a foreign lady. Hence, nothing changed.
Response:
This ending shows how these rich people live their lives without worrying about meaningless details such as the death of Daisy. In the end Winterbourne considers the entire story a “mistake”, taking away any other possible meaning to the relationship he had with Daisy. Plus, he admits this to Mrs. Costello, who from the beginning was against the Millers, because they weren’t of status enough. In other words, Winterbourne faced this fact to and now knows that it was indeed a mistake to get involved with such a family, making the acknowledgement of Daisy just one more experience where he could learn something about American young ladies, who are actually just flirts.
It is really unclear what Winterbourne’s final thoughts about Daisy, because even though he had been thinking about her after her death and about the message she left him, it is not clear if he is really hiding the fact that he liked her or he is just thinking about the experience he had. Either way, he ends up returning to his normal life, which didn’t change at all, because he is still breaking social rules where he is interested in this foreign older lady, and he is supposedly studying really hard. I think Henry James is showing the superficiality of the world of rich people. It is just useless to think that such a gentleman as it was Winterbourne would worry too much about trivial matters such as the death of this American young lady. If he finally concludes that he made a mistake maybe it was the mistake of meeting her or liking her, but then he will not bother to think about it anymore, he will just go back to his usual life, like nothing happened.
“‘You were right in that remark that you made last summer. I was booked to make a mistake. I have lived too long in foreign parts.’…he went back to live at Geneva…A report that he is “studying” hard—an intimation that he is much interested in a very clever foreign lady” (James 329)
Summary:
This is the end of the story of Daisy Miller: A Study. Here, Winterbourne is talking to Mrs. Costello, saying that she was right about the Millers. After Ms. Miller death, Winterbourne went back to Geneva and went back to his normal life, where he was supposedly studying and also was having an affair with a foreign lady. Hence, nothing changed.
Response:
This ending shows how these rich people live their lives without worrying about meaningless details such as the death of Daisy. In the end Winterbourne considers the entire story a “mistake”, taking away any other possible meaning to the relationship he had with Daisy. Plus, he admits this to Mrs. Costello, who from the beginning was against the Millers, because they weren’t of status enough. In other words, Winterbourne faced this fact to and now knows that it was indeed a mistake to get involved with such a family, making the acknowledgement of Daisy just one more experience where he could learn something about American young ladies, who are actually just flirts.
It is really unclear what Winterbourne’s final thoughts about Daisy, because even though he had been thinking about her after her death and about the message she left him, it is not clear if he is really hiding the fact that he liked her or he is just thinking about the experience he had. Either way, he ends up returning to his normal life, which didn’t change at all, because he is still breaking social rules where he is interested in this foreign older lady, and he is supposedly studying really hard. I think Henry James is showing the superficiality of the world of rich people. It is just useless to think that such a gentleman as it was Winterbourne would worry too much about trivial matters such as the death of this American young lady. If he finally concludes that he made a mistake maybe it was the mistake of meeting her or liking her, but then he will not bother to think about it anymore, he will just go back to his usual life, like nothing happened.
1 comment:
20/20 Gosh, is her death really so trivial?
20/20 for all journals #22-31. Sorry, but I don't have time to comment on everyone individually here at the end of the quarter :)
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