A Study Of Henry James's Art Of Fiction:The Golden Bowl

As Henry James's last novel,The Golden Bowl is one of his most mature works,but it is not as popular as James's other works due to its complicated art of fiction.Therefore,this thesis aims to analyze the artistic features of The Golden Bowl through changes of point of view,functions of minor characters and the ambiguity of the novel,so that readers can have a deeper understanding of the work.Firstly,changes of point of view are one of the key features of the novel.James has vividly revealed the complicated relationships between the two couples from Amerigo or Maggie's fixed point of view to their centre of consciousness.The relay race point of view helps to uncover the actual storyline by offering different characters? attitudes towards the same thing,and the sudden change of point of view gives readers a clear picture of the social background in the novel.Secondly,the novel's two minor characters,Fanny Assingham and Bob Assingham also play an important part in the story.The creation of this two characters makes up for the information those main characters fail to offer and help readers have a clear framework of the story.Thirdly,the thesis analyzes the ambiguity of the novel through the golden bowl image and the water image,the repetition between questions and answers and the fuzzy references of personal pronouns.These techniques not only show James's superb art of fiction,but also add reading pleasure to the novel.The charm and tension of The Golden Bowl are vividly revealed through the analysis of its art of fiction.Due to James's exquisite techniques,readers are forced to read more carefully and think more deeply before they make the judgments about the truth.In this way,the story's profound meanings start to appear in front of readers.