The Pursuer Of Life Freedom

Henry James is a renowned novelist and critic, whose works often concern the differences and conflicts in cultures and values between Europe and America. His unique narrative technique known as center of consciousness, which helps develop a plot through describing consciousness of a character and influences many writers , makes him a pioneer of modern literature.The Portrait of a Lady is a masterpiece of Henry James's, which depicts the experiences of an innocent American girl Isabelle in European countries. In hope to expand insight and seek ideal life freedom in those foreign countries, Isabelle underwent many frustrations and failures, but she still keeps faith in freedom, pursuing free and happy life. The novel has been the focus of critics since it came out, those people often analyze it from the perspective of international theme, cultural study, feminism, narrative technique. However, this thesis aims to explore the novel's freedom theme and the pursuer of life freedom——Isabelle through an analysis of symbolic arts of The Portrait of a Lady. Henry James employs symbolism in The Portrait of a Lady, such as house scenes, especially the five houses, which symbolize the beginning, harbor, cage, trap and the executor of the pursuing road of her ideal life freedom respectively; the contrast of bright and dark scenes, which indicates Isabelle gradual knowing of her husband true personality, symbolize the vanish of her ideal freedom; Rome scenes symbolize Isabelle's love for freedom and knowledge, she spiritually continues her faith on freedom though her ideal freedom was frustrated by that society. In short, this thesis aims to provide a different perspective to explore the freedom theme of the novel and Isabelle's bold image of pursuing life freedom through a detailed analysis of several symbols and its symbolic meanings, including house images, the contrast bright and dark scenes and Roman scenes.