Cultural Conflict In Daisy Miller

Henry James is one of the greatest novelists and literary theoretician, who enjoyes great reputation in the English literary world, often referred to as the pioneer of modern English novels and an unauthorized ambassador of culture. In most of his fictional works, he dealt with the "international theme", that is, the transatlantic intercourse of American and European society and culture. This thesis, taking Daisy Miller as an example, concentrates on the cultural conflict between the new and old continents reflected in this work, presenting the conflict between two cultures, that is, American innocence and European sophistication, whereas in the protagonists of the late novels the best qualities of both cultures are perfectly combined. Through his lifelong pursuit of his cultural ideal, he finally succeeded in turning it into reality in his fiction.This thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter One explores James's historical, family and cultural background, to which he owes his "international theme" and his cultural ideal. In Chapter Two, an analysis is made on the culture differences between the two worlds. James's "international theme" is put forward. Chapter Three gives analysis on Daisy Miller, one of James early masterpieces on the "international theme". The emphasis of this chapter is on the cultural conflict between the two worlds, the disastrous outcome of the conflict, the limitations of the two cultures, and James's attitude towards them.