Trilogy Of Feminine Fate In Henry James Works

Henry James is a dedicated, prolific writer who deals with a great variety of themes. There are various kinds of characters in James's fictional society. The woman dominates the fictional scene in Henry James. Women exhibit a great moral grandeur and have a great capacity for moral obliquity and a full emotional range. Many critics of James recognize that what distinguishes James from other male writers in his time is his unique sense of femininity. The lasting influence on James's work is mainly two independent fiercely intelligent women.Through the analysis of James's woman characters in his works, the author attempts to summarize the changing fate of women characters and the changing relationship between woman and man at that time. And at the end, the author tries to reveal James's personal attitude toward woman and love.The whole thesis is made up of six parts. Chapter One is mainly about the literature review and the objective and significance of this thesis. Chapter Two talks about the three periods of Henry James's woman images, from the early period to the middle time and then the later period of his life. Chapter Three to Chapter Five concentrate on taking a comprehensive look into Henry James's American girls—Daisy Miller, Isabel Archer and Maggie Verver—in his three main novels: Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady and The Golden Bowl. Through these three women's different fates from the innocent Daisy to tragic Isabel and the self-struggle Maggie, we could see the growth of the woman in James's works. From the growth of woman, the author continually tries to show the changing relationship between woman and man.Chapter Six emphasizes the most influential two women in James's life. The first one is Minny Temple whom James uses as the template for characters such as Daisy Miller and Isabel Archer. The second one is Constance Fenimore Woolson, a solitary and mature woman who is commonly described as a"local color"author. Both women had extraordinary impact on James. And at the end of this thesis the author attempts to analyze James's personal attitude toward love and woman. We should try to struggle in this real world and earn our own happiness.This Thesis let us know that the good appearance, lovely personality and innocent thinking could not make us stand in this complicated world, we should try to use our own mind, strength and capability to conquer with life, challenge ourselves and win happiness.