From The Ideal Of Transcendental Idealism To Materialism

Henry James, an American prominent novelist, stylist and literary critic at the turn of the twentieth century, distinguishes himself in the world literature for his influence in the history of the novel as a forerunner of psychological realism and formal architectonics, a master of a rich, highly complex prose style as well as an extremely sensitive apprehension of values of character. He devotes his whole life to the exploration of the "international theme", that is, the encounter of the Old World and the New at each side of the Atlantic in culture and morality. This thesis concentrates on the study of two masterpieces of James's respectively in his middle and late periods—The Portrait of a Lady and The Golden Bowl, and analyzes the characterization of two heroines and their self-development processes, so as to explore James's development of the subject as well as himself. This thesis comprises five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to James's life, career and literary style. Chapter Two explains the subject of "international theme" and its historical background. Chapter Three offers an analysis of Isabel Archer in The Portrait of a Lady, from the aspects of her "free spirit" against European social convention, her transcendental idealism, and her search for art. Chapter Four makes a study of Maggie Verver in The Golden Bowl, focusing on her idealistic materialism. The last chapter makes a comparison between the two heroines, revealing James's mental development and his optimistic attitude towards the blending of different cultures.