Awakening And Returning

Henry James, one of the most distinguished novelist, stylist and critic in the 19 th century, is praised as the greatest feminine novelist. Not surprisingly, many of James' s works as typical Bildungsromans, are concerned with women, especially women's psychological and emotional growth. Bildungsroman, as a literary genre, is based on the growth of the character, which focuses on the protagonist's psychological growth from innocence to maturity. Originated from Germany in the early 18 th century, Bildungsroman has gradually formed distinctive patterns in various cultural fields, such as in Britain and America.Based on the theory of Bildungsroman, this thesis intends to make a tentative reading of James' s two novels Washington Square and The Portrait of a Lady in his early stage. By analyzing two heroines' initiation from innocence to maturity with the adoption of narrative structure in Bildungsroman, the thesis purports to argue that wether Catherine's unswerving seclusion or Isabel's “submissive” returning is the result of epiphany and maturity, reflecting James' s ambivalent attitude towards women. James also reveals the hardship of female initiation in the male-dominated society by employing unique artistic technique. The combination of two works' analysis is expected to arouse further understanding of James' s attitude towards women and dig deeper into the growth strategies implied in James' s works.The body part of the thesis is composed of three chapters. Chapter one centers on the analysis of female innocence, including Catherine's blind worship for male authority and full commitment to femininity as well as Isabel's innocent character and naive outlook on life and marriage which result from American individualism. Chapter two focuses on female's initiation process, including Catherine's awakening of feminine consciousness and Isabel's cognitive development as well as the influence of Bildung guide. Chapter three analyzes the female epiphany, maturity and their final self-realization. Epiphany is the indispensable part of the initiation and is significant for the protagonist's growth. At the end of the chapter, the narrative technique of psychological realism is also explained which contributes to a high unity between the theme and form.It draws the conclusion that two protagonists' different initiation rituals reflect James' s indecisive attitude towards female in his early-career writing. Meanwhile, by skilfully employing psychological realism, James reveals that women are destined to undergo much more inner conflicts and real plights due to their “Other” status in the course of initiation. Only by eradicating the inveterate and conventional social concepts and form a correct understanding of them can the female has the chance to achieve complete initiation, reconstruct identity and gain real freedom.