Portrait of a Lady

Henry James wrote a lot of classic stories in his time. Amongst these great classics is that of "Daisy Miller." Daisy Miller is a love story about a young lady who appears to be out of place in culture and society. It is about a girl who wants to be free and does so by showing her ignorance in society. In the reading we come across many themes that Daisy Miller brings upon herself. Amongst these themes is that of her innocence. Henry James' "Daisy Miller" has a theme of innocence, which brings great misfortune to the main character. Does Daisy's death have to do with her innocence or with her ill-mannered life style? Daisy Miller is a unique girl who appears to do wrong because of her innocence.

Daisy is a young American adult who was placed in a European environment with absolutely no idea of how to act. Some say that this is what Daisy's innocence is all about, and others believe it is her own fault. She was brought up in a very lenient family who let the children do almost whatever they wanted too. This is proved in the opening scene of the book when Winterbourne tells little Randolph Miller; "Take care you don't hurt your teeth" and Randolph replied, "I haven't got any teeth to hurt." (Jame

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Daisy's death may have something to do with her innocence. After a long stay, it is time for Daisy and her family to move on to a new European city. Daisy may in fact have not been as stubborn as she appeared, but looking to fulfill her quest for happiness. Daisy appears to be interested in Winterbourne, but she also appears to be interested in her Italian friend Giovanelli. It seems as if she is not as innocent as she may appear. Winterbourne is much in love to never see Daisy again, so he agrees to meet up with her in a few months in the city of Rome. When Winterbourne finally arrives in Rome he has noticed that Daisy has an Italian companion with whom she spends all her time. " They also say; "The most innocent!" (James 79-80) The reason they refer to her as if she was dead is because Daisy did die. Daisy and her innocence brought people to see things they have never seen before. Some feel that she know exactly what she is doing. Miller cares for what people think of her children but lets them go about their business as they wish. Daisy was quoted saying; "I don't care whether I have Roman Fever or not" (James 77). James makes the family a big point because they are a big influence on how a person acts as they grow up. The gentleman's name is Winterbourne.

At the beginning of the story Daisy meets a nice American gentleman who ends up falling in love with Daisy.

Approximate Word count = 1115
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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