stubborn
personality shine through and can be visible in everything she does. A little later at Gardencourt,
Isabel is appalled at the very idea of being considered "a candidate for adoption" after her aunt
takes her away from her home where she had no parents: "I'm very fond of my liberty," she says
(James 35). Clearly, Isabel is not afraid to let others know how she feels, no matter how
disagreeable her views may be. One such subject is liberty, which means to know everything,
including all the possibilities ahead in order to choose freely, confidently, responsibly; as when
she tells her aunt that she always likes to know the things one shouldn't do, "so as to choose"
(James 86). Such frank language is what makes Isabel who she is, a person who takes risks,
often thoughtlessly. Unsurprisingly, Isabel reveals she is afraid of becoming "a mere sheep in
the flock" because she wants to be the sole free master of her own fate (James 182-183). In
other words, Isabel declines to be anybody's puppet. Choosing the direction that her life heads is
only her decision, even when she cannot make that choice skillfully. Although Isabel cherishes
it, her independence is not necessarily always best for her.
With the passing of time at Gardencourt, Isabel Archer reveals more of her headstrong
qualities. Her uncle's passing allows her to reveal this. When Isabel's uncle dies, he gives the
humble, yet sharp, girl a large amount of money which changes her life. Isabel's newly acquired
fortune brings her an enlarged freedom, however problematic. Consequently, Isabel believes
that she is now freer than ever before. However, she is scared of the burden of tremendous
responsibility involved in complete, unquestionable freedom. She is free- she thinks- to choose
her own fate. And so she believes she does when she fulfills her "one ambition- to be free to
follow out a good feeling" (James 374). The her...