Washington Square Henry James Essays


Found 40871 essays.

Bette Howland's Criticism of Henry James's Washington Square

Bette Howland's Criticism of Henry James's Washington Square .Bette Howland states that while Washington Square may lack the 'supersubtle' nuances of Henry James' future novels, it "offers his irony at its most efficient.Half way through the article she changes directions and shows how Washington Square is the forerunner of his other novels.At times, she seems to give the novel more credit then Henry James ever did.According to Bette Howland, Henry James never cared for his novel Washington Square.


501 words (1.3 pages)
Catherine Sloper's Self-realization in Henry James' Washington Square Essay

Gargano, James W. "Washington Square: A Study in the growth of an Inner Self."Finding proof of his thesis in the exacting way James investigates Catherine's growth, Gargano sees that James has purposely shown Catherine as innocent in the beginning of the story to demonstrate a contrast to who she becomes as she begins to wake up to herself as the story progresses, and contends that upon meeting Townsend, Catherine "emerg[es] from a sort of dormancy" (Gorgano 356).This interpretation of the end of Washington Square is inconsistent with Gargano's earlier contentions, and should be re-examined.Catherine Sloper's Self-realization in Henry James' Washington Square ....orsel of fancywork, [and] seat[ing] herself with it again-for life, as it w...


436 words (1.1 pages)
Relationship of Washington Square to Henry James's Other Novels

According to Bette Howland in "Washington Square, the Family Plot," the idea that Henry James should leave Washington Square out of his New York Edition, is "a fitting irony" in that "like Dr. Sloper in the novel, James disinherited his heroine; [and] cut her out of his will" (1).Relationship of Washington Square to Henry James's Other Novels ."Washington Square, the Family Plot."Howland also does an apt comparison of Washington Square in relationship to James's other novels by pointing out how he frequently talked about love in terms of the financial.Although I cannot disagree with any of Howland's assertions regarding the orphaned Washington Square and its obvious relationship to James's other novels, I did find Bette Howland's piece t...


479 words (1.2 pages)
Henry James' Washington Square

She uses what is said about Townsend to demonstrate that he wants nothing more than Catherine's money, yet she does not look close enough to realize that he is more complex than the information that the narrator provides ("On Washington Square" 26)."On Washington Square."Hardwick offers no real analysis of Washington Square, providing her reader with an elementary interpretation, one that could easily come from anyone with a minor literature background.The biggest fault in "On Washington Square" is that Hardwick does not recognize that the narrator of Washington Square provides the reader with only the information he wants to, leaving out details that could slant the story.Henry James' Washington Square is more than a simple novel with s...


434 words (1.1 pages)
Feminist Re-reading of Henry James's Washington Square

"Re-producing 'James': Marxism, Phallocentrism and Washington Square."The author Barbara Rasmussen, states that another critic, Ian Bell's perspective of Henry James's writing " 'exploits the ideological equipment of that which it opposes': patriarchal capitalism" (63).The article "Re-producing James" is a defense of the feminist perspective in regards to Henry James's Washington Square.However, Washington Square was written in 1880 and was very much a patriarchal time.She attacks both Bell and James and unjustly signifies that because the writings are from a male perspective, they are themselves sexist and phallocentric.


428 words (1.1 pages)
Catherine's Inner Self in Henry James's Washington Square

Catherine's Inner Self in Henry James's Washington Square .Within the essay, Gargano argues that "James anatomizes the process by which Catherine's active, secret existence transforms her into an imaginative woman" (129).Gargano also brings out how well James "traces [Catherine's] developing insight" (131) into her own nature.Gargano, James W. " Washington Square : A Study in the Growth of An Inner Self."In an essay titled, "Washington Square: A Study in the Growth of an Inner Self ," James W. Gargano addresses the internal reality of the character Catherine Sloper.


493 words (1.2 pages)
A Critique of Henry James' Washington Square

I will admit it; I did not like Washington Square.A Critique of Henry James' Washington Square .Considering the absolute realism of the novel, the fact that James had adapted it from reality makes perfect sense."Everyone likes Washington Square" (220), HA!The other characters, as well as the novels main plot, had come from a story that James had been told.


474 words (1.2 pages)
Character in Henry James's Washington Square

A Question of Character in Henry James's Washington Square .Plot was obviously not one of James' major concerns with this novel, but to his credit, implements it better than Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop.Fortunately, the most accomplished poet T. S. Eliot , defends James on exactly this topic in his short essay, "A Prediction."After reading Henry James's Washington Square, I was left a bit curious as to why James had so many static characters in his novel.What then is the driving point to Washington Square ?


456 words (1.1 pages)
Essay about The Immortal Villain of Washington Square

New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1998.Wharton, Edith.The Immortal Villain of Washington Square In Washington Square, Henry James confronts us with an exceptionally hopeless kind of tragedy.The House of Mirth.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.


403 words (1.0 pages)
Michael Kearns on Henry James' Washington Square

College English.And why does he tell us that if Catherine's aunt had been present for this conversation, she 'would probably have admitted that it was as well it had not taken place beside the fountain in Washington Square'"?As a result, Kearns feels that this enhances the reading of the characters: "I assume that readers will accept the invitation to respond, not only ethically but also emotionally" (Kearns 769-770).Henry James , Principled Realism, and the Practice of Critical Reading."Had this question been posed in our class discussion of Washington Square, it would be possible that we would discuss it for a short while and then move on.


450 words (1.1 pages)
Henry James, Principled Realism

College English.The narrator does as well: "as the story develops and Catherine's experience expands, the narrator remains superior; in particular, he grants the young woman no depth of inner life.Henry James , Principled Realism, and the Practice of Critical Reading."Kearns implies that James creates fictional characters (such as Dr. Sloper) to help his readers form the correct ethical judgement about the novel.In it, Kearns invents the terms "principled reality" and "naïve reality" and how to apply these perspectives when reading Washington Square.


418 words (1.0 pages)
T. S. Eliot's Critique of Henry James' Washington Square

In the article "A Prediction," by T. S. Eliot, Henry James is both criticized and praised as a writer: "His technique has received the kind of praise usually accorded to some useless, ugly and ingenious piece of carving which has taken a very long time to make; and he is widely reproached for not succeeding in doing the things that he did not attempt to do" (55).T. S. Eliot's Critique of Henry James' Washington Square .The Doctor comments without having really talked with Morris.Vanity Fair Feb. 1924: 55-56. .Eliot, T. S. "A Prediction."


414 words (1.0 pages)
Henry James' The Wings of the Dove Essay

In fact, the outbreak of World War I was a shock for James and in July 1915 he became a British citizen in protest against the U.S.’ refusal to enter the war.“Spirit and Material Possession in the Supernatural Fiction of Henry James”.Introductory Notes on Henry James .Henry James' The Wings of the Dove .Henry James, at the other extreme, never ceased to regard America as essentially an outlying region of European, more specifically of Anglo-Saxon, civilization .


442 words (1.1 pages)
Henry James' ‘Washington Square

He therefore allows us to interpret her character as one which has not wholly succumbed to the calculated dominant and manipulative elements in human nature but has resigned, even in isolation, to her own choices and self-education; "for life as it were."She is depicted finally as a person who has been able to mature past the effects of the brutal coldness of conventional high society which James depicts so adequately with the use of narration, language, irony and symbolism.Within the context of the marriage plot the characters of ‘Washington Square' fail to fulfil their main desires.Catherine alone, however, succeeds in escaping the delusion of self-classification and the classification of others and the will to dominate or be dominated...


1147 words (2.9 pages)
The Dismal Washington Square, by Henry James

Curiosity about how Washington Square was received at the time it was written lead me to search for a review done at the time the book was published.Her everlasting endeavors to please her father who perceived her as inferior because of her gender and her singular lack of distinction, eliminated hope from her reservoir of emotions.The tug-of-war between Townsend and her father over Catherine, not for her own sake, but for money, robbed "her of her admiration for her father" (Gard 89), and a fickle fiancée.Aunt Penniman did, however, offer some moments of comic relief with her "silly love of intrigue" (Gard 89) and her romantic flights of fancy.These loses she suffered behind "her ancient facility for silence" (James 216).


427 words (1.1 pages)
”Washington Square” by Henry James

Very unfortunately, her learning was harsh and severe.The book, Washington Square by Henry James is largely about the coming-of-age of a timid girl named Catherine Sloper, who, after having been expected to become a spinster with her plainness and timidity, suddenly acquires a suitor of the name Morris Townsend.Then again, this was not an easy lesson, and I guess that to her, giving up on love, trusting in other people’s goodness was much easier than giving both a second chance.Her father, a wealthy, accomplished doctor in Washington Square, believes that Mr. Townsend is only deceiving his daughter and is after the money that Catherine is destined to inherit at the time of his demise, in addition to the income that she receives from her ...


728 words (1.8 pages)
Essay on Catherine's Conflicting Feelings in James' Washington Square

Through the novella, Washington Square, James portrays how Catherine’s problem regarding her love for Morris causes her to have conflicting desires and obligations that tear her mind in contradicting directions and reveals the novella’s theme of deceit.She has an obligation to herself to seek happiness with Morris as well as an obligation towards her father.Dr. Sloper deceives himself when he states that he does not allow Catherine’s marriage because of his belief that Morris only wants her money.However, if she obeys her father she would not be fulfilling her obligation towards herself.Thus, she cannot satisfy them both.


435 words (1.1 pages)
Henry James Essay

In fact, he wasn't very happy with Washington Square either.Henry James then wrote Washington Square (1880), a relatively straightforward tragicomedy that captures the conflict between a girl, gentle, submissive, and clumsy, and her father, a brilliant manipulator.In the preface to its publication in New York Edition, Henry James places this book at the peak of its successes, which drew some disapproving remarks.In his autobiographies, Henry James reveals that Milly was inspired to him by Minny Temple, his beloved cousin who died prematurely of tuberculosis.The third and final period of Henry James reaches its fullness in three novels published at the beginning of the twentieth century.


4574 words (11.4 pages)
New York Herald Essay

Under the direction of Bennett's son, James Gordon Bennett Jr, the New York Herald funded Henry Morton Stanley's expedition to Africa to find David Livingstone as well as George W. DeLong's expedition in the Arctic regions in 1879. .Now entirely in the hands of The New York Times, it is now printed at thirty-five sites around the world and sold in more than one hundred and eighty countries.On the north side of the square a monument commemorating the Bennett father and son has been erected which features the clock by French sculptor Antonin Carlès depicting Minerva, carillonneurs and owls striking every hour, which originally adorned the building of the New York Herald.In 1966, the Washington Post and the New York Times took control of th...


440 words (1.1 pages)
Theatre (Acting) – ‘The Heiress’

Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s theatricalization of Henry James Washington Square, ran a solid year even though New York’s two most prestigious newspaper drama critics, Brooks Atkinson of the Times and Howard Barnes of the Herald Tribune, stood united against it and the rest of their colleagues, who hailed it as “superb,” “absorbing,” and “something to cheer about.” Rejecting the knowledge that her unloving father, Dr. Austin Sloper ( Basil Rathbone), strongly opposes her entertaining Morris Townsend ( Peter Cookson), the shy, slightly homely Catherine Sloper ( Wendy Hiller) is not averse to the dashing young man’s courtship.Thoughts of James led to their rediscovery of his long-unread book Washington Square, similarly about a father and a da...


13667 words (34.2 pages)
Ben Chaplin Essay

He then landed the role of Brian, the suitor of Uma Thurman, in the romantic comedy Between dogs and cats by Michael Lehmann.A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, England, Ben Chaplin made his acting debut playing a valet in James Ivory's The Remains of the Day.His female partners are Winona Ryder in the fantasy film The Lost Souls (2001), Michelle Yeoh in the film The Talisman (2002), Sandra Bullock in the thriller Murderous Calculations (2002) by Barbet Schroeder or again Nicole Kidman in the comedy-drama Nadia (2003).He then shows himself very active on television.An accomplished theater actor, Ben Chaplin returned to his first passion in 2004 by shining in Stage beauty by Richard Eyre.


340 words (0.9 pages)
Rhetorical Devices and Chracter Analysis of Washington Square by Henry James

In his novel Washington Square, Henry James uses a number of rhetorical and literary devices to employ, develop, and fully elaborate on the characters introduced throughout his novel.Despite this, Morris has tried to remain frank and true to Catherine throughout the novel, leading to the wonder if he actually means his love or if Dr. Sloper is right.After devoting two chapters to the establishment of the story background, James begins to introduce characters, usually opening their entrances into the story by giving a physical description or a background of that character.Sloper’s theory is that because Catherine is so unattractive and anti-social, Morris could only be after her fortune.The level at which James characterizes the individua...


749 words (1.9 pages)
William Henry Harrison Essay

Thereafter he was promoted to captain and given the command of Fort Washington, Ohio.After his father died in 1791, Harrison dropped medicine and joined the Army.While at Fort Washington he met his wife Anna Symmes.... .Harrison served as a soldier in early American wars.There he served for seven successful years.


245 words (0.6 pages)
Compare and Contrast of Henry O Tanner’s painting "The head of a Jew in Palestine” wit"h Alice Pike Barneys´s painting " The head of a Negro Boy"

... ... middle of paper ... ...e Barney’s subject was very young; Henry Tanner’s subject was young.Henry Tanner and Alice Barney were both exceeding talented artists.She was a very influential artist in the Washington DC artistic movement.Henry Tanner’s portrait is painted as if his subject is standing directly in front of the viewer.Henry O Tanner died in 1937.


456 words (1.1 pages)
American Literature Questions Essay

Joseph Kirkland C. Mark Twain D. Henry James 39.William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Earnest Hemingway D. Ezra Pound 30.A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Ernest Hemingway D. F·Scott Fitzgerald.A. Henry James B. Theodore Dreiser C. Mark Twain D. Herman Melville 36.A. William Howells B. Henry James C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland 33.


2204 words (5.5 pages)
Henry James

This climaxed in his works which began after 1887, when he risked his career writing a letter to the New York Tribune urging a pardon for the so-called Chicago anarchists, some of whom were executed for killings during the Haymarket Square riot which they were not believed to have committed.(Bradley 1143) Howell and James managed to very formally portray America as it was while adding their own criticisms about it in an attempt to stimulate change.James' contribtutions to literature are still felt today, as he influenced such authors as Wharton, Joyce, Woolf and Faulkner.James continues the theme of placing Americans without sufficient social experience into .After these works failed commerically , James turned to the British stage; he f...


1034 words (2.6 pages)
The Independence Day

Zamfirescu Ana-Maria, 10D .Happy Independence Day!Never forget their sacrifice!During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain.Sometimes large civic works such as the Erie Canal and the Washington Monument start on July 4, emphasizing their contribution to the economy and culture of the United States.


1848 words (4.6 pages)
Frankenstein Essay

James Whale replaced Robert Florey who for compensation was offered the realization of Double assassination in the rue Morgue still with Bela Lugosi.He draws her a skull and a square forehead using cotton soaked in collodion.Frankenstein is an American film directed by James Whale, released in 1931. .Henry Frankenstein, a young scientist, wants to artificially create life.Failing to find a precise description in Shelley's novel, Pierce is inspired by operations of the brain, when surgeons cut off the top of the skull.


291 words (0.7 pages)
Founding Fathers of the United States Essay

Of the eight born elsewhere, Pierce Butler, Thomas Fitzsimons, James McHenry and William Paterson were born in Ireland, William Richardson Davie and Robert Morris in England, James Wilson in Scotland and Alexander Hamilton in the West Indies.At least twelve are merchants: William Blount, Jacob Broom, George Clymer, Jonathan Dayton, Thomas Fitzsimons, Nicholas Gilman, Nathaniel Gorham, John Langdon, Robert Morris, William Pierce, Roger Sherman and James Wilson.In the narrowest sense, according to historian Richard B. Morris (en) refers to a group comprising the seven key Founding Fathers namely: Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), George Washington (1732–1799), John Adams (1735 - 1826), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), John Jay (1745–1829), James...


1176 words (2.9 pages)
Washington History Essay

From the start of the conflict, black slaves fled from the plantations of the Southern States, towards the North, some of them settling in barracks in Washington.When the war ended, Washington gained residents, but also a special place in the hearts of Americans.During the War of 1812, British and Canadian forces were ordered to burn down public buildings in Washington DC.On August 24, 1814, British General Robert Ross won the Battle of Bladensburg, which opened his way to Washington.From then on, Washington County disappeared, completely dissolved within the Federal District.


865 words (2.2 pages)

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