Modernism and Henry James Daisy Miller Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Thus, as Daisy posits: â€Å"the only thing I do not like is the society. I suppose there is some society somewhere, but I haven’t seen anything of it† (James, 2008, p. 9). In this line, Daisy implies that there is no single society that could govern all people; instead societies are made through friendships such as the ones she had in New York. Contrastingly, Winterbourne sees the society as a single entity that is entitled to govern its inhabitants. He is born in America, but he spends most of his life in Europe where he is exposed to the sophisticated European culture. As mentioned by Deakin (2001), Winterbourne is a lover of beauty; he values the categories people, rather than their individual characteristics (p. 80). However, although Winterbourne’s family sees Daisy as ignorant, he still defends Daisy against the prejudice of the society because he is attracted to her. Winterbourne finds Daisy’s tactless manner of speech and outgoing nature attractive. However, as the society concludes that her behavior is, indeed, unacceptable, Winterbourne left Daisy alone. Thus, â€Å"though Miss Daisy Miler was a young American lady, her behavior was not representative--was regarded by her compatriots as abnormal† (James, 2008, p. We will write a custom essay sample on Modernism and Henry James Daisy Miller o r any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now 34). The most significant difference between Daisy and Winterbourne lies in their perceptions regarding social conventions and morality. Daisy, as an American, grows up with the idea of democracy and freedom, which are the founding values of American society. Contrastingly, Winterbourne, as a European, grows with the notion of aesthetics and order. For Winterbourne, people should be able to conform to social standards of propriety and morality because conformity to standards makes a person socially acceptable. The idea of being socially acceptable raises questions regarding identity. Relatively, as James projects the different attitudes of Daisy and Winterbourne, James also illustrates the two kinds of human identity: those who can decide on their own, and those who depend on the society to make decisions for them. With the character of Daisy, James illustrates the attitudes of the modern American woman, who resists rules and stands by her own principles of freedom. Contrastingly, Winte rbourne stands by his own principles of morality and propriety. The American and European Tradition Aside from the value of free will and morality, James also illustrates national, cultural differences between America and Europe in the characters of Daisy and Winterbourne (StÄÆ'nescu, n.d. ).