Katherine Diep English 3H Mrs. Kent 12 December 2015 James employs symbols to characterize Isabel to be an educated independent person. When Isabel is talking with Mrs. Touchett about Isabel’s grandmother’s house where they are discussing the value of that house: “‘I like places in which things have happened – even if they are sad things. A great many people have died here; the place has been full of life’” (25). The symbol is that “the place” which refers to any place that has historical building. However in this context since Mrs. Touchett only understands value if Isabel will sell her house and since she isn’t educated she doesn’t understand how or why “the place” is “full of life”. Mrs. Touchett is the foil to Isabel which characterizes Isabel to be independent and more educated about society. Isabel understands the sentimental value of things and how by looking back on the past, a person can build character. Whereas Mrs. Touchett understands the materialistic value of how much Isabel’s grandmother’s house. The symbol of the building represents …show more content…
When Mr. Touchett dies, he has left half of Ralph's inheritance to Isabel, this allows her to marry who she chooses and give her the opportunity to travel the world. As a junior in high school, we have to think about the possible colleges that we want to go and what we would like to do with our lives. For Isabel, she has to deal with the life-changing event, marriage; "Which do you mean? Between one year and two there is a great difference." (James 110). Isabel takes great consideration when comes to these life-changing events to the point that she takes more than two years to give an answer to his proposal. We spend more than half of our lives to figure out what we would like to do with our lives. Even when we do have our careers we strive for more like Isabel continues to do after she gets