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The Exaggeration In Daisy Miller

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The Exaggeration in Daisy Miller Henry James is an American writer who “born at Washington Place in New York City” (Edel,1999, P.1). He has a good education and grew up in a cultured family. “His father is the businessman and the theologian Henry James Sr, and his brother is the philosopher William James” (Edel,1999, P.2). Although he stayed most of his life in Europe under the norms of English society, he usually presents American heroine/hero in his stories like the American and Madame de Mauves. Daisy Miller is his most popular work, the novella brought fame to James. Daisy Miller is a short story that captures the life of a young, beautiful, American girl, who is traveling around Europe with her mother and brother. Gossips and rumors …show more content…

I find it unreasonable that Henry James kills his heroine because of her naivety, reckless, impulsive, and her lack of experience. Daisy is a young lady as James describes her “Winterbourne looked along the path and saw a beautiful young lady advancing”(James, p3). She probably a teenager so she is doing what any girls at her age would consider normal. At this age young people do not like to be controlled by customs and tradition. They want to experience life without any interference from anyone. They will do anything to get their freedom. "Daisy is innocent because she is young. This may be so. However, her age is also the cause of her rebellious attitude. She is at the developmental stage where teenagers question rules, parental and societal, and seek to find their place in the world. To do so, teenagers often disregard rules created by other and do whatever they like. And this is exactly what Daisy Miller does. For example, when Winterbourne tries to discourage Daisy from going out with Giovanelli, she takes a stand against Winterbourne, a man she had just met, deciding what she should and shouldn’t do. She tells Winterbourne him that his declaration is “imperious,” and that “I have never allowed a gentleman to dictate to me, or to interfere with anything I do” (analysis of Daisy Miller, n.d, P.6). That is something normal and part of the nature of her age. therefore, there is a

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Her existence does not depend on her illusions, so even if she is forced to face reality, she does not have much to lose and can escape without harm. Daisy pretends that she is pure and carefree and convivial, symbolized by her fluttering white dresses, but this is clearly not true. She is cognizant of the world and her place in society, as she puts it, “the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (17). Daisy does not challenge this view and even chooses to show others that she embodies this persona, usually acting innocent when confronting hard questions about love and betrayal. Even when the love of Gatsby forces her to question the illusions that are part of her life, such as when she calls Tom “revolting”, she does not face any repercussions because she is protected by her status (131).

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In her own way she is like many of the other characters who are almost as selfish as her. Although what makes her different is the way she she acts and treats people like nothing is her fault and she is not the one to blame. Daisy is a mysterious individual who has the extraordinary power over the people around her.

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