Jacob Rodriguez
American Literature II
Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw
February 19, 2015
Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James are two stories alike only in the way they are told. In both stories the reader decides their own view of the characters personalities. Through their actions each character adds to what we know about them, but we know nothing of their past. Rather than focusing on the characters themselves James puts you into the mid of them. It is as if you were there watching the story rather than reading it, you have no idea who the people in front of you are, they go about their day oblivious to your presence.
Each day you stay and watch the people you learn a little bit more about who they are, not by being told, but by seeing yourself, how they hold themselves.
In Daisy Miller the story is told through Mr. Winterbourne’s eyes. He is staying with his aunt, who being sick often needs him to care for here. All you know of Mr. Winterbourne is that he is a gentleman on vacation from Geneva. All you know about his aunt is that she gets headaches. After meeting Daisy and her younger brother, Winterbourne goes to his aunt to learn about this beautiful young woman he has just met but knows nothing of. Though she looks well enough, his aunt tells Winterbourne to stay away from the people. Although they are both from
America the aunt doesn’t think them worthy of her prestigious company. This only makes
Winterbourne wonder more about the sound lady. How could anyone of such a low class possess such charm? With this charm Daisy convinces Winterbourne to meet her in Italy, as he must
leave back to Geneva. At this point it is clear that Daisy is a free spirit who won’t hesitate to do as others would not.
When Mr. Winterbourne arrives in Italy it is only to find Daisy with another man. Rather than focus on the infidelity at hand, Daisy and Winterbourne play games with each other.
Winterbourne acts as if he doesn’t care, while still trying to help Daisy, and Daisy prances about letting on that nothing phases her. Because Henry James never explicitly tells you the intentions of Daisy she is seen as a flirtatious girl with no sense of responsibly nor of social dignity. Daisy, however, goes from very open and talkative to shunned and secluded with her Italian lover. Her never listening to reason ends up getting the poor girl killed, and only after her death her true feeling are know. Though she seems to love Gionavelli, the new Italian, she had wanted
Winterbourne all along.
James, writes a story of love that is only true on one side. Winterbourne can never truly decide whether Daisy is
