outline范本

Outline

The statements: This paper is going to discuss the liberalism that rooted in Isabel Archer’s mind—the heroin in the portrait of a lady. But sometimes she seems to go against her liberalism after marriage with Gilbert Osmond.

1. Introduction

2. The Maturity of Isabel Archer

3. Isabel's View of liberty

3.1 Liberty of Mind

3.1.1 Isabel's Attitude toward Life

3.1.2 Isabel's Attitude toward Love and Marriage

3.2 Liberty of Behaviours

3.2.1 Isabel's Refusal to Ideal Suitors—Goodwood and Warburton

3.2.2 Isabel's Choice to Marry Gilbert Osmond

4. Paradoxs in Isabel's View of Liberalism

4.1 Request for Liberty Versus Social Limitation

4.2 Love of Liberty Versus Fear of Liberty

4.3 Preservation of Dignity Versus Acceptance of Mistakes

5. Conclusion

Liberalism of Isabel Archer in The Portrait of a Lady

Abstract: abel Archer, the heroine of The Portrait of a Lady, a brilliant female figure in the world's literary gallery, is a controversial figure . The thesis focuses on the analysis of Isabel Archer view of liberty and paradoxes in her liberalism in order to explore that her arrogance and blindness lead to her tragedy marriage. Then I will further illustrate her attitude toward life, love and marriage. Later analyzing her liberalism in details by presenting her mind and behaviors aims at discovering her inner thoughts. At last, I will dissect three paradoxes in Isabel’s view of liberalism—her own requests against social limitations, love against fear and preservation of dignity against acceptance of mistake . The causes lead her betray mind are herself mostly and her arbitrary husband partly.

Key Words: Henry James; paradoxes; liberalism；atitude

分析《贵妇画像》中伊丽莎白˙阿切尔的自由主义观

摘要: 莎白˙阿切尔，《贵妇画像》这部小说的女主人公，是享誉全球文艺画廊的一位出色的女性形象，同时她也一个具有争议性的人物。本篇论文主要分析伊丽莎白˙阿切尔的自由主观以及与其自由观相违背的行为，旨在找出导致她婚姻悲剧的真正原因—自大和盲目。继而进一步分析她的生活观、爱情观和爱情观。通过呈现其行为和想法具体阐释其自由主义观，来揭示她内心的真实想法。最后，具体分析其行为与想法违背的表现—自身对自由的诉求与当时社会的限制的相悖，热爱自由同时也惧怕自由，对尊严的捍卫违背了接受其犯下的错误。 而真正导致她悲剧的最终原因是她自己，而他专横霸道的丈夫也难辞其咎。

关键词：亨利˙詹姆斯；相反思想； 自由主义； 价值观

1. Introduction

The portrait of a lady is praised highly as the best work of James Henry. It fully reveal his characteristics of realism. Isabel Archer, the heroin of the novel receive has received various critisms since the novel was published. In the novel, by the description of Isabel, we can find an independent American woman who may be regarded as a symbol of "a new woman" at that moment. Her pursuit for liberty is one of the most important theme of the novel. Isabel, proud and strong-minded. She has no desire to marry and wished to create her own future, rather than finding it as a wife. In order to achieve her liberalism, she refuses two ideal suitors and marries to Gilbert Osmond—a charming but worthless dilettance who regards their marriage as a way to gain money. After she finds her tragic disillusionment, because of preservation of dignity, she declines to accept her mistake. In his exquisitely crafted and deeply ironic novel, Henry James depicts the heart and soul of a young woman whose destiny is taken from her own hands.

2. The Maturity of Isabel Archer

Isabel Arhcer is an orphan without any money when her father died and guarded by her aunt Lydia Touchett. She grows up in the United States,obtaining a typical so-called American spirit—liberalism. Later, she visit her aunt's rich husband Daniel at his estate near London. There she meets her cousin Ralph Touchett,a friendly invalid, who later becomes her lifelong intimate but not lover.

Her aunt, who is also a typical liberalist,has a big impact on her mind. And her special family background and urging for books and knowledge also are reasons that make her to become "a young person of many theories".

When she moves to the UK, she is confronted with many typical Europeans in upper class,especially the British aristocracy—her deadly illed uncle, munificent cousin and Lord Warburton . Their conservative value has not diminished her liberalism . Instead when two adverse values meet in the mind of Isabel, they develop into a stronger sense of liberty. By reducing two suitors to prove that Isabel doesn't submit a elagant life at the expense of liberty. When married to a money-less man,in the Portrait of a Lady there was explanation enough in the fact that Osmond is her lover, her own,and that she was able to be use of him. She could marry him with a kind of pride; she was not only taking, but giving(326;ch.35). When she get married, she is one of inheritors of her uncle,as a result of which she has 5000pounds. But such huge money has also misled her view to liberialism. And in the closing, she is hurt badly by her tragic marriage, but she doesn't give up her dream after the death of Ralph. Whether she will continue to purse her idea, or to give up is an answer that left readers to answers it.

3. Isabel's View to Liberty

3.1 Liberty of Mind

In the beginning of the novel, Isabel Archer is described as a young man with many theories. Her imagination is remarkably active. It has been her fortune to possess a finer mind than the most persons among whom her lot was cast. She insists on having not only liberty of mind,but also liberty of behaviours.

She should have room and time for her intellectual growth. Out of late nineteenth century, Isabel cherishes individual liberty which she believes to be the essence of human emotion

3.1.1 Isabel's Attitude toward Life

Isabel Archer is a person who regards liberty as the crowning theme of life. She is the suitor of complete liberty. She will consult with her wise uncle or cousin. But she will remain her own stance and persist her opinion.

She doesn't live a luxury and dissipation life after inherited a huge money from her uncle. She remains her dream and independence. She won't mislead in the public view and surroundings.

3.1.2 Isabel's Attitude toward Love and Marriage

Her attitude toward love and marriage is extremely stubborn. She like Lord Wanburton very much, but she refuses his proposal for not wanting love to submit to wealth and social status. Her ideal husband is not marry for her beauty, wealth, but for love. And the one could not be too strong to overshadowed herself.

That is, she want to be use of her husband in some ways. She love someone who is great enough, but she won't marry to him. In my view, she also love Ralph Touchett, her munificent cousin,who has sacrificed a lot to her and died very young. But she also want her marriage to be blended with a straw of sympathy.

3.2 Liberty of Behaviours

Isabel Archer is not person who always talk in talk, but not walk in walk. She is a practitioner. In her whole life, she is carrying out liberalism. She never eats her words, even she find that she was misled by her dream. As a reader, I have to admit her pursuit for liberty has some side-effect to her life.

3.2.1 Isabel's Refusal to Ideal Suitors—Goodwood and Warburton

Isabel Archer admires and thinks highly of European high culture because she takes it for granted that she could grow culturally mature as she desires once she gets assimilated by it. She is concerned about her perfection of personality in the whole novel. Her worship to European culture may shed light in her refusal to Goodwood'. Because she does not think that Goodwood is able to make up for what she really lacks, considering he is a young, passionate and typical American enterpreneur. That shows she does not think highly of her native culture.

Her refusal of Warburton is really odds. But it can perfectly prove her idea. Warburton is too perfect to marry to, for she fears losing herself in the marriage. And that is the least she want. She want to remain herself in the matrimony. She holds the idea that his perfection would irritate her. Doroththy Berkson points out,"At the very heart of Isabel's concept of independence is the idea that taking is a form of dependency.( Berson, 59)

3.2.2 Isabel's Choice to Marry Gilbert Osmond

Isabel is completely free to choose anything as she like. And her refusal to Wanburton lies foundation to her decision to marry Gilbert Osmond. As I previously have mentioned that she marry to Gilbert is for a kind of pride;she is not only taking but giving. This marriage is exactly what she has dreamed of that she will begin to ahchieve. Although at that time, everyone around her except Madame Merle strongly oppose her decision, including Ralph who is always standing at her side.

It seems to predict sad prospects of the marriage. Everyone at her side knows the mariage will absolute develop into tragedy. But her dream or rather her arrogance mixes her eyes. She just believe she will be completely independent in the latter life. Later on, still failing to see the intricate web of relationship,and resolutely ignoring Ralph's socializing warning, she chooses to stay in marriage. Even three years later, people find she is losing herself and obeying Gilbert's aspiration without her own thought. She later find the cruel fact, but she refuse to escape from it. Because her liberty made her believe escaping means submitting to the arrangement of fate. And that is also a ironic fact that what she pursue leads to her failure marriage.

4. Paradoxs in Isabel's View of Liberalism

4.1 Request for Liberty Versus Social Limitation

Even in the so called "the land of liberty",one can be completely liberal without any limitations,which let alone with our heroin is in the social background of nineteenth century. Compared with previous female figures in other novels, Isabel Archer is set in a rather opening-minded society,even though she does not do any misleads. At least,she has right to choose her husband.

She won't obey others' arrangements of course. But after she finds out her unfortunate marriage. Gilbert's sister who is a honest admirer of Isabel doesn't advice she break the marriage. And whether divorce is legal at that moment is another matter. Women do have right to choose their love especially for our heroin,but they didn't have right to divorce. So what Isabel's request could not be comprehensively achieved at that social background. People can accept widow, but not a woman who has divorced.

4.2 Love of Liberty Versus Fear of Liberty

It is true without any doubt that Isabel is a spokesman of liberty at nineteenth century. She love liberty whole-heartedly. The first glimpse of Isabel is that she is "quite independent"(James, Portrait 24). She flattered herself that she was a very just woman, and had mastered the sovereign truth that nothing in this world is got for nothing(James,portrait,chap.7). Because her love for liberty, Ralph has said,"But for me there are only two classes: the people I trust, and the people I don't. Of course two, my dear Isabel, you belong to the first"( James, portrait,chap.6). She once confesses to Ralph that she is very fond of her liberty. With the deeply rooted American spirit,she love liberty before she was born. And she takes this love for granted. She is a woman who perfectly know what she wants to be.

But in the final chapters of the novel, we as readers can easily find that her fear of liberty. First i found it is strange , but then I think I think I find the true reason. In the marriage life, she is gradually losing herself in Rome. She no longer speaks for herself; she speaks for her husband. She no longer has her own idea. We hate that kind of Isabel—a weak-minded and dreadful lady. Even she find her depravity( we may say that), she refuse to admit and refuse to change the current situation. In the last chapter, she eagerly return to Rome—the start of her nightmare. She seems to fear something. That confuses all of us. Maybe she realises that her love for liberty is the final culprit of her tragic life. So she becomes to be fearful for liberty. And she ger down in the situation of lost-mind.

4.3 Preservation of Dignity Versus Acceptance of Mistakes

By her marriage, Isabel had wanted to "transfer the weight of her money to some other conscience, to some more prepared receptacle"(James,Portrait 365). She wants to obtain love and her dignity simultaneously. She won't at any rate lose her dignity in her marriage. But just her desire made her so confident, even rampant. Thus, in the end, after Ralph died,she recognizes her misfortune, but her dignity let her refuse to accept her mistake. So proud is she, she has to return to her sad marriage at last. No matter, she will choose to end it or continue. In some aspect, she must preserve her dignity, especially in front of Madame Merle. In the end of the novel, "Look here, Mr. Goodwood," Henrietta said,"just you wait!"(James, Portrait,544).

She once had the idea of for when she gave herself away she had lost sight of this contingency in the perfect belief that Isabel's husband's intentions were as generous as her own( James, Portrait,426), but she has a wish to avoid an open rupture with her husband( James, Portrait,426). She even hope Ralph to help her break her shackles. She does not realise the shackle is not set by Gilbert nor Madame Merle nor the society, but her dignity. We can feel the conflicts in her inner world. She is struggling with her dream of liberty—for desire for liberty is the only reason for she to change her current situation, but it is also the reason that lead her marriage.

5. Conclusion

Henry James is the pioneer of the stream of consciousness novelist. And he is deemed to stand for the realism. In the whole novel, the plots are not that exciting. There are so many figures' inner thoughts in the novel. By the description of these inner world, we can know each figure better. Thus, when I read the chapter about Ralph's death, I can't help crying. The place is the bed where Ralph's father died,and the conversation between Isabel and Ralph is not vehementa, but I just could not stop crying. That is the reason why the novel has received such high reputation. Isabel Archer's strong desire for liberty can be also be found in the novel between the line.

Work Cited

James Henry, The Portrait of a Lady. London: Penguin Publication,1997

Allen, Elizabeth. A Woman's Place in the Novels of Henry James. London: Macmillan, 1984.

Berkson, Dorothy. "Why Does she Marry Osmond? The Education of Isbel Archer," The American Transcendental Quarterly 60 (1986):53-71

Berland, Alwyan. Culture and Conduct in the Novels of Henry James. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1981.

Jones,Peter."Pragmatism and The Portrait of a Lady." Philosophy and Literature, 5 (1981):49-61

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