Henry James.pptVIP

Henry James (1843~1916) Life and Works born in New York City on April 15, 1843 a wealthy cultured family 1862, ? Harvard Law School ? law after a year ? toured England, France and Italy 1876, settled down in London ( some visits to America ) 1915 ? a British citizen 1916 ? the Order of Merit from King George V not married, lived and worked alone sociable and knew most of the great artists of his time an observer rather than a participant The Literary Career The first stage (1865-1882) : the international novel the theme ? innocence versus experience the clashes between two different cultures the sophistication of Europe and the idealism of America 1878, Daisy Miller 1877, The American 1881, The Portrait of a Lady The second period(1882-1895) experimented with different themes and forms The first part 1886, The Bostonians ? satirized the women liberation movement that took place in Boston 1886 , The Princess Casamassima ? written in a naturalistic mode and proved to be unsuccessful. 1890 , The Tragic Muse ? a lengthy discussion of the role of the artist in society ? the choices people make in becoming artists and leaving the conventional world behind The 2nd Part (1895 – 1900) three dominant subjects troubled writers and artists ghosts and apparitions doomed or threatened children and adolescents 1898, The Turn of the Screw 1903, The Beast in the Jungle The Third Stage (1895-1916) ? international theme. 1902, The Wings of the Dove 1903, The Ambassadors 1904, The Golden Bowl Features of His Later Works the richness of syntax and characterization the originality in point of view, symbolism, metaphoric texture, the organizing rhythm dense, elliptical and difficult to read characters facing moral and personal dilemmas James characters are always complex ? real people The Portrait of a Lady first published serially in The Atlantic Monthly Isabel Archer ? New York Lydia Touchett ? wealthy aunt Isabel ? E