The Portrait of a Lady
The Portrait of a Lady
Regarded by many as Henry James’s most accomplished novel, “The Portrait of a Lady” is certainly one of his most popular. The American-born British author hit his creative and commercial peak with the tale of the fiercely spirited Isabel Archer, who rejects the notion of marriage at the expense of her freedom. Nevertheless, despite inheriting a great deal of money, and the independence it entails, Isabel is eventually compromised by the conventions and prejudices of the period in which she lived.
The novel’s major themes of a young lady “affronting her destiny” but being handicapped by a society that has little consideration for an ambitious and free-thinking lady remain relevant. As does Isabel’s manipulation at the hands of Machiavellian-like characters who strive to exploit her good nature for their selfish ends. Since it was first published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly, critics often describe the book as James’s early period masterpiece. They are unanimous in their praise for the novel's penetrating analysis of human behavior. For the modern reader, its portrayal of the tension between the dying of the old world and the birth of the new is particularly engaging.
The novel’s major themes of a young lady “affronting her destiny” but being handicapped by a society that has little consideration for an ambitious and free-thinking lady remain relevant. As does Isabel’s manipulation at the hands of Machiavellian-like characters who strive to exploit her good nature for their selfish ends. Since it was first published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly, critics often describe the book as James’s early period masterpiece. They are unanimous in their praise for the novel's penetrating analysis of human behavior. For the modern reader, its portrayal of the tension between the dying of the old world and the birth of the new is particularly engaging.
