Daisy Miller

3 Pages 753 Words

While In Switzerland Miss Miller meets a man named Winterbourne. Winterbourne, brought up by a socially elite group is continually warned by his aunt of his newly found friend. Mrs. Costello states, “They are very common… They are the sorts of Americans that one does one’s duty by-not accepting” (p. 13). Mrs. Costello, Winterbournes aunt does not accept this flirtatious behavior of Miss Miller and actually refuses to meet her. Winterbourne’s views were quite different from his aunt due to his “old attachment from the little metropolis of Calvinism, he had been put to school there as a boy, and he had afterwards gone to college there-circumstances which had led to his forming a great many youthful friendships. Many of these he kept”(p.2). Winterbourne’s education and his liberal nature allowed him to continue his friendship with Miss Miller, a women of whom he was very attracted to. Although he was quite aware of the standards set in Europe in regard to young men. In Europe it is understood that young men are not at liberty to speak to unmarried women except under rare conditions. Winterbournes values were based on a larger societal perspective due to his continued education and travel. He understood the norms and customs of European’s and there countries and while he followed many of them his ability to see the big picture allowed him to pursue different friendships, his most recent being Miss Miller.
While Winterbourne was able to look past the views of many of the citizens of Europe he could not convince his aunt to do the same. Like Mrs. Costello, the Europeans continued to hold their perceptions of Miss Miller and constantly judged her actions. Not realizing her status in Europe she was not invited to many of the events and parties in which the society held. Ultimately creating her own unfavorable perceptions of the countries in Europe. While speaking to Winterbourne she states, “The only thing that I don’t l...