Hammuravi

2 Pages 610 Words

Daisy Miller

In the story “Daisy Miller”, Henry James gives his readers the opportunity to look at the different perceptions that individuals can have of one another. These perceptions are often based solely on ones own value system, which are instilled every individual from birth. Miss Miller’s travel throughout Europe demonstrates the ideals of one country and how they contrast with those of another.
She is perceived as being very flirtatious by the European’s and is labeled as an outcast. While In Switzerland Miss Miller meets a man named Winterbourne. His aunt of his newly found friend continually warns Winterbourne, brought up by a socially elite group. 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. Winterbourne’s education and his progressive nature allowed him to continue his friendship with Miss Miller, a woman of whom he was very attracted to. 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. The inability to see the larger socie...