Henry james and daisy miller,
Henry james and daisy miller,On April 15, 1983 Henry James Jr. was born into the prominent and eccentric James Family. His father, Henry James Senior was a noted philosopher and his considered one of the most brilliant thinkers of the age. His brother William was to become one of the most important figures in the field of psychology. The wealthy James family traveled frequently providing Henry with a haphazard education. His formal education however, was no where near as important as the education that he received from traveling trough Europe and living on the 'continent, which proved to be the driving inspiration behind his work.
Although James' life appeared to be idyllic James himself was troubled. Compared to his brother he was frail and slight in frame and statute and as a result was mocked by other boys his age. As a result James turned away from his peers and spent a lot of time with his family members, especially the women (Bell). Then I in 1860 while helping fight a stable fire James was horribly injured. Though the actual injury itself remains a mystery many speculate that it was the cause of his lifelong rejection of intimate relationships. Combined with his already introverted personality, the injury contributed to the isolated environment that James surrounded himself in and forced him to find companionship in his writing.
At age 19, Henry James gave up schooling for good, deciding instead to become a writer. He began to publish his works and the tone for his works were set. James was highly influenced by another American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his work echoed with the same concerns "restraints that society places on the individual, and an interest in the way the past shapes the present" (Tanner 89). However, unlike Hawthorne, James was drawn to write about Europe.
Frequent trips to Europe soon convinced him to move there permanently which is considered one of the most important decisions of his career (Dupee 106). The American in Europe became a major theme in his writing.
Henry James was very prolific. His works include twenty novels, over one hundred tales, many plays, studies, criticisms, and travel impressions. He is considered a "writers writer," and was highly regarded by those who could best appreciate his work. Although James moved in the social circles of the aristocratic nobility in Europe he was never actually a wealthy man. He lived off of his earnings as a writer and loathed to accept charity from anyone.
At the end of his life at the onset of the First World War he actively participated in the war relief effort until he suffered from severe health problems in 1916 (Tanner 95). When he dies his books were not very popular and it would take twenty years for his works to be rediscovered (Dupee 77).
Henry James had...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.