Innocence in Daisy Miller Essay -- Henry James, Daisy Miller

crowd manipulation of appearances in Daisy Miller as well as other computer addresss notions of these appearances provides us with a novella of enigmatic and enrapturing characters. Daisy, the most complicated of these ambiguities, is as mysterious as she is flirtatious. James gives her a carefully constructed enigmatic quality that leaves the reader wondering what her motivations were and who she truly was. He structures the novella in such a way as to stress the insights that the supporting characters provide into Daisys character, weather accurate or erroneous. Despite their questionable reliability, they allow James to make commentary on both European and American cultures and social class. In Daisy Miller the protagonist, Daisy, rebels against convention and runs from any stereo slip that could be applied to her. She seems impelled to defy convention and to never be completely understood. Daisys flat-out rejection of her condemnations ideas of feminine modesty and appropri ateness paired with her portrayal as naive and innocent, create a character with contradictory, and thus evidently enigmatic, qualities. Daisy flirts with men upon every whim, repeating a cycle of infatuation with each just before she moves on to the next. Daisy, often surrounded by half a dozen wonderful moustaches... (80) often goes out alone in public with them, even late at night, which is considered in Europe, in her time and social class, to be highly unconventional and dangerous. Despite much shaming by local women, she pursues these men with unfailing determination and abandon. Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Costello both believe that Daisy is besides a flirt and are equally appalled by Daisys escapades. Mrs. Costello noted that she believed th... ...lace in Europe, the only true European is Giovanelli. Giovanellis name means young-man (123) a type (123), and his modest dialogue and flat characteristics defer attention from him back to where James wants it to lie- with Daisy. The au thor diverts focus to Daisy primarily by constructing the novel close to her appearances and the other characters lives around her mystery. Despite this focus, no one character seems to be able to grasp the true motives and nature of Ms. Daisy Miller.Her innocence is justified by James, despite commentary to the obstinate by much of the supporting characters, through subtle symbolism and direct description. Using Daisys character as a striking symbol of a construe American, James makes an observation about American culture and social class. Works CitedJames, Henry. Daisy Miller. New York Barnes & Noble, 2006.