When Henry James first travelled to Europe on his own in 1869, for the purpose of improving his education and his health, he was considerably young. With twenty six years of age he was independent of any family restrictions and could freely enjoy the intellectual life of Europe’s metropolises. Even though he was already determined to become a writer it was in fact the European experience that launched his career and supplied him with ideas throughout his life (Wright 199). Nathaniel Hawthorne, in comparison, was nearly fifty years old when the opportunity to go to Europe was offered to him. In 1853 he left for Liverpool with his family to take over the office as American consul. He was already an established writer back then, having chiefly used New England settings for the composition of his stories. During the nineteenth century journeys through Europe became increasingly popular with Americans. Travelling the Old World belonged to the educational program for young men of the upper classes. By the 1850s the European experience was also affordable for the middle classes thus giving way to the phenomenon of commercial tourism. Accompanied by this movement was the growing popularity of travel literature by American writers. Among those who returned and wrote fiction or essays inspired by their journeys were Margaret Fuller, James Fenimore Cooper, and Washington Irving, to name but a few. So, both Hawthorne and James followed an American literary tradition. Europe constituted in these days an inseparable part of the American consciousness. Political independence had long been achieved but the fascination with and the orientation towards the “mother” continent in the east failed to cease. Everything rendered culturally or artistically important was an European import or imitation, no matter if in architecture, painting, or dressing style. This dependence resulted in ambivalent feelings. Great admiration mixed with feelings of inferiority, reverence with repudiation. The cultural density and the historical richness of metropolises like London, Paris, and Rome attracted thousands of American tourists each year. At the same time Americans were shocked by the – at least from an American point of view – obvious moral decadence of the Europeans. These circumstances provoked James and Hawthorne into dealing with themselves as Americans in Europe, with their emotions, opinions, and prejudices, experiences which were fruitful for their creative outpouring. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Relationship between the Continents
2.1 The Evolving of the Stereotypes
2.2 The Europe Reception in the Nineteenth Century
3. The Literary Methods of James and Hawthorne
3.1 Romanticism and Realism
3.2 The Different Approaches to the Topic
4. Transferring the Topic into a Story
4.1 Character Constellation
4.2 Setting up the Conflict
4.3 Characterization of the Heroines
4.4 Inferiority and Superiority
4.5 The Developments of the Characters
4.6 Developing into Opposite Directions
5. Conclusion
6. Works Cited
Research Objective and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the "culture clash" experienced by American expatriates in Europe during the nineteenth century, focusing specifically on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun and Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady. Through a comparative analysis of the female protagonists, Hilda and Isabel Archer, the study explores how the authors utilize different literary methods—romanticism and psychological realism—to navigate themes of moral conflict, national identity, and the struggle between American innocence and European decadence.
- Comparison of literary techniques (Romanticism vs. Realism) in the works of James and Hawthorne.
- Examination of how historical stereotypes of "mother" Europe and the "innocent" American influence narrative conflict.
- Analysis of character development and the psychological impact of the European environment on American expatriates.
- Investigation into the themes of inferiority and superiority within the context of the nineteenth-century transatlantic relationship.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Romanticism and Realism
Even though the authors lived, wrote, and were successful in the same century their literary methods differ greatly. James was a realist who was strongly influenced by the works of Honoré de Balzac, George Eliot, and Gustave Flaubert, the latter of whom he met personally during his residence in Paris (Encarta, entry: James, Henry). These role models became famous for their minute descriptions of social life and psychological mechanisms. James adopted this method and perfected the style which would later be called psychological realism. Because of the closeness to his older brother William, psychologist and philosopher who coined the term stream of consciousness, Henry James’s interest was directed towards the psychology of the individual who struggled with social conventions (Botta 8). His detailed descriptions of his characters’ inner life gave an account of this interest and paved the way for literary techniques like interior monologue and stream of consciousness, of which twentieth century writer like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf made use.
Yet, James did not always closely follow the method of realism. Realism, after a definition found in Lucie-Smith’s American Realism, involves the introduction of such details as shall assimilate the representation of actual fact, and the incorporation of the result of generalisation in individual persons or concrete things. (qtd. in Lucie-Smith 9)2
In other words, the realistic mode implies firstly verisimilitude derived from observation, that is a detailed description of what can actually be seen and secondly a reliance on the average and representative rather than the exceptional in setting, plot, and character. These two criteria, verisimilitude and the representation of the average, add up to a third characteristic of realistic writing, which is objectivity as opposed to a subjective representations of characters and situations (Pizer 3-4).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of Americans traveling to Europe in the nineteenth century and introduces the primary subject matter and comparative approach of the thesis.
2. The Relationship between the Continents: Discusses the historical and cultural roots of the stereotypes defining the American-European connection, noting the perceived "decadence" of Europe versus the "innocence" of America.
3. The Literary Methods of James and Hawthorne: Analyzes the contrast between Hawthorne’s romantic, allegorical style and James’s psychological realism, exploring how each author frames their narrative.
4. Transferring the Topic into a Story: Examines the specific narrative strategies, character constellations, and the thematic importance of moral struggle within both novels.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings regarding the protagonists' differing arcs and the authors' distinct resolutions to the American-European cultural conflict.
6. Works Cited: Lists the primary literature and secondary academic sources used throughout the research.
Keywords
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, The Marble Faun, The Portrait of a Lady, American expatriates, Culture clash, Romanticism, Realism, Innocence, Guilt, Transatlantic identity, Nineteenth-century literature, Psychological realism, Moral corruption, Narrative technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the cultural and moral confrontations experienced by Americans in Europe, as depicted through the works of Hawthorne and James.
Which specific novels are analyzed?
The study focuses on The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.
What is the core research question?
The work seeks to explain how Hawthorne and James used their respective characters to address the culture clash between America and Europe and how these characters undergo different developmental paths.
Which literary methods are discussed?
The author contrasts Hawthorne’s usage of romanticism, allegory, and atmosphere with James’s psychological realism and focus on social interaction.
How is the main body structured?
The body analyzes the cultural origins of stereotypes, the divergent literary styles of the authors, the function of character constellations, and the ultimate transformation of the protagonists.
What are the key character archetypes mentioned?
The paper highlights the "innocent American" versus the "decadent/guilty European" as central archetypes used to drive the plot.
How does Hilda’s journey in The Marble Faun differ from Isabel Archer’s in The Portrait of a Lady?
Hilda preserves her innocence and moral purity by separating herself from Europe, whereas Isabel loses her independence and innocence by becoming entrapped in a European marriage, ultimately failing to break free.
What role does the setting play in these stories?
In Hawthorne’s work, Rome functions almost as an active, menacing entity, while in James’s work, settings are more often used to reflect the social status and state of mind of the characters.
- Quote paper
- Tonia Fondermann (Author), 2004, Culture Clash - American Expatriates in Europe in: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun and Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/39357
