International theme in The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

Henry James is the most prominent American novelist who practices the international novels which deals with America and Europe. Among the subjects and the themes which James wrote about , his international theme is the most recurrent in his work, in other words we can say that international theme is often associated with Henry James. He considered himself to be cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world, making out of his characters cosmopolitan characters too.

„The Portrait of a lady” is among his works in which the international theme is developed. It can also be called the issue of America versus Europe or sthe study of the Americans abroad. All parts of this novel, including its characters, setting and events are used skillfully like a chain to show the contrast between these 2 continents.

In the days of James, Europe was looked superior than America, it was though to be place of high culture; Americans of those days had a dream of living in Europe.

Having placed his Americans in the European or Europeanized society, James watches closely their actions, decisions, and response to the surrounding world. He was primarily an observer, not a commentator, yet by the very choice of both the setting and characters, he brought the two continents in confrontation. He confronted and questioned innocence versus experience, i.e. corruption and crudity versus refinment, barbarity versus culture, social chaos vs precise order, idealism versus skepticism, individualism versus conformity, honesty versus deceit, spontaneity versus ritual, action versus inaction.

James uses these ideas with a great deal of flexibility. It does not always hold that every European will have exactly these qualities or that every American will. In fact, some of the more admirable characters are indeed Europeans who possess many of these qualities and in turn lack others. Because a European might possess urbanity and knowledge and experience does not necessarily mean that he is artificial and evil. And quite the contrary, many Americans come with natural spontaneity and are not necessarily honest and admirable.

The character who represents the American in the best sense of the word is, of course, Isabel Archer. The representative of the European in the worse sense of the word is Gilbert Osmond, and to a lesser degree Madame Merle. Of course, both of these people were actually born in America, but they have lived their entire lives in Europe and consider themselves European.

The American then acts spontaneously, while the Europeans have formalized certain rituals so that they will never have to confront an unknown situation. Throughout the novel, we never see Madame Merle or Osmond perform a spontaneous act. Everything they do is calculated according to the effect it will have. Furthermore, the American is a person of action. The Europeans have been bred to view work as vulgar; they are people of inaction. Osmond has apparently never performed any useful task. He remains inactive while the American, such as Henrietta, can enter into any type of pursuit.

At the begining of the story there is a description of an afternoon tea. During this afternoon tea, Mr. Touchett, his sick son – Ralph and lord Warburton – the English lord are discussing about the American young lady - Isabel. We can observe that this way of life which they are trying to match themselves with, is an European way of life. Though Mr. Touchett is a native American he left America in search of a better life.

The first way of showing the contrast between these 2 continents is the way which James used to show the 2 houses. Actually, the houses stands for continents. Albany – the house where Isabel lived in America is America itself and Gardencourt is the symbol of Europe.

The house in which Isabel lived in America had an important room which is named ”the office” and it is in this room were at the begining of the novel Isabel was sitting alone and reading a book. The name of the room can represent the condition of America, it shows America's ”officiousness” as a result of industrialization, it represents America's official and democratic nature.

Completely in contrast of the house in Albany, the Gardencourt in London was glorious. This house was great, beautiful and had an old history. The Gardencourt can be also a symbol of the Garden of Eden where humanity began in innocence. At Gardencourt, the owner's son, Ralph Touchett is drawn to Isabel observing her and assuming the role of spiritual guardian.

The entrance of Isabel to the Gardencourt is the sample of her entrance into the European culture and European society, because this house stands for Europe, so by coming to Gardencourt and feeling its greatness and its beauty, Isabel think that she is approaching to her goal of reaching to a high culture and civilization. In contrast of the old and common house of Albany, the high beauty of the Gardencourt was the sign of the high culture of Europe for which Isabel had the desire of and could not feel and found in America. Through the houses James is representing that the Europe is the place of high culture and the place of aesthetic, while the America lacks such a high culture and is poor in aesthetic.