Individualism Essay - 854 Words

Individualism Individualism is a view that stresses the significance and worth of every individual. They include complex convictions, ethics, exercises, and courses of action around identity. The self is viewed as interdependent with groups; Individual goals take precedence over group goals and not the family, they tend to be raised in richer cultures and emphasize personal freedom, achievement, privacy, and autonomy. Their social practices have a tendency to be directed by their states of mind and dispositions of the individual. Individualists focus on the needs of themselves and their attitudes and personal needs are important determinants of behavior. Their uniqueness is valued, they award social status to personal achievement, are†¦show more content†¦In an individualist culture, individual personal goals take priority over their constancy to their groups like family or the business employers. The reliability to a group is extremely feeble; they believe they have a plac e within many groups and are able to change their participation as it suits them, changing religions or places of worship, for instance, or abandoning one job for another. In an Individualist culture, you learned to grow into your own person, shaping your life to fit into your own mold rather than that of others. Parents in individualist cultures have a tendency to be more definitive; they promote advanced freedom, independence, investigation of the earth, and put less accentuation on dutifulness and friendliness, as opposed to restricting yourself to the qualifications or stipulations of a group. They want you to figure out how to see yourself as your own particular being. They want to mentality drive you to see your own novel advantages and attributes. Things like going to college, drawing, and painting are diversions that could assume an enormous part of someone’s life, yet the group is not needed to drive these interests onto a person. In addition, being your own indivi dual gives you responsibility for your activities. Furthermore, when you need to achieve objectives, you need to put in the diligent work as opposed to anticipating that others will do work for you. An example of individualism wouldShow MoreRelatedEssay On Individualism And Collectivism1162 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay will discuss the influence of cultural dimensions on behavior. A cultural dimension is defined as a perspective of a culture based on its values and cultural norms. In particular, Hofstede’s cultural dimension of individualism vs. collectivism will be discussed. Individualism vs collectivism is defined as the preference of a person only being concerned about oneself and looking after oneself, compared to a person who wants to remain in a closely knitted network. These are some terms withRead MoreAP Individualism Essay948 Words   |  4 PagesSelf-Expression and Individualism In AP by John Updike it is shown that conformism is a major part of society in that time. In the story everything is like a well-oiled machine, but when three girls’ walks into the AP store all of this changes for Sammy. A theme that is predominant in the short story by Updike is individualism shown by the girls and how Sammy responds to the events in the story. It is clear in the story that individualism wasnt a dominant trait in people. Sammy saw peopleRead MoreIndividualism in the Film Jane Eyre Essay1047 Words   |  5 PagesISU Comparison Essay â€Å"He who loses individuality, loses all† (Good Reads, 2012). This quote said by Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most recognized leaders of the 19th century, can easily be used to acknowledge the importance of a society possessing unique individualistic traits and characteristics as individuality is the fuel needed to run a society. In a world, where even a mere speck of individuality is not present, that society is likely to shatter into utter destruction. Moreover, individuals shouldRead MoreIndividualism Our Future? Essay704 Words   |  3 Pagesrepresents a philosophical, political or moral doctrine or a belief system. One of them is individualism. Usually any typical ism limits or suppresses humankind deployment and leaves a negative impact on human society. But individualism is completely different. This is something that everyone should be familiar with to choose for his or her personal development. One can find many definitions of individualism. Some are vey complex such as it is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, orRead MoreEssay on American Culture: Individualism1091 Words   |  5 PagesHollywood and Disney World. Underneath the layers of TV advertising and hyper-consumerism, there is a cultural DNA that makes America what it is. Here is a brief look at several cultural â€Å"genes† that influence the way Americans think and act. Individualism Individualism is a way of life by which a person places his or her own desires, needs, and comforts above the needs of a broader community. This does not mean that Americans have no concern for other people, but it does mean that they give high priorityRead MoreCapitalism: Individualism and Government Essay1130 Words   |  5 Pagesdenominations thrive from others prosperity and income. Capitalism is a definite social justice issue. One reason why people do not necessarily feel obligated to help others less fortunate than him or herself is because the economy focuses on individualism, which leads to greed and hoarding. Another reason why capitalism is a social justice issue is that it deprives certain people of their human rights as well as the dignity and respect that all humans deserve. As a result, we can ask ourselves,Read MoreIndividualism or Collectivism in Society Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesDebate Question: Which ideological group has had the greatest impact on modern society? Individualism or Collectivism. Terms: Individualism- when you value the freedom and worth of the individual, sometimes over the security and harmony of the group or a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence Collectivism- is basically when you think that values and the goals of the group and the common good over the goals of any oneRead More Individualism in Habits of The Heart Essay2767 Words   |  12 Pageswhether it is in a public arena or our own intimate relationships with family and friends. The very word individualism means to look out for number one, it implies a me society that has lost it’s way from the way it use to be. The title â€Å"Habits Of The Heart† creates images of love, faith, hope and commitment to others, a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself. Does individualism really exist, or is it that people tend to forget where they came from and how much they really are influencedRead More The Autonomous Self and the Dichotomy of Individualism Essay1440 Words   |  6 PagesThe Autonomous Self and the Dichotomy of Individualism It is not only intellectuals and English theory professors who spend countless hours and study attempting to determine the notion of self. People all over the world do it everyday, whether consciously or unconsciously. People question who they are and how their lives are structured in relation to the society in which they live. From questioning why they forgot the eggs on the grocery list to why life seems to be an eternal roller-coasterRead MoreUSA: The Land of the Individualism and Freedom Essay1437 Words   |  6 PagesPsychology, the authors argue that â€Å"One may conceive of cultures such as the American not as ‘individualist’ in the sense of being impervious to social influences of social groups and of their culture, but as demonstrating collectivism through strong individualism† (Jetten, Postmes, and Mcauliffe 204). Everyone wants to be different from those in the in-crowd, but by holding different trains of thought that ultimately overlap with ot her peoples’, you join the out-crowd. Take a classic example from the

Motication for Premiditated Murder Essay - 1612 Words

â€Å"The transformation of a psychological obsession into an aesthetic principal earned Poe his reputation as a principle innovator of the 19th century short fiction† (May). Edgar Allen Poe’s gruesome style of writing used connects him, and raises the social issue of motivation for murder within our jury trials. This is a widespread process of figuring out within a case in every country across the world. Motivation can be explained as the general desire to do something. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart†, by Edgar Allen Poe deals with murder based on assumption of insanity. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, also by Edgar Allen Poe, deals with murder based on revenge. In today’s society, the reasons for premeditated murder are wildly ranged and can be put into†¦show more content†¦The motive to kill causing us to claim insanity is the thing (the eye) which irritated the young man to kill. There are many cases where insanity â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart is a â€Å"detective story† with the mystery of a motivation. The mystery is solved for Poe because he knows the answer to the motive is the central core in the story (May). The Central core, focus, of the story is the obsession to continue to go to the door and watch the man sleep. The obsession was cause from the provocation of the eye. Just the presence of the eye caused madness. The young man’s actions can be related to loss of control due to provocation. This can happen when there is a state when temper is rising or if there is a state of fear or terror. The eye provides the young man with a sense of terror and fear. 32% of homicides in Victoria are based around frustration, and is commonly raised in the United States (Samuels, O’Driscoll, Allnut 477). The message of revenge in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was based on insults reflecting a personal problem with Poe. It reflects the personal issue that Edgar Allen Poe had with Thomas Dunn English. Poe composed the tale in the aftermath of a literary feud in which he had been exchanging anger towards Thomas Dunn English (Cody 37). It was written as a way for Poe to channel his bitter feeling at the time. According to David Cody, a journalist, Poe and English had several confrontations revolving around the slander of one another’s

Psychological Effects of Marijuana Essay Example For Students

Psychological Effects of Marijuana Essay Marijuana tends to be disassociated with the conventional spectrum of drugs in today’s society. Certainly we can agree that cocaine, ecstasy, and heroine are drugs and thus highly addictive and dangerous. But can marijuana be mentioned in the same breath as these drugs? It is not my point nor belief to disagree that marijuana is a drug that can be addictive. I place strong emphasis however on the fact that physical dependency is not nearly as common as psychological dependency among marijuana users. As I attempt to present the psychological effects of marijuana, we must first consider the concept of being psychologically dependant. When you are dependant upon something, you are not necessarily unable to do without it. Rather, you begin to rely on it. That is not to say that dependency is not addiction because I do believe dependency is a form of addiction. However, marijuana does not cause the same physical withdrawal symptoms as with drugs that are considered addictive. Drugs, such as crack and heroine require extreme measures to break the body’s dependency or addiction. This is the conventional understanding of what constitutes an addiction to a drug. Given the information that marijuana use lacks the ability for the body to develop a physical addiction in the vast majority of individuals, the concept of psychological addiction (dependency) becomes clearer. Anything psychological is understood to relate specifically to the mind and thinking. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that psychological dependency is a set of thought processes or is even thought about at all. In fact I feel that this dependency is mostly subconscious and not a set of thought processes. â€Å"Marijuana, then, produces a psychic dependency in the user which impels him to the continued and frequent use of that specific drug – a dependency that is similar in important respects to actual physical addiction† (Goode, 1970, p.105). It is important to understand why someone uses marijuana and why he or she would use it in the first place. â€Å"Millions of Americans have tried marijuana, but most are not regular users. In 1996, 68.6 million people—32%of the U.S. population over 12 years—had tried marijuana or hashish at least once in their lifetime, but only 5% were current users† (Unknown, Nov. 18, p. 6). There are several reasons why an individual would begin using marijuana and in some cases develop a dependency. One of the reasons why a user would develop a dependency is due to peer pressure â€Å"Nearly all human activities at least indirectly involve other people, and being introduced to marijuana offers no exception to this rule; in fact, marijuana use in general is exquisitely a group phenomenon† (Unknown, Nov.18). Could it be that the transition from non user to user is a result of the comfort in belonging to a group? Or is it more peer pressure than anything else? I feel tha t the decision to try it for the first time is directly affected by the way you feel about your peers and your connotations of the drug itself. If your circle of marijuana users are people that you respect and think highly of, then you’re a lot more likely to try it than if you looked down upon everyone you know who tried it or uses it. Once the marijuana is used for the first time a sense of openness to the drug is developed. The user then fails to realize any consequence in using it in moderation. The next thing happening is that user begins to substitute normally enjoyable occasions such as parties, as a reason to smoke and enhance the pleasure. Now the want for that enhancement becomes not so moderate. Pleasure might be the most obvious and common factor that creates a dependency on the drug for a user. Everyone is in search of pleasure and enjoyment. This is not to say that no one is ever happy and only the use of a drug will do it. The point is that using marijuana beco mes an alternate pleasure and it is this alternative to the everyday concept of pleasure that builds a dependency. You begin to depend on it when you have a problem. You use it to escape the worries of reality. Marijuana becomes that quick solution to the problem that everyone craves for. We do not want to worry about the long term, we want a quick fix and it is this that creates dependency. .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .postImageUrl , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:hover , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:visited , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:active { border:0!important; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:active , .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0 .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u12865f2ab883e223ac6dafcddc6893a0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Social Problem – Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Sample EssayThe following is an interview with a marijuana user: 2.) How often do you smoke marijuana?-â€Å" I usually smoke marijuana at least twice a day†3.) How long have you been smoking marijuana?-â€Å" I’ve been smoking for about four – five years†-â€Å" I began smoking because I was born with my life. I was also going through some very emotional times because of the death of a parent†5.) Do you feel that marijuana helped you through those times?-â€Å" I mean, yeah, because it always made me happy when I was feeling like *censored*†6.) Were your friends smoking it at the time?-â€Å" most of my friends were smoking it at the time†7.) Did they turn you on to it? Also, did they ever pressure you to try it?-â€Å" Ummm, they didn’t really pressure me. I wanted to try it for my self to see what it was like. 8.) Was it enjoyable when you first started using it?-â€Å" The first time I smoked I had a great time†¦I laughed a lot. I went to a school dance and it was lots of fun†9.) Do you think you would’ve had just as much fun if you were sober?-â€Å" I don’t think I would’ve even danced†-â€Å" cause it makes things more enjoyable†-â€Å" because I get to see things from a different perspective†¦although I am quite focused. It also helps me relax†12.) Do you think you can stop anytime you want to?-â€Å" I believe I can stop smoking if certain circumstances arose, but otherwise I wouldn’t†-â€Å" I don’t know†¦. maybe if I knew that I had to take a drug test for some reason†¦or other circumstances arose that wouldn’t affect my future†14.) So you could stop whenever you wanted to?-â€Å" yes, I think any one can quit, it just takes will power and support†15.) Do you have any inte ntion of quitting? Why or why not-â€Å" No, I don’t. It’s fun. It makes a bad day better without making the next day worse. I feel I function properly when I’m high†16.) Do you think there is any reason why you should stop? Why or why not?-â€Å" at the moment I don’t think there any reasons why I should quit, but maybe later in life when responsibilities build, such as having children, that would be reason to quit. Or maybe even job responsibilities†17.) Now, you said that you could stop through will power and support. Could you stop with will power alone?-â€Å" yeah, I know I could quit on my own†18.) One final question for you. Do you think that you depend on marijuana in any circumstance or can you stop tomorrow and never be faced with a desire to do it again?-â€Å" no, I really don’t think I depend on it , I mean I can think of some many situations that would make me want but I could do with out it†Even though my interviewee may not admit to himself or to me, it is obvious through my interview that he or she has a psychological dependency. Quite frankly the individual is denial. The reason he or she started was because of emotional stress and marijuana was used as a crutch. It was that quick fix that I spoke about earlier. A simple and quite temporary solution to serious problems. The individual’s use of the drug as means of pleasure is clearly evident. I asked why he or she continued and it was like I programmed the individual to say the right thing, â€Å"†¦it makes everything more enjoyable†(anonymous, Nov. 19,p.5). In conclusion to my research I feel I satisfied my thesis that marijuana does create a physical dependency among people who abuse it. And like any other drug abuse it leads to addiction. Bibliography:ReferenceDebner, C. (1985). CHEMICAL dependency. St. Paul, Minnesota: Greenhaven Press. .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .postImageUrl , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:hover , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:visited , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:active { border:0!important; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:active , .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8 .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u71f1db3adbaa84fbf1af66fbb5d28bc8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Religions Spread Through Conquest (2421 words) EssayGoode, E. (1970). THE marijuana users. New York: Basic Books, Inc. Anonymous. PERSONAL interview. 19 Nov. 2000. Unknown Author. CHAPTER 3: first, do no harm: consequences of marijuana use andabuse. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/marimed/ch3.html. (Nov. 18,2000).

Portrait of a Lady free essay sample

First written in the 1880s and extensively revised in 1908, The Portrait of a Lady is often considered to be Jamess greatest achievement. In it, he explored many of his most characteristic themes, including the conflict between American individualism and European social custom and the situation of Americans in Europe. James proclaimed that â€Å"The only reason for the existence of a novel is that it does attempt to represent reality. † Plot was for him but the extension of character. The novel must show rather than tell — he was interested in why people did as they did, rather than simply in what they did; motive was more important than deed. assignment help auckland The observer of the dinner table and the drawing room, the country house and the salon, the library and the smoking room, James was driven, Richard Palmer Blackmur asserts, to excesses of substantiation and renunciation and refinement (in experience and morals and style). We will write a custom essay sample on Portrait of a Lady or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If I put Blackmur’s statement more positively, I would say that James in his endless probing of character pushed the novel from pre-modernism to modernism by turning the novel inward, from an outward perspective to an inward one, and by focusing increasingly on a character’s inner life. This transition begins to take its effect with The Portrait of a Lady. Its formal brilliance makes it the pivotal, unavoidable novel of the late Victorian period, offering us crucial insights into the transition from Victorian to Modernist novel forms. Considered by many as one of the finest novels in the English language, this is Henry Jamess most poised achievement, written at the height of his fame in 1881. It is at once a dramatic Victorian tale of betrayal and a wholly modern psychological study of a woman caught in a web of relations she only comes to understand too late. a culmination of Victorian Realism and the beginnings of the emergence of a new Modernist style that explores interior states of consciousness as well as the individuals place in society. -the novel opens up a brilliant sense of capturing the complexity of being human. -critics then and now praise its attention to psychological detail and realistic situations. In The Portrait of a Lady we have first a third-pe rson authorial narrator who tells us about Isabel, but as the narrative goes on, the focus becomes more and more set on Isabel Archer—to the point that when she ponders her situation (chapter 42). Here she ponders her misery, what is she going to do, feeling betrayed by her husband? which alternatives does she have? And that is the first time in Jamesian fiction that the narrator actually moves inward, that is, in a way we no longer have a narrator speaking about a character but it is a narrator rendering the character’s words and thoughts. That chapter in The Portrait of a Lady is really what might be called a milestone in narrative technique, because it is this moving inward, Presenting the character’s, i. . Isabel’s thoughts, emotions as she weighs her situation, what she is going to do, pondering her options. And this is all told from an inner perspective, that is, the narrator receding behind the character. So what we have here is really a step towards Modernism. From pre-Modernism to something like Proto-Modernism. Yet at the end of the chapter, the narrator—we might even say here, James—seems to have been really shocked by the revelati ons opened to him, because he withdraws and lets Isabel again stay out there. He will not return to that kind of inner perspective; rather the narrator writes about her or writes her, it is not that the narrator writes her thoughts but writes her actions. Thus, what we have in the end is a glimpse into Modernism and a hasty withdrawal to traditional techniques, as if James had been scared by the vision of an independent female character. This ending, that Isabel in a way decides to stay within social norms, within the marriage, becomes a classic move of the late 19th century. It is a withdrawal, that is she remains or James keeps her in a way tied in that world from which there is no escape. There would have been a possibility for escape. But the narrative technique did not allow for it. So in the end The portrait of the Lady is finally not a modernist novel. There is no such a thing yet as the autonomy of the character; truly an exploration of a character’s psychological frame or mind, options. In a way Isabel remains emplotted by James. Like most of Jamess fiction of the 1870s, and the majority of his writing for the rest of his career, Portrait focuses on a group of expatriate Americans in England and Europe. Leisured, cultured, but just a bit bored, Daniel Touchett and his son Ralph are idly passing their time at Daniels country estate, Gardencourt, but find themselves reenergized when Daniels all but estranged wife, Lydia, brings with her to England her niece, a beautiful and enthusiastic orphan named Isabel Archer. Isabel is everything these men are not: lively, enthusiastic, and alert, she is a less flirtatious, more thoughtful version of Daisy Miller. But this American Girl, too, has the resistance to convention that both marks the type and makes its fate so problematic; when her Aunt Lydia reproaches her for staying up late to talk to Ralph and his friend, Lord Warburton, Isabel thanks her for informing her of the social prohibition but claims that she wants this knowledge only so as to choose whether to follow it. Despite, or perhaps because of, this very American insistence on freedom of choice, Isabel attracts one suitor after another: first Lord Warburton; then her American swain, the practical-minded Caspar Goodwood; then, ambivalently and perhaps unknown to himself, the invalid Ralph. The last of these, immured in the characteristically Jamesian position of detached watching, nevertheless actively intervenes in Isabels life, convincing his father to leave her a considerable fortune in his will, so as, in his own words, to meet the requirements of her imagination—and his own. This fairy-tale–like bequest, however, leads to disaster. Falling under the influence of yet another expatriate American, Madame Merle, Isabel is maneuvered into marrying an indolent aesthete, Gilbert Osmond, a widower raising his charming young daughter, Pansy, in Florence. Isabel soon is forced to realize her mistake: Osmond, far from being the man with the best taste in the world, is a thinly disguised fortune hunter, one who seeks dominion over Isabels life and Pansys even as he uses his fortune to achieve the worldly status that he has always craved. And worse: Isabel learns that her best friend, Madame Merle, had been his lover in the distant past and is the mother of Pansy. Shocked at the duplicity with which she has been surrounded, the no longer innocent Isabel defies her husbands hypocritical invocation of Old World proprieties (Im not conventional, Im convention itself, he tells her) and visits Ralph on his deathbed. Her rejected suitor, Caspar Goodwood, visits her after Ralphs funeral and urges her to flee with him from her dead marriage, but—in one of American literatures most famous and most vexing conclusions—she flees from his passionate kiss, back to Rome, presumably to keep her promise to aid Pansys efforts not to be crushed by the iron will of her father. The novel ends without any definitive conclusion—with Isabels friend, Henrietta Stackpole, urging Caspar to follow her yet again. More important, it engages in remarkable experimentation with time and perspective. Not only does it end with a famously open conclusion, but the ovels plot contains a gaping hole about two-thirds of the way through the volume. The reader witnesses, in sequential order, the events leading from Isabels arrival in England to just before her fateful marriage to Osmond, but then James skips eventful years of her life before resuming the story, in medias res for a second time. Long passages in the novel, moreover, are placed within the perspective of individual characters, none more striking than in chapter 42, in which a married Isabel, having witnessed her husband and Madame Merle in a position of silent communion betokening an unexpected intimacy, muses all night in front of a fire. Giving us for the first time Isabels own account of her marriage as she reviews, reassesses, and revises her own attitudes toward it, the passage is a bravura performance, dense with brilliant figurations as it performs the remarkably complicated task of showing a character mentally reworking the process by which she came to be deceived—in part by her husband, in part by her own idealizations and illusions. Jamess work becomes, in this period, strikingly speculative with respect to the questions of gender. As its title indicates, for example, The Portrait of a Lady centers on the representation of female identity under rapidly changing social circumstances: it foregrounds the process by which Isabel is framed, in all senses of that word, not only by those who seek to constrict her, like the pestiferous aesthete Osmond, but also by the benign Ralph, who imagines her, in a crucial passage, as a fine Titian or a beautiful building, or by the author himself. The open ending of the novel, however, suggests that James wishes to grant her the possibilities of escaping from those aestheticizing constructions, even if it means returning to her oppressive marriage, albeit as an advocate for her stepdaughter Pansy. Isabel Archer  Ã‚   The novels protagonist, the Lady of the title. Isabel is a young woman from Albany, New York, who travels to Europe with her aunt, Mrs. Touchett. Isabels experiences in Europe—she is wooed by an English lord, inherits a fortune, and falls prey to a villainous scheme to marry her to the sinister Gilbert Osmond—force her to confront the conflict between her desire for personal independence and her commitment to social propriety. Isabel is the main focus of Portrait of a Lady, and most of the thematic exploration of the novel occurs through her actions, thoughts, and experiences. Ultimately, Isabel chooses to remain in her miserable marriage to Osmond rather than to violate custom by leaving him and searching for a happier life.