ThePortraitofaLadyThePortraitofaLadyItisoneofJames'mostpopularlongnovels,andisregardedbycriticsasoneofhisfinest.Withrich,well-structured,andthepsychologicalportraitofyoungwomen,thisnovelwasregardedasmodernnovelofAmerica.CataloguePlotsummaryMainCharactersThemeWritingStylesPlotSummaryIsabelArcherisawomaninherearlytwentieswhocomesfromagenteel(上流社會(huì)旳)familyinAlbany,NewYork,inthelate1860s.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasayounggirl,andherfatherraisedherup.ShortlyafterIsabel’sfatherdies,shevisitedheraunt.PlotSummaryIsabeltravelstoFlorencewithMrs.TouchettandMadameMerle;MerleintroducesIsabeltoamannamedGilbertOsmond,amanofnosocialstandingorwealth,butwhomMerledescribesasoneofthefinestgentlemeninEurope,whollydevotedtoartandaesthetics.PlotSummaryMerleisattemptingtomanipulateIsabelintomarryingOsmondsothathewillhaveaccesstoherfortune.OsmondispleasedtomarryIsabel,notonlyforhermoney,butalsobecauseshemakesafineaddictiontohiscollectionofartobjects.Aftermanygoodoffersofmarriage,shechoosesthewrongman.PlotSummaryThemostimportantpartofthebookiswheresherealizeshermistake.AfterRalph’sdeath,Isabelstrugglestodecidewhethertoreturntoherhusbandornot.HerindependentspiriturgeshertofleefromOsmondandfindhappinesselsewhere.CasparGoodwoodappearsatthefuneral,andafterwards,heasksIsabeltorunawaywithhimandforgetaboutherhusband.Thenextday,IsabelreturnedtoRome,unabletobreakawayfromhermarriagetoGilbertOsmond.MainCharactersMR.TOUCHETT,anAmericanwhohaslivedinEnglandformanyyears,headofabankinghouseinLondon.MRS.TOUCHETT,hiswife.RALPHTOUCHETT,hisson.MainCharactersISABELARCHER,“TheLady,”nieceofMrs.Touchett.MADAMMERLE,friendofMrs.Touchett.GILBERTOSMOND,anAmericangentlemanlivinginretirementinFlorence.PANSYOSMOND,hisdaughter.MainCharactersBeingyounganddesirable,likemostofJames'sheroinesshegetsmuchofhereducationfrombeinglovedbythetooaggressiveBostonianCasparGoodwood,bythehealthy,manlyLordWarburton,byhercousinRalphTouchett,andbythedilettante藝術(shù)愛(ài)好者GilbertOsmond.MainCharactersISABELARCHERThenovel’sprotagonist.Isabel'sexperiencesinEurope—sheiswooedbyanEnglishlord,inheritsafortune,andfallspreytoavillainousschemetomarryhertothesinisterGilbertOsmond—forcehertoconfronttheconflictbetweenherdesireforpersonalindependenceandhercommitmenttosocialpropriety.

Isabelisthemainfocusof

The

PortraitofaLady,andmostofthethematicexplorationofthenoveloccursthroughheractions,thoughts,andexperiences.

Ultimately,IsabelchoosestoremaininhermiserablemarriagetoOsmondratherthantoviolatecustombyleavinghimandsearchingforahappierlife.MainCharactersGILBERTOSMOND“nocareer，noname，noposition，nofortune，nopast,nofuture，noanything.”

Acruel,narcissisticgentlemanofnoparticularsocialstandingorwealth,whoseducesIsabelandmarriesherforhermoney.Anartcollector,Osmondposesasadisinterestedaesthete,butinrealityheisdesperatefortherecognitionandadmirationofthosearoundhim.Hetreatseveryonewholoveshimassimplyanobjecttobeusedtofulfillhisdesires;hebaseshisdaughterPansy'supbringingontheideathatsheshouldbeunswervinglysubservienttohim,andheeventreatshislongtimeloverMadameMerleasameretool.MainCharactersRalphTouchett

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Isabel'swise,funnycousin,whoisillwithlungdiseasethroughouttheentirenovel,whichendsshortlyafterhisdeath.Ralphloveslife,butheiskeptfromparticipatinginitvigorouslybyhisailment;asaresult,heactsasadedicatedspectator,resolvingtolivethroughhisbelovedcousinIsabel.RalphservesasthemoralcenterofPortraitofaLady:hisopinionsaboutothercharactersarealwaysaccurate.ThemeIndividualLiberty

vs.therestrictionofsocialconventionsFreeAmericanvs.EuropeansocietyTheInternationalThemeThemeetingofAmericaandEurope,AmericaninnocenceincontractandcontrastEuropeandecadence,anditsmoralandpsychologicalcomplications.WritingStylesPointofviewofacharacter:IsabelArcher’sconsciousnessandperceptionpromotetheplot.這部小說(shuō)中作者第一次沖破了老式小說(shuō)旳寫(xiě)作方式，以女主人公伊莎貝爾·阿切爾為意識(shí)中心，將多種不同旳觀點(diǎn)集于一身，以她旳視角去體驗(yàn)現(xiàn)實(shí)生活、感悟人生旳真諦。作者精微細(xì)致地描繪了伊莎貝爾對(duì)周?chē)h(huán)境與人物旳多種內(nèi)心感受與心理變化，使外部世界經(jīng)過(guò)人物旳內(nèi)心活動(dòng)得到充分體現(xiàn)，使故事情節(jié)在人物旳內(nèi)心活動(dòng)中自然展開(kāi)，從伊莎貝爾旳人生經(jīng)歷中讀者看到她自由獨(dú)立旳性格。

Psychologicalrealism:“Thehouseoffictionhasnotonewindowbutamillion”andateachofthesewindowshangingoverthehumanscene“standsafigurewithapairofeyes...Heandhisneighborsarewatchingthes