Mordecai The Avenger

If one were to say that Henry James’s novella “Daisy Miller” is a rather droll example of a literary work, he or she would be making a great understatement. Very little was established throughout the course of the tale, except for what can only be assumed as a few pointed cultural criticisms of American women. In fact, quite possibly the most interesting thing about this novella is that the author’s name is comprised of two first names. However, this particular reader is determined to find a theme in this garbled mess of words; a theme that surreptitiously lies between the lines of the story, laughing maniacally at the reader’s ignorance.


From what this reader was able to discern, “Daisy Miller” details the relationship between a young American-born native of Geneva, Switzerland, named Winterbourne, and a flirtatious American harlot named Daisy Miller. Of course, Daisy was not her real name; Daisy was merely a nickname given to her presumably by her many “gentleman friends.” Daisy’s real name was, in fact, Annie, as was revealed by her obnoxious young brother Randolph, who did not know the difference between sugar and candy but whom Daisy insisted was “very smart.” The story drags on into an infinite abyss of boredom, discussing the flowering—and eventual deterioration—of the relationship between the two foolhardy young Americans. In its conclusion, Daisy has moved on to another of her “gentleman friends;” an Italian named Giovanelli, who takes her to the Coliseum in Rome, where she falls ill with malaria. During the short period that she is ill, she is visited by Winterbourne, but not Giovanelli. Eventually, Daisy dies in what is supposed to be a tragic end to the tale, but acts as more of a reprieve from hellish condemnation in a lackluster literary labor camp.


Now that all the wasteful nonsense is out of the way, perhaps this reader will try to actually say something meaningful about the novella.


“Daisy Miller” is given the subtitle “A Study,” which raises the all-important question: why? The answer is actually blatantly obvious, giving it the ability to snicker and scoff at the reader relentlessly as he or she madly delves deep into the inner workings of the tale, finding little success. “Daisy Miller” is, quite simply, a study. In point of fact, it is a study of love and relationships among young people. Winterbourne is a stubborn young man blinded by his admiration for the flirtatious and salacious Annie P. Miller, for whom “Daisy” is admittedly a much more suitable name. Daisy, on the other hand, plays the classic game of “hard to get,” in which she pulls Winterbourne along on a metaphorical leash, charming him into loving her dearly while keeping him at arm’s length. She tries to make Winterbourne jealous, and succeeds in doing so by becoming intimate with the false gentleman Giovanelli. In return, Winterbourne tries to get her to think logically about the world and to stop being such a naïve young girl. However, Daisy, in the fashion of a rebellious young damsel, refuses to allow her life to be controlled by anyone, regardless of whether or not they have her best interests at heart, and takes unnecessary risks simply to spite Winterbourne. Her spite leads to her ultimate demise, however, as well as the startling revelation of both Winterbourne and Daisy as to who, exactly, they had loved. Winterbourne and Daisy truly did love each other; however, neither was willing to admit it, and Daisy, being young, was reluctant to accept it.


Daisy makes it very clear to Winterbourne that she has had a great deal of “gentleman friends,” suggesting that she also had a great deal of meaningless trysts and relationships. Given that she is so young, it is not so difficult to understand that she simply cannot imagine ever being in a serious relationship with another person, at least not for a long while. Winterbourne is older and more mature, however, and though he understands the deeper emotions involved in love, he confuses himself by constantly wondering about his reputation and what others would think about the relationship. Daisy and Winterbourne are thus perfect examples of young people in love. In “young love,” one partner is often too naïve to realize his or her love for the other, while the other is more concerned about what would make others happy as opposed to what would please him or her. This is the message that this reader believes the author with two first names was trying to convey; “Daisy Miller” was a study of the fragile flower of fondness among youth, as well as slight pointed criticism of American values.


Though it was an inexplicably dull and uninteresting story, Henry James’s “Daisy Miller” did indeed have a secret theme, hiding deep within the cockles of the tale, taunting the reader endlessly until the story had been torn to shreds and its heart ripped out and examined extensively under the literary critic’s microscope. Still, a little excitement would have done well for the novella; perhaps, instead of dying of malaria, Daisy could have sailed out to sea, forcing Winterbourne to search for her in an engaging and adventurous saga much like Homer’s Odyssey, only to find that she had died of malaria in somewhere exciting, such as Malaysia.


Just a thought.