Henry-James-The-Portrait-of-a-Lady(贵妇画像-淑女本色)

ThePortraitofaLadyThePortraitofaLady•ItisoneofJames'mostpopularlongnovels,andisregardedbycriticsasoneofhisfinest.•Withrich,well-structured,andthepsychologicalportraitofyoungwomen,thisnovelwasregardedasmodernnovelofAmerica.CataloguePlotsummaryMainCharactersThemeWritingStylesPlotSummary•IsabelArcherisawomaninherearlytwentieswhocomesfromagenteel(上流社会的)familyinAlbany,NewYork,inthelate1860s.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasayounggirl,andherfatherraisedherup.•ShortlyafterIsabel’sfatherdies,shevisitedheraunt.PlotSummary•IsabeltravelstoFlorencewithMrs.TouchettandMadameMerle;MerleintroducesIsabeltoamannamedGilbertOsmond,amanofnosocialstandingorwealth,butwhomMerledescribesasoneofthefinestgentlemeninEurope,whollydevotedtoartandaesthetics.PlotSummary•MerleisattemptingtomanipulateIsabelintomarryingOsmondsothathewillhaveaccesstoherfortune.OsmondispleasedtomarryIsabel,notonlyforhermoney,butalsobecauseshemakesafineaddictiontohiscollectionofartobjects.Aftermanygoodoffersofmarriage,shechoosesthewrongman.PlotSummary•Themostimportantpartofthebookiswheresherealizeshermistake.AfterRalph’sdeath,Isabelstrugglestodecidewhethertoreturntoherhusbandornot.HerindependentspiriturgeshertofleefromOsmondandfindhappinesselsewhere.CasparGoodwoodappearsatthefuneral,andafterwards,heasksIsabeltorunawaywithhimandforgetaboutherhusband.•Thenextday,IsabelreturnedtoRome,unabletobreakawayfromhermarriagetoGilbertOsmond.MainCharacters•MR.TOUCHETT,anAmericanwhohaslivedinEnglandformanyyears,headofabankinghouseinLondon.•MRS.TOUCHETT,hiswife.•RALPHTOUCHETT,hisson.MainCharacters•ISABELARCHER,“TheLady,”nieceofMrs.Touchett.•MADAMMERLE,friendofMrs.Touchett.•GILBERTOSMOND,anAmericangentlemanlivinginretirementinFlorence.•PANSYOSMOND,hisdaughter.MainCharacters•Beingyounganddesirable,likemostofJames'sheroinesshegetsmuchofhereducationfrombeingloved•bythetooaggressiveBostonianCasparGoodwood,bythehealthy,manlyLordWarburton,•byhercousinRalphTouchett,•andbythedilettante艺术爱好者GilbertOsmond.MainCharacters•ISABELARCHERThenovel’sprotagonist.Isabel'sexperiencesinEurope—sheiswooedbyanEnglishlord,inheritsafortune,andfallspreytoavillainousschemetomarryhertothesinisterGilbertOsmond—forcehertoconfronttheconflictbetweenherdesireforpersonalindependenceandhercommitmenttosocialpropriety.•IsabelisthemainfocusofThePortraitofaLady,andmostofthethematicexplorationofthenoveloccursthroughheractions,thoughts,andexperiences.•Ultimately,IsabelchoosestoremaininhermiserablemarriagetoOsmondratherthantoviolatecustombyleavinghimandsearchingforahappierlife.MainCharacters•GILBERTOSMOND•“nocareer，noname，noposition，nofortune，nopast,nofuture，noanything.”Acruel,narcissisticgentlemanofnoparticularsocialstandingorwealth,whoseducesIsabelandmarriesherforhermoney.Anartcollector,Osmondposesasadisinterestedaesthete,butinrealityheisdesperatefortherecognitionandadmirationofthosearoundhim.Hetreatseveryonewholoveshimassimplyanobjecttobeusedtofulfillhisdesires;hebaseshisdaughterPansy'supbringingontheideathatsheshouldbeunswervinglysubservienttohim,andheeventreatshislongtimeloverMadameMerleasameretool.MainCharacters•RalphTouchett-Isabel'swise,funnycousin,whoisillwithlungdiseasethroughouttheentirenovel,whichendsshortlyafterhisdeath.•Ralphloveslife,butheiskeptfromparticipatinginitvigorouslybyhisailment;asaresult,heactsasadedicatedspectator,resolvingtolivethroughhisbelovedcousinIsabel.RalphservesasthemoralcenterofPortraitofaLady:hisopinionsaboutothercharactersarealwaysaccurate.Theme•IndividualLibertyvs.therestrictionofsocialconventions•FreeAmericanvs.EuropeansocietyTheInternationalTheme•ThemeetingofAmericaandEurope,AmericaninnocenceincontractandcontrastEuropeandecadence,anditsmoralandpsychologicalcomplications.WritingStyles•Pointofviewofacharacter:IsabelArcher’sconsciousnessandperceptionpromotetheplot.•这部小说中作者第一次冲破了传统小说的写作方式，以女主人公伊莎贝尔·阿切尔为意识中心，将各种不同的观点集于一身，以她的视角去体验现实生活、感悟人生的真谛。作者精微细致地描绘了伊莎贝尔对周围环境与人物的各种内心感受与心理变化，使外部世界通过人物的内心活动得到充分表现，使故事情节在人物的内心活动中自然展开，从伊莎贝尔的人生经历中读者看到她自由独立的性格。•Psychologicalrealism:•“Thehouseoffictionhasnotonewindowbutamillion”andateachofthesewindowshangingoverthehumanscene“standsafigurewithapairofeyes...Heandhisneighborsarewatchingthesameshow,butoneseeingmorewheretheotherseesless,oneseeingblackwheretheotherseeswhite,oneseeingbigwheretheotherseessmall,oneseeingcoarsewheretheotherseesfine.‘fortunately’byreason,precisely,ofthisincalculabilityofrange.”