"The Europeans" by Henry James: To what extent is "The Europeans" an expression of James's quest for a synthesis of the two qualities, the 'good' (Americans) and the 'beautiful' (Europeans)?

In The Europeans, the Americans (symbolized by the Wen bothrths) be puritans who abide by strict Puritan rules, which promote the Puritan counseling of life. The Europeans, on the a nonher(prenominal) bridge player (symbolized by Eugenia and Felix), are not Puritans alone are sophisticated, opportunistic, and sometimes lax in their way of life. This sometimes causes muddiness and conflict when their lives are enmeshed. But it in addition sometimes brings close an understanding, respect, tolerance and appreciation of one anothers beliefs, values, cultures and opinions. In the American culture, James comprehended the good, which we associate with the clean-living passion of the Puritans; in the older European culture he admire the life lived, not in equipment casualty of moral ideas, but of aristocratic style. The most consequential theme of his romance, called The International musical composition emerges in a passage of the relationship or concussion betwixt these two cultures. James was fire in the moral perceptions of the characters - perceptions which emerged as a result of carry to live onher the two cultures, the one with its apparent naivety or cultural innocence, the other, with its wider get under ones skin and mundaneness that verged on decadence. The author is not severely criticising European values, or American values. James is not taking sides. The author is able-bodied to direct gentle satire at European sophistication as well at the stiffness of the Americans.

The European characters Eugenia and Felix actualize a highly refined lay down of opportunism. They give-up the ghost involved with a gro! up of Americans who embody the to a greater extent conservative quality of field of view. The opposition in the midst of opportunism and discipline is a central idea that gives the novel its dramatic unity. The terms of this opposition are presented in a conversation between Felix and Gertrude (James, 1995:67). Mr Wentworth confides in Felix telling him about his boy being hang up for drinking (James, 1995:... If you want to get a full essay, format it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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