Daisy Miller-- why she came to such a bad end

Okay, so I wrote an essay in which I assert that Daisy Miller is merely a misunderstood young woman living in the wrong period and in the wrong society, and is therefore innocent. However, the professor gave me a B and claimed that I would have enhanced my presentation if I had explained why the author opted for such a tragic end for Daisy. Was he trying to teach readers that those who don't follow the rules of society come to a bad end because they don't have the capability to survive in such society? I really don't know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by philsopheperdue

Was he trying to teach readers that those who don't follow the rules of society come to a bad end because they don't have the capability to survive in such society? I really don't know.

---

In my very humble opinion, he was simply asserting that those who tramp it up hardcore will totally get what's coming to them...:p
Okay, kidding, but it's been over a year since I read it; wish I could help more. But the suggestion you've embedded in your question seems acceptable to me, based on what I remember.

Ha ha, okay... yeah, well... what I ended up writing was that the reason she came to such a pitiful end is that she was not "fit" to survive in that society. I applied Spencer's concept of "survival of the fittest to assert that. I also claimed that Miss Miller was an innocent girl who, like the flower that bears her name, simply wants to roam free like she should, and does not feel like she should abide by the rules of a society to which she doesn't even belong. However, since she DID live there, she should have taken at least SOME of the comments into account. I think she is neither moral or immoral, for the tenets of morality always change, and what is acceptable today was abhorrent yesteryear. In the same manner, what is viewed upon negatively today will become the norm tomorrow. Therefore, morality is subjective to a point, for it varies by culture and time period.

Thanks anyway!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by philsopheperdue

I think she is neither moral or immoral, for the tenets of morality always change, and what is acceptable today was abhorrent yesteryear. In the same manner, what is viewed upon negatively today will become the norm tomorrow. Therefore, morality is subjective to a point, for it varies by culture and time period.

Thanks anyway!

---

agree, lets imagine if a feminist writer re-write daisy miller and very likely she will survive well in society

the plot of the story sounds to me over moralising:
public consider a girl indecent and she falls from grace and die young :flare:

Havining just finnised reading this story, I would agree. That she came to the end she did, becasue she was never ment to exisist in such a society. She could not understand it. I think that she truly was innocent in her own way, and did not mean any harm but was just trying to enjoy herself, and could not see why other's would find so much wrong in this.

One could also see a sort of moral lesson within the story, about those whom are not careful and whom are innocent, becoming mislead if they do not pay attention to what is going on around them.

As Mr Giovanelli could be seen as the cause of her end, within his conversation with Winterborne he stated:

Quote:

---

For myself I had no fear; and she wanted to go

If she had lived I should have got nothing

---

Here he is expressly stating that he had little true concern for her, as he had nothing to fear himself, what became of her did not matter, sense he knew she would not have had him.

I was a bit annoyed with Winterbourne becasue though he barely knew the girl, he would act as if he was "entitled" in someway. And that she ought to quit living her life the way she normaly did on his account.

As well, I thought he should have defended her more against society, instead of trying to convince her to conform

I remember enjoying this one very much as well (yes, it was my first H. James book :)).

I think if Daisy were well-equipped to survive in that society, then she wouldn't be "Daisy" anymore.

I think the main problem rises from the fact that Daisy, in her honesty and innocence, does not realise that she needsto change until it is too late. It has been too long since I read the book but I remember the late realisation dawning on her when she meets Winterbourne's aunt. She makes a comment along the lines of "she is exclusive."

By the time she realises what is going on, people have already formed their opinions of her and she refuses to change who she is for a group of people who have done so little to understand her and given very little -if any- support.

Ten years??? That is yesterday! :p

I read it about 16 years ago.

You know they say life is like toilet paper... The closer it gets to the end, the faster it rolls.

;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Antiquarian

I was also sometimes a little annoyed with her because I believe that when visiting another country, one should make an attempt to acclimate oneself to that country's culture and not expect the citizens to acclimate themselves to you. But then, I don't think Daisy knew how to acclimate herself to Europe and it's culture. And of course, yes, that's mostly what made Daisy, Daisy.

---

I have mixed feelings about this. I think in someways she truly was just completely unware of what others thought, or that she was doing anything "wrong" but on the other hand, I also think there might be a slight difference between respecting another's country's culture, and simply trying to appease the propriaty of high soceity.

And I think that was the main issue. The European High Society did not apporve of the way she conducted herself. And it seemed like it was mostly visiting Americans that took issue with her.

Yes he seems to express a similar idea in an International Episode, in that story it seemed he portrayed both and affection and cynicism for Americans

He also seems to express a fondness of travel and foreign cultures.

Aren't Daisy and her mother are magnificent in the face of sham?

Verses from Oscar Wilde's ballad encapsulate the poignant ending:

Quote:

---

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!

Some kill their love when they are young,
And some when they are old;
Some strangle with the hands of Lust,
Some with the hands of Gold:
The kindest use a knife, because
The dead so soon grow cold.

---