AnAnalysisofheProagoniss’CharacerinThePorraiofalady_开题报告

1.1Research background

Henry James is a novelist and stylist in American contact. His writing career began in the late 1860s and lasted until the first 20 years of this century. It is the first American novelist to truly melt his own works into the mainstream of world literature. It is not that there is no great work in American literature before the publication of his main novel, but that he adds a new connotation to American novels, making it not only an American work. He makes the novel became an art form, like a poem so exquisite works. His work made him not only the ranks of the outstanding American writers, but also into the ranks of the outstanding European writers.

1.2Research objects and motives

The Portrait of a lady is generally considered as Henry James’s (1843-1916) greatest novel and a classic of American literature. Henry James is a one of the greatest novelist after, Melville, in the 19th century American. The novel The Portrait of a lady mainly tells Isabel's who is personality very clear and beautiful American women to come to England and fate has greatly change story. Isabella's character runs through the novel. Henry James completely from a particular, fascinating girl's character to begin to conceive of the whole novel, all of the plot, scene, and other characters, all based on the need for the performance center. The Portrait of a lady is the most famous representative work of Henry James, because he shapes a series of distinctive characters. In addition, protagonists’ many excellent personal qualities and positive personality will have an in flounce on the modern people who through Self-improvement realize the value of life.  Therefore, at this stage of my research, I have decided to select in An Analysis of the protagonists’ character in The Portrait of a lady as my research motives and objects.

1.3Literature Review

In The Ordeal of Consciousness in Henry James, published in 1968, the author is Dorothea Krook. Dorothea Krook evaluates Henry James’s main seven works and provides a number of the character of Henry James' art materials. The author explained in detail the selected text and in-depth analysis. Dorothea Krook observes the artistic characteristics of Henry James with a unique perspective. From Henry James’s seven representative works, explore the moral, social, international exchanges and philosophical questions. This book from the Angle of new knows Henry James and his works.

In The Oxford Companion to American Literature published in 1996, James D. Hart points out that The Oxford Companion to American Literature is a classic guiding literature book，it like a guide point way through the literature gallery. This book included a large number of American writers, for example Henry James, Hawthorne, Melville, introduced their biography, major works, and influence on American literature .This book has experienced more than half a century, the author made several revision. After revised the Oxford Companion to American Literature exaggerate the collection scope in the African American writers and female writers.

In Queer Impressions: Henry James' Art of Fiction, published in 2005. Elaine Pigeon describes Henry James his unique realism by Isabel's character and through the heroine Isabel tragic fate reveals her Emersonian idealism. Henry James strengthens the heroine of Isabel psychological state to induce her awakening and raising awareness. The authors also mentioned that beginning with The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James' works show obviously the characteristics of romantic and aestheticism in the later work.

In A Historical Guide to Henry James, published in 2012, John Carlos Rowe tells that Henry James is a keen observer of exchange between British and American society. This author deeply excavates The Portrait of a Lady from the Henry James’s experience. His work describes different countries between rapid development America and filled old ideas British. The different country culture and thought is the one of the important reasons to lead form America to Britain heroine Isabel’s character to change. In addition, the author analyzes the Henry James' novel characters psychological description and it is Henry James’s novel quintessence.

Michele Mendelssohn in Henry James, Oscar Wilde and Aesthetic Culture, published in 2014, shows that Henry James and Oscar Wilde relationship and reveals across the Atlantic the culture characteristics. The author from Henry James and Oscar Wilds’ nationality, status, influence, thought and experience and they have never published letters and works make in-depth analysis. Henry James and Oscar Wilde have tended to aestheticism，and illustrated the two famous writers from various aspects of the influence of British and American literature. The author redefines Aestheticism and offers re-reading of late 19th-century literature real material.

In “A Freedom Pursuer Whose Identity Is Destroyed by Freedom”, published in 2004, written by Gu Meichao and Gao Xiang, the authors point out that Henry James uses skillfully the psychological description to create Isabel's independence, freedom and innocent characters. The authors point out that the heroine failed marriage’s main reason is Isabel's characters. The authors emphatically analyze Isabel’s excessive freedom character. In addition, the authors point out that the excessive freedom character also lead to her thought is very free. She indulges in fantasy and does not know about the real world .She think her husband is prefect and virtuous people. In fact, her husband cheat on her and her husband is a hypocritical person. Finally, her life becomes a tragedy.

   In” Henry James' Psychological Realism and the Cases in The Portrait Of A Lady” published in 2006, written by Huang Shibaiyang , the author points out that Henry James is the pioneer of psychological novel. The Portrait of a Lady is Henry James' Psychological novel de representative works. Therefore, the author from the heroine Isabel’s psychological activity analyses her failed marriage, and it reflects the many society real problems. 

In “The international theme of the portrait of a lady”, published in Anhui Literature in 2007, Chen Yingying tells the American novelist Henry James’s life experiences living in Europe for many years, so the international theme appears the subject of many times in his work. Mostly works of Henry James in Europe as the background describe the Americans in Europe experience and psychological activity. Based on James' early works of The Portrait of the Lady explore the theme of his works.

Dai Xianmei in The Americans in Henry James published in 2007, states that the Americans experience and feeling in Europe. Americans came to the old world from the new world in order to feel colorful civilization and traditional, enrich their spiritual world and create artistic. So called reverse Columbus. However, Americans' naivety clashes with Europe’s traditional attitude and etiquette. Some Americans' demeanor is incompatible with the European’s norm, it reflects in Daisy Miller. Moreover, Isabel is deceived because she does not understand the rules of the European society. Henry James explores the European and American relation, to rediscover the European by his works. In the novel, Henry James technique of dealing with the international theme is very subtle. In the novel he hints that Isabel demand excessively to their life, it is the cause of her unfortunate life. This shows the international conflict between old and new thought topic.

In “An Analysis of the character of Isabel”, published in 2008, Zhou Lijuan tells character of Isabel from three different backgrounds of pursuers and their emotional entanglements. Reader realized that Isabel represented by the typical character of the nation. The book has three pursuers. First, Caspar Goodwood Is a typical American, put down their thriving enterprise, ferry Atlantic and follow Isabel. The second person is Lord Warburton that he is young ，rich and faithful to Isabel. The last man was her husband, from America to Europe and the europeanized Osmond. For the three suitors, Isabel adopts different attitude, it reflects the character of Isabel.

In “The ‘Tea Ceremony’ in The Portrait of a lady”, published in Foreign Literature Studies in 2008, Ma Xiaoli conveys international theme from tea ceremony. Studies of James international cultural theme, domestic and abroad are very rich, but this article obtains from the work of tea ceremony, to discuss this theme. The tea ceremony this form not only refers to the ceremony also includes tea scenes, tea characters and the placement of tea in the work. Through description of the tea ceremony, the writer points out difference culture between America and Europe .In addition, the writer depicts the innocent Americans in the face of sophisticated European psychological activities and personality changes.

In “A Probe into Isabel Archer’s Tragic Marriage in the Portrait of the Lady”, published in Journal of Huaihuai University in 2008, Gan Lihua analyzes the causes of Isabel's tragic marriage. Firstly, the author points out that Isabel is a maker of their marriage tragedy, because Isabel's ego, free, contradiction, and aesthetic character. Secondly, the reason of Isabel's tragic marriage is her does not adapt to the Europe society, and she change her original character. The Isabel from America to Europe character change, because her excessive free and frank characters are different from European traditional characters, so they often blame Isabel. In fact, it reflects that difference culture between America society and Europe society has an influence on the Isabel's tragic marriage.

In “Analysis on the Feminine in The portrait of a Lady” written by Li Yuhua in 2008 analyzes the heroine Isabel’s female image. The author points out that Isabel has strong female independent consciousness, because new America culture deeply influence on Isabel. However, in fact, the male still control the female independence in the real society. Therefore, in the other hand, Isabel has the traditional women characteristics, especially after her marriage she become very rely on her husband even submit to her husband. Therefore, the author points out that heroine Isabel’s female image have two sides, and it reflect the complex society issue.

To sum up, different researchers have different viewpoints. They analyze the story from the different perspectives, and all give fruitful materials. For the sake of understanding the abundant connotations of this novel and writer, this thesis is based on reading a lot of book, national and international journals to analyze the protagonists’ character in The Portrait of a lady.

1.4Existing problems and research focuses

After a detailed study of the related materials on Henry James’s novels, I find that many researches have made almost covering every aspect. However, I also realize that though the researches done at the present situation are various, there still exist some problems. In the present studies on The Portrait of a lady, more researches have been done in morality, feminism, narration as well as in language features. However, few of them analyze the protagonists’ character in The Portrait of a lady. Consequently, there is a need to make a further and systematic study on protagonists’ character of the novel.

At the present stage of my research, I select the following relationships and factors as some potential research focuses for me to concentrate on in my further study of the issues identified so far. I choose to analyze protagonists’ character in The Portrait of a lady. The thesis will make a detailed analysis of protagonists’ character in The Portrait of a lady from three aspects including the character of Isabel, the character of Osmond and the character of Ralph. In order to examine these research questions more effectively, I would like to adopt a method of illustration in my study, a summary type of study for this survey and a detailed analysis and discussion for the thesis.

II．Outline

Title: An Analysis of the Protagonists’ Character in The Portrait of a lady

 

1The character of Isabel 

2.1.1Her innocent before marriage

2.1.2Her weakness after marriage

2.2The character of Osmond

2.2.1His captation

2.2.2 His autarchy 

2.3 The character of Ralph

2.3.1 His indolence

2.3.2 His adultness

III. Conclusion Expected 

In this famous novel, Henry James successfully describes protagonists’ character and social reality. In addition, protagonists’ many excellent personal qualities and positive personality will have an in flounce on the modern people who through self-improvement realize the value of life. The thesis includes three parts, giving a comprehensive discussion on Henry James shaping characters. Through the three perspectives of analysis, the thesis will make the readers know more about the protagonists’ character in The Portrait of the Lady and protagonists’ good character has an in flounce on the modern people.

Ⅳ.References:

[1]D.Hart James, Leininger Phillip. The Oxford Companion to American Literature [M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc, 2005.

[2]Krook Dorothea. The Ordeal of Consciousness in Henry James [M]. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1968. 

[3]Pigeon Elaine. Queer Impressions: Henry James' Art of Fiction, [M]. New York: Routledge, 2005

Carlos Rowe John. A Historical Guide to Henry James. [M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc, 2012. 

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