Married vs. Unmarried

"An unmarried woman—a girl of your age—isn't independent. There are all sorts of things she can't do. She's hampered at every step" (Ch. 16)--Caspar Goodwood.

Caspar Goodwood is Isabel's American suitor who has traveled to England in order to receive a commitment from her.  Henrietta Stackpole describes him as "the only man I have sever seen whom I think worthy of Isabel" (Ch. 13).  Nevertheless, Isabel doesn't feel as Henrietta does, though both Goodwood and Miss Stackpole both feel she once encouraged him, a point Isabel concedes.  However, according to Isabel, "Caspar Goodwood had never corresponded to her idea of a delightful person" (Ch. 13).  He is repeatedly called "stiff," a description that may correspond to his surname.  As Isabel is one who values her liberty, Goodwood is someone she thinks would greatly hamper her ability to live freely, though he contradicts this belief:

"Who would wish less to curtail your liberty than I? What can give me greater pleasure than to see you perfectly independent—doing whatever you like? It's to make you independent that I want to marry you" (Ch.16).

Here is where the two see marriage differently.  For Isabel, marriage represents a relinquishing of her freedom and her ability to decide what she wants to do.  Particularly in a marriage to Warburton, she would be forced to conform to society's demands.  However, according to the Goodwood quote above, there would be restrictions on Isabel as an unmarried woman, and she admits as much when she asks, "Isn't anything proper here?"  (Ch. 13) when she and Henrietta are not allowed to travel to London without a male chaperone.  Goodwood is also likely considering the fact that Isabel is poor and dependent on others for her pecuniary needs.  Nevertheless, Isabel is not convinced, declaring, "I wish to choose my fate" (Ch. 16).  Isabel isn't sure what she wants to do other than travel, but she feels comfortable that the decision rests with her.

The above painting is Miranda (1878) by Frank Dicksee.

Why Isabel Archer rejects Lord Warburton

Lord Warburton is an English nobleman and friend of Ralph Touchett.  Mr. Touchett ask Warburton not to fall in love with his niece; nevertheless, Warburton is captivated by Isabel.  Though Isabel is not beautiful, Warburton's attraction to her is based on her conforming to his "idea of an interesting woman" (Ch. 2).  She is poor, so she would not be considered a good match according to Victorian standards, but she is American and a free spirit, unlike the women of upper class English society.  Essentially, Warburton is attracted to the fact that she is different.  His sisters, the Misses Molyneux, like Isabel, despite her quirkiness and radical suggestion that Warburton should give away his entire fortune.  Though she is poor, her relation to the wealthy Touchetts qualifies her to interact with Warburton and his family.

Warburton, infatuated with Isabel, asks her to marry him after having known her only a few days.  She rejects him but asks for time to consider the offer, though she does not forsee changing her mind.  Her reason for rejecting him is not entirely clear, as she struggles to verbalize why she cannot marry him.  For one thing, she thinks that marriage would constrain her liberty.  Her rejection of Warburton's offer, nevertheless, should not be viewed as a rejection of Warburton himself, since Isabel reiterates that she likes him a lot.  Isabel's problem, however, is that she sees him as a "personage" with a "collection of attributes" (Ch. 12).  She cannot envision herself as the wife of a personage.

Moreover, she clings to her independence because it is the only role she's known since childhood.  She and her sisters received no regular education, hence her interest in reading and teaching herself.  They also had no permanent home, causing them to move around constantly.  Isabel, even now, wants to continue to travel and explore the world, rejecting the stability of Warburton's residence Lockleigh, whose name may suggest to Isabel a caging inhibition to seeing the world.  Ultimately, Isabel wishes to gain knowledge through experience, not realizing that experience also involves interaction with people.  She avoids close relationships, causing her to remain naive in human interaction.

The above painting is A Young Maiden by John Rogers Herbert (1810-90).

Henrietta Stackpole

Henrietta Stackpole is an American journalist and friend of Isabel Archer, who comes to England to visit Isabel and to collect stories about foreigners.  In the preface to the 1908 New York edition of the work, James essentially apologizes for the character of Miss Stackpole:

As to Henrietta, my apology for whom I just left incomplete, she exemplifies, I fear, in her superabundance, not an element of my plan, but only an excess of my zeal. So early was to begin my tendency to OVERTREAT, rather than undertreat (when there was choice or danger) my subject. (Many members of my craft, I gather, are far from agreeing with me, but I have always held overtreating the minor disservice.) "Treating" that of "The Portrait" amounted to never forgetting, by any lapse, that the thing was under a special obligation to be amusing. There was the danger of the noted "thinness"—which was to be averted, tooth and nail, by cultivation of the lively. That is at least how I see it to-day. Henrietta must have been at that time a part of my wonderful notion of the lively.

James calls Miss Stackpole "an excess of my zeal," her role being to add humor, which she absolutely does.

Isabel calls her "decidedly pretty" while James tells us she has a clear but loud voice (the loud found offensive by Mrs. Touchett).  She is strongly American and judges everyhting by American standards, causing the English characters in the novel to think her rude.  Though "thoroughly good-natured" (Ch. 10), she looks people directly in the eyes, threreby making them uncomfortable;  she doesn't knock upon entry; she is told by Isabel that she has "no sense of privacy" (Ch. 10); and she is not timid in voicing her opinions, particularly when she disagrees with someone, such as when she tells Warburton, "I don't approve of a privileged class" (Ch. 14).  Due to her "aggressive frankness" (Ch. 11), no one but Isabel likes her so far in the novel.

One role Henrietta plays in the novel is a comical one.  Her exchanges with Ralph are hilaious, particularly because while she accuses Ralph of not being serious enough, she herself is too serious.  In one of the funniest scenes, in which Henrietta insultingly calls Ralph "European" (Ch. 10), despite his American birth, Henrietta tells Ralph he needs to marry because it is his duty, advice Ralph mistakens for a proposal which he foolishly accepts.  Henrietta, in turn, is offended and Ralph embarassed.

Another role Henrietta plays early in the novel is to inform the reader that Isabel has changed since her arrival in England (though Goodwood intimates that the change occurred when she found out she was to go to England). 

"Yes, you're changed; you've got new ideas over here," her friend continued.

"I hope so," said Isabel; "one should get as many new ideas as possible."
"Yes; but they shouldn't interfere with the old ones when the old ones have been the right ones."
Isabel turned about again. "If you mean that I had any idea with regard to Mr. Goodwood—!" But she faltered before her friend's implacable glitter.
"My dear child, you certainly encouraged him."
Isabel made for the moment as if to deny this charge; instead of which, however, she presently answered: "It's very true. I did encourage him." (Ch. 11)

Exactly what these "new ideas" are is not clear yet, though it seems to have something to do with Isabel's ideas about marriage.  Apparently, Isabel was willing to give herself to Caspar Goodwood, an American friend, but has since changed her mind about a possible marriage.  Isabel and Henrietta seem to differ on one's obligation to marriage.  While Henrietta sees marriage as a duty, Isabel does not see marriage as an obligation to everyone.

"I am not sure I wish to marry anyone" (Ch. 12).

Her reason for possibly not marrying may be her fear of relinquishing her independence.

"The idea of diminished liberty was particularly disagreeable to Isabel at present" (Ch. 13).

Isabel fears there is life to live which she would miss out on by marrying at this moment.  For Henrietta, Isabel is neglecting her duty.

The above painting is The Symphony in White (1862) by James Whistler.

Choosing one's own path

"Of course you're vexed at my interfering with you," said Mrs. Touchett.


Isabel considered. "I'm not vexed, but I'm surprised—and a good deal mystified. Wasn't it proper I should remain in the drawing-room?"

"Not in the least. Young girls here—in decent houses—don't sit alone with the gentlemen late at night."


"You were very right to tell me then," said Isabel. "I don't understand it, but I'm very glad to know it.


"I shall always tell you," her aunt answered, "whenever I see you taking what seems to me too much liberty."


"Pray do; but I don't say I shall always think your remonstrance just."


"Very likely not. You're too fond of your own ways."


"Yes, I think I'm very fond of them. But I always want to know the things one shouldn't do."


"So as to do them?" asked her aunt.


"So as to choose," said Isabel.  (Ch. 7)



After spending an evening with Ralph and Lord Warburton, who paid a second visit to Gardencourt, while under her aunt's supervision, Isabel, who enjoys both of their company, tells her aunt to go to bed without while she converses with the gentlemen.  Nevertheless, Mrs. Touchett refuses to leave Isabel alone with the gentlemen, as it is not proper in England.  Isabel, in her first disagreeable moment in England, cannot see the harm as long as she is with her cousin but she acquiesces to her aunt's request.  Instead of harboring offense, Isabel uses the incident as an education of English society.

Mrs. Touchett is from America and is not particularly fond of England, as illustrated by her having taken up residence in Florence. 

She was not fond of the English style of life, and had three or four reasons for it to which she currently alluded; they bore upon minor points of that ancient order, but for Mrs. Touchett they amply justified non-residence. She detested bread-sauce, which, as she said, looked like a poultice and tasted like soap; she objected to the consumption of beer by her maid-servants; and she affirmed that the British laundress (Mrs. Touchett was very particular about the appearance of her linen) was not a mistress of her art (Ch. 3).

Though minor complaints, they were enough to keep Mrs. Touchett out of England all but a few weeks of the year.  She did not hide from Isabel "the acrimony of her allusions to her husband's adopted country" (Ch. 7), having no desire to get to know his neighbors.  Nevertheless, she still adheres to the customs of the land, as her above conversation with Isabel illustrates.  It seems contradictory to Mrs. Touchett's character that would hamper Isabel's freedom, especially considering she lives separated from her husband and uses her freedom to travel uninhibited.  Nevertheless, Mrs. Touchett may be exhibiting her independence by choosing the customs she will observe.  Such seems to be the case with Isabel when she states she always wants to know what's proper "so as to choose" whether she will observe the societal law.  Possibly as interesting as Mrs. Touchett's upholding English customs is Lord Warburton's willingness to violate them.  As American as Isabel is, Warburton is English yet, he expresses his wish that Isabel be allowed to stay up with the guys.  Ralph and Mr. Touchett identify him as a "radical," and this incident may illustrate their point.

An American Perspective in England

The novel opens with an afternoon tea at an old English country house, where the older generation is counselling the younger generation on the subject of marriage.  Mr. Touchett, who himself is not in a happy marriage, advises his son Ralph and Ralph's friend Lord Warburton to be wise in choosing a wife, though he asks Warburton not to become interested in his niece who is soon to arrive from America with Mrs. Touchett.  Though such a request may cause one to suspect that Mr. Touchett does not trust Lord Warburton, the true reason way lie much deeper.  Mr. Touchett may like Lord Warburton as a person, but it is his "English-ness" that he objects to.

Though Mr Touchett currently lives in England, he is from America and made the trek to England thirty years before when Ralph was very young.  Despite his lengthy stay in England, Mr. Touchett has refused to condition himself to English tastes.

The old gentleman at the tea-table, who had come from America thirty years before, had brought with him, at the top of his baggage, his American physiognomy; and he had not only brought it with him, but he had kept it in the best order, so that, if necessary, he might have taken it back to his own country with perfect confidence. (Ch. 1)

He has maintained his Yankee accent, having "not intention of turning Englishman" (Ch. 5), tries to secure the same destiny for his son Ralph by having him educated in America, though brief stay at Oxford nearly reverses his efforts.  Lord Warburton, on the other hand, has "a face as English as that of the old gentleman I have just sketched was something else" and is wealthy as well as influential. 

Isabel Archer is the niece in question.  Though she has traveled to Europe in her youth, she has not been while of an age to allow her to fully grasp and appreciate the culture.  Now, she hopes to see the world and gain knowledge.  As an American, Isabel is described as a free spirit, full of confidence and "fond of my liberty" (Ch. 2).  She is well-read, demonstated by her indulging in a history of German thought when she is approached by her visiting aunt; yet, though quite intelligent, she is lacking in practical knowledge, showcased when she tells her aunt "I don't know anything about money" (Ch. 3).  Because she is naive, she thinks she knows more than what she, in truth, really does.  Consequently, "she doesn't take suggestions" (Ch. 5), as Ralph points out.  She calls herself "too theoretic" (Ch. 6) and displays her idealistic nature when, upon finding out Warburton is a lord, she responds "Oh, I hoped there would be a lord; it's just like a novel!" (Ch. 2).  She has a lot to learn about human nature, not having had many companions growing up and becoming dependent on novels to learn about mankind.  This phenomenon, James tells us, has allowed her to grow familiar with "the elation of liberty and the pain of exclusion" (Ch. 3), though this is the only pain she has had to endure other than the loss of both of her parents.  Nevertheless, Isabel greatly values her independence and objects to Ralph's suggestion that his mother has adopted her.  Her independence is something with which she is in no hurry to depart, a quality Mr. Touchett appreciates.

Mr. Touchett understands his niece's (actually his wife's niece) independent nature and fears that an Englishman, or an European in general, though he may be drawn to that independence, may eventually seek to strip her of that nature, a prospect Isabel ultimately faces.

The above painting is Miss Auras, The Red Book by Sir John Lavery (1856-1941).