Journal #35 Henry James: What's The Point?!

QUOTE:

“’I never was sick, and I don’t mean to be!’ the Signorina declared. ‘I don’t look like much, but I’m healthy! I was bound to see the Colosseum by moonlight; I shouldn’t have wanted to go home without that; and we have had the most beautiful time…If there has been any danger, Eugenio can give me some pills” (James 427).


SUMMARY:

Daisy has the age-old idea that many young people will ruin their lives believing: that she is invincible. She would rather take a huge risk to do something she thinks will be “cool,” than listen to anyone who may seem dull.


RESPONSE:

If Daisy was in control of everything she was doing, then she must have really wanted to be remembered for the tragic story of her short life. It actually makes sense for her to have wanted everyone to feel completely despondent over her short life because she confesses to her “true love” for Winterbourne, and she asks her mother to make sure that she lets him know. This seems like a pretty lame plan, because the “joke’s on her.” At the end of the story, Winterbourne is back to his old life of “studying” and having a “sugar-momma,” and Mr. Giovanelli obviously never cared too much about Daisy’s safety or life when he took her all around to such dangerous places.

Since I had already stopped caring about what was going to happen to any of the characters in James’ story, I wasn’t moved by the ending very much at all. If anything, I felt bad for Mrs. Miller more than anyone, since she loses her daughter, but maybe she can finally take Randolph home and spend more time worrying about his health (such as his teeth).

I guess I still was entertained by this story though, because I easily read it, and I really did enjoy it. Maybe I got so into it, I was more disappointed with James’ characters ruining their lives (as it seems), than really not caring about their fate. At least it was fun discussing what the real point of this story could be in class.