Daisy Miller is a novella written by Henry James. Released in 1879, it tells of Daisy Miller's courtship by Frederick Winterbourne.
Characters[]
- Frederick Winterbourne - an American man living in Geneva with his aunt.
- Annie P. "Daisy" Miller - an American tourist and "flirt".
- Mrs. Miller - Daisy Miller's mother.
- Mrs. Costello - Winterbourne's aunt.
- Mr. Giovanelli - Daisy's Italian suitor.
- Mrs. Walker - a woman that Winterbourne meets in Rome.
- Randolph C. Miller - Daisy's younger brother.
- Eugenio - the Millers' butler.
Publisher's summary[]
When Frederick, an American expatriate traveling in Europe, meets the newly rich Miller family from New York, he is charmed by the daughter, Daisy, and her "inscrutable combination of audacity and innocence." The Millers have no perception of the complex behavioral code that underlies European society, and Winterbourne is astonished at the girl's unworldliness and her mother's unconcern when Daisy accompanies him to the Castle of Chillon. Some months later, he meets the family in Rome, where Daisy has aroused suspicion among the American colony by being seen constantly with a third-rate Italian. Ostracized by former friends who think her "intrigue" has gone too far, Daisy denies that she is engaged to Giovanelli. Publicly, Winterbourne defends her as simply uncultivated, but privately, he hesitates.
Plot[]
Chapter 1[]
A young American living in Switzerland named Frederick Winterbourne is visiting the Swiss village of Vevey due to his aunt being "shut up in her room, smelling camphor" due to a headache meets a young American boy who asks him for lumps of sugar. His older sister (the titular Daisy Miller) soon finds Winterbourne and her younger brother talking. Daisy and Winterbourne begin talking - with Winterbourne discovering that Daisy intends on visiting the nearby Château de Chillon and decides to go to the Château with her.
Chapter 2[]
Winterbourne visits his aunt (Mrs. Costello) who claims that Daisy is a flirt and that her mother is common. Later, Winterbourne meets Mrs. Miller's mother and declares his intentions to visit the Château de Chillon. Though Miller initially tries to stop her daughter from going, she relents - disappointing Daisy, who leaves with her mother.
Two days later, Daisy and Winterbourne visit the Château. While in the Château, Winterbourne reveals that he has to leave for Geneva the next day. Daisy begins obsessing over her belief that it is due to another woman (though this isn't true).
Chapter 3[]
Winterbourne and his aunt travel to both Geneva and Rome. While in Rome, Winterbourne discovers that the Millers are in Rome. He meets with the Millers and soon finds himself being dragged by Daisy through the streets of Rome until Daisy introduces him to Giovanni - an Italian man who Daisy has befriended.
After several hours of walking, Winterbourne finds the carriage that Miss Miller and Mrs. Walker (a woman that he met in Rome) are in. Mrs. Walker tries to get Daisy to get into the carriage. Though Daisy walks away, Mrs. Walker sends Winterbourne to get Daisy and bring her into the carriage. Mrs. Walker and Winterbourne then talk about Daisy, with Mrs. Walker revealing that Daisy has gained a reputation for flirting with Italian men.
Chapter 4[]
Daisy shows off Giovanni to her mother. During this, Winterbourne and Daisy argue before she and Giovanni leave. Shortly later, Winterbourne's mother discusses Daisy - claiming that she will claim to be engaged to Giovanni. Over the months, Daisy's friends distance themselves from her.
As this goes on, Daisy runs into Winterbourne twice. In the first time, Daisy claims to be engaged to Giovanni. The second time is in the Colosseum, with the two arguing as Giovanni stands nearby. It ends with Winterbourne warning Daisy about the "Roman fever" (presumably malaria) and Daisy scorning the fever as she leaves. Immediately after this, Daisy catches the Roman fever and dies from it after a short battle. Winterbourne and Giovanni argue at Daisy's funeral and Winterbourne claims to his aunt that he has "lived too long in foreign parts."
Notes[]
- James reedited and reworked Daisy Miller throughout various reprints up to his death.
See also[]
| Title | Author | Release date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paule Méré | Victor Cherbuliez | 1864 | A book directly mentioned in this book. |
| Roman Fever | Edith Wharton | 1934 | A short story which discusses the "Roman fever". |
| The Portrait of a Lady | Henry James | 1881 | A novel by the same author with similar themes |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Oscar Wilde | 1895 | A play from the same era with similar themes |
Sources[]
- Sparknotes
- Goodreads
- Library website