Portrait of a Lady

A detailed Summary of Portrait of a Lady

Isabel Archer doesn't go away with Casper Goodwood because it would mean giving up what she values most, her freedom and independence. The very first time we meet Isabel she tells Ralph that "I'm very fond of my liberty" (p. 30) and that she is "not a candidate for adoption" (p. 29). Both of these statements clearly show early on that she is not looking to be tied down at all. She wants to be free to experience all that life has to offer for her. Because of that, she turns down the proposal of Lord Warburton, although he had much to offer. James says, "The idea of a diminished liberty was particularly disagreeable to her at present, since she had just given a sort of personal accent to her independence by looking so straight at Lord Warburton's big bribe and yet turning away from it" (p. 104). She goes on to show her ind

Another reason to refuse Goodwood's offer was because accepting his proposal of marriage would mean returning to America. To Isabel, America was not a very fulfilling place. Her father had just died, and she was living in a house by herself. There was very little room for her to grow or become the independent woman that she wanted to be. When Mrs. Touchett showed up at her door to take her away, she looked at it as her big chance to experience the life that she could not find in America. At her arrival in Europe, she was immediately experiencing new people and places. She was in a totally different world, where the people valued life, art, and were more civilized. She had finally found a place where she could grow both emotionally and morally. Goodwood's proposal would have taken her away, back to America, where in Isabel's mind there was n

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 574
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Portrait of a Lady

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