Khatoon, Humaira

Humaira

Daisy Miller
Humaira
Professor Emery

Liberal American Culture vs. Sophisticated European Customs

The writer Henry James has presented the enigmatic combination of innocence and
vulgarity of American girls in Daisy Miller. It would be a call for attention to my readers about
the cultural norms and differences of Europe and America, which can visibly be observed by the
characters of Daisy and Winterbourne. The outgoing personality and boldness of Daisy are the
American traits that are not considered as positive attributes to European society.
Winterbourne believes that Daisy is an innocent and pretty young American girl.
Whereas, his aunt Mrs. Costello thinks Daisy she is vulgar as she tells him about the Miller
family in a letter. She tells winterbourne the young lady, however, is also very intimate with
some third-rate Italians; with whom she rackets about in a way that makes much talk (James 489). We can see by Mrs. Costellos statement that the demeanor of Daisy seems to be malevolent
to her as being so bold and audacious is considered unusual and disreputable in the European
society.
Though Winterbourne admires Daisys innocence, yet it was odd for him to accept a girl
associating with men. As for Winterbourne himself, Daisys interaction with him at the first
meeting and asking him to take her to the old castle was unusual to him but for Daisy, it was
monotonous. Daisy represents an extrovert personality, a bold woman of modern American

culture who believes in independence and easiness with people, either men or women. While the
European culture tends to give more influence of women being introvert, shy and sophisticated.
Winterbournes European culture does not allow more of social preferences and when he
discovers Daisy with Giovinelli at the Coliseum, for a while he believes Mrs. Costellos
statements regarding the Miller family that they are hopelessly vulgar (James 80). Therefore,
he has no longer pains to respect her. Although it was a very normal thing for Daisy as for her,
there was nothing wrong in going out with a gentleman, but at the same time Winterbournes
attitude gives us the sense of overlooking the cultural norms of the American society and being a
stereotype as for him Daisy is no more innocent, she is just a flirt.
After returning from the Coliseum, Daisy caught up the Roman fever and she died after
few days. Her death mortified Winterbourne with what he thought of her. He goes to her funeral
and has nothing to say rather than being angry on Giovinelli that why he took her to the
Coliseum with him. He had guilt of considering Daisy wrong as he says to Mrs. Walker that She
sent me a message before her death which I didnt understand at that time; but I have understood
it since. She would have appreciated ones esteem (James 60). Winterbourne was mistaken and
he had this feeling of doing injustice to her.
The writer seems to have two views about Daisy. On one hand, he believes that she is an
inscrutable combination of audacity and innocence, elegance and vulgarity. But on the other
hand, he also thinks that she was innocent. I agree that Daisy was innocent because my
experience of American culture confirms it. We can clearly see Daisys react to the news of
varied stages of her social rejection when Mrs. Walker tells her that it is not the custom here to
walk with two men and asks Daisy to get into her carriage whereas Daisy refuses to get into the

Khatoon, Humaira

Humaira

Daisy Miller
Humaira
Professor Emery

carriage with Mrs. Walker saying I dont think I want to know what you mean, (James 92).
Daisy does not care for what people say or think about her because it is a cultural norm for her.
Daisy is an essence of modernization, probably a girl who is bold, confident and careless
to an extent. She does not care what people say. Probably, my readers somehow would wonder
she wouldnt have died if she would have stayed in America. Though we see that the American
culture allows women to be at ease with people, the women belonging to European culture are
more sophisticated as we see the character of Mrs. Walker in the novella. Although Daisys
impression on Winterbourne at first was very unusual, but in the end he has guilty conscience of
having wrong perception about her and admits her charismatic personality and innocence.

Works Cited
James, Henry. Daisy Miller. London: Penguin Books, 1878. Print.