Revolt against Patriarchal Mores in Daisy Miller

Abstract

In the novella Daisy Miller,Daisy is created as the pinnacle of American innocence, which is socially and personally destructive but also refreshingly attractive and charming. It is her charm and spontaneity that attract Winterbourne, who is the only one that correctly judges Daisy as an innocent. But because of false starts, romantic posturing, missed opportunities, and different social backgrounds, Winterbourne and Daisy, who genuinely like one another, are never able to develop a serious relationship, a fact which contributes to the overall tragedy of the story. Many of James' American characters portray an unsettling mix of charm and ignorance, but Daisy is the epitome of the type. She is filled with fun and spontaneity, but totally ignorant of social custom and tradition. As a result, she Comments one blunder after another in European society. It is, therefore, not surprising that Daisy meets with personal tragedy, and the novella becomes a social tragedy. But Daisy defies the patriarchal notion of how a lady of class should behave, and in the course also puzzles her admirer Winter bourne who stands as a representative of the civilized society. Her deliberate idiosyncratic behaviors are her rebellion against the patriarchal mores, morals and prescriptions.