The Portrait of a Lady (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Henry James
- First Published: 1880
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: c. 1875
- Setting: England, France, and Italy
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: France or French people, Love or romance, Psychology or psychologists, Nineteenth century, Marriage, England or English people, Italy or Italians, Houses, mansions, or manors
- Locales: France, England, Rome, Italy, Albany, NY
Characters Discussed
Isabel Archer, the heroine of the novel. An heiress orphaned at an early age, she uses her freedom to go to Europe to be educated in the arts of life lacking in her own country. She draws the interest and adoration of many people, all of whom feel that they can make a contribution to her growth, or at least can use her. Isabel is somewhat unworldly at the time of her marriage to Gilbert Osmond. After three years of resisting the social mold imposed on her by Osmond and his Roman ménage, Isabel faces a dilemma in which her intelligence and honesty vie with...
[The entire page is 835 words long]
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