The Tree of Knowledge
by Henry James
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See Also
- Theory of Short Fiction (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
- Henry James (Critical Survey of Drama, Second Revised Edition)
- Henry James (Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition)
- Henry James (Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century)
- Henry James (Identities & Issues in Literature)
- Henry James (Critical Survey of Long Fiction, Fourth Edition)
- Henry James (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Henry James
- First Published: 1900
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: The late 1890’s
- Setting: London, England
- Characters: Peter Brench, Morgan Mallow, Mrs. Mallow, Lancelot Mallow
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Hallucinations or illusions, Sculpting or sculptors
- Locales: Europe, London, England, United Kingdom
The Story
At the heart of much of Henry James’s fiction is the idea of an education—a gaining of knowledge by a protagonist that changes his or her view of the world. In the longer form of the novel, such as The Portrait of a Lady (1881), a number of experiences gradually educate the protagonist, but with the shorter form, such as in this story, James relies on one incident to change a character’s view of the world—and himself. The concept of “knowledge”—the key term in the title “The Tree of Knowledge”—is the central concern around which the...
(The entire page is 1751 words.)
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