illustration of Isabel Archer with a hand fan positioned between two silhouetted profiles

The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James

Start Free Trial

Student Question

Why is the narrator revolted by the thought of the grandmother once being "young and pretty"?

Quick answer:

The narrator is revolted by the thought of his grandmother once being "young and pretty" because he has only ever known her as "old and wrinkled." He finds it hard to reconcile her current appearance with the idea of her youthful beauty. The notion seems absurd and undignified, given her old age demeanor. Despite his disbelief, he recognizes her spiritual beauty, which he values more than youthful looks.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The narrator refers to his grandmother as being "old and wrinkled" for the twenty years that he's known her. Many people have told him that his grandmother was once young and pretty, married even, but the narrator finds that hard to believe. Looking at his grandfather's portrait, the narrator also can't believe that he was ever married to his grandmother or had children; with his long, white beard and huge turban, he looks like a grandfather, not a father.

As the narrator only knew his grandmother when she was an old lady, he finds it impossible to envisage her as anything else. It's as if she just materialized one day, already fully-formed as a wrinkled old granny. The idea that she was once a child is just too weird to take in. When the narrator's grandmother told him about playing games when she was a little girl, it all seemed so absurd and undignified. And as for the notion that she was once young and pretty, well, that's something he finds almost revolting.

The narrator is judging his grandmother's youth by her appearance and demeanor as an old woman—short, fat, and slightly bent. As he never knew her when she was younger, he has no inkling of her former life. Nevertheless, even though he can't quite believe that his grandmother was once pretty, the narrator does still believe that she was beautiful in her old age. But this was a spiritual beauty, an inner beauty, far more enduring than the fading good looks of youth.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial