WinterbourneunabletoclassifyDaisy,appreciatesaesthetics

EmersonAnoblerwantofmanisservedbynature,namelytheloveofBeauty.
42
Andastheeyeisthebestcomposer,solightisthefirstofpaints.
Thecreationofbeautyisart,theloveofbeautyistaste.
Artexpressesnature
WinterbourneappreciatesDaisysbeauty,sheissimple,yetextroidinarily
beautiful:likeadaisy
Hehadagreatrelishforfemininebeauty;hewasaddictedtoobservingand
analyzingit.8

theyounggirl'seyesweresingularlyhonestandfresh.Theywere
wonderfullyprettyeyes"(1.44).

Herhandsarepretty:"Shesattherewithherextremelyprettyhands,
ornamentedwithverybrilliantrings"(1.63).

AndwhenWinterbourne'stryingtohypeuphervirtuestohisaunt,hecanfor
somereasononlymusterthis:"sheiswonderfullypretty,and,inshort,sheisvery
nice"
Useswordslikepretty,nicetodescribeher
Recognizesherinnocence,likethewhitepetalsofadaisy,inconjunctionwiththe
yellowfloretinsidewhichisDaisysinnerlight,thatshinesandblinds
Winterbourneseyes,likethesun
she was dressed in white muslin, with a hundred frills and flounces, and
knots of pale-coloured ribbon. She was bare-headed; but she balanced in
her hand a large parasol with a deep border of embroidery; and she was
strikingly, admirably pretty. 'How pretty they are!' thought Winterbourne,
straightening himself in his seat, as if he were prepared to rise." (p. 6)
o
o Winterbourneisblindedbyhersimple,naturisticbeauty
Weretheyalllikethat,theprettygirlswhohadagooddealofgentlemen's
society?Orwasshealsoadesigning,anaudacious,anunscrupulousyoung
person?Winterbournehadlosthisinstinctinthismatter,andhisreasoncouldnot
helphim.MissDaisyMillerlookedextremelyinnocent.Somepeoplehadtold
himthat,afterall,Americangirlswereexceedinglyinnocent;andothershadtold
himthat,afterall,theywerenot.HewasinclinedtothinkMissDaisyMillerwas
aflirtaprettyAmericanflirt.Hehadnever,asyet,hadanyrelationswithyoung
ladiesofthiscategory.(1.67)
BeforesocietyforceshimtofindfaultwithDaisy,hisinstinctsallowhimtotake
pleasureinhercompanyandtoseeherforwhoshetrulyis:simply"aperson
muchdisposedtowardsconversation"(329).

However,itisnotlongbeforeWinterbournefeelsaneedtoplaceherwithinthe
rigidexpectationspropertoherclassandgender.
WinterbourneseesDaisyasinnocentonanindividualbasis:"Winterbournehad
losthisinstinctinthismatter,andhisreasoncouldnothelphim.MissDaisy
Millerlookedextremelyinnocent"(331)buthemustdistancehimselffromher
andproperlyclassifyherinsomedifferentspecificcategory,andhetherefore
lacksfaithtobelievehowshereallyis,inrealitybeforehim
Asanindividual,throughtheeyesofachilddaisyisinnocent,throughtheeyesof
others/societydaisyiscorruptralphwaldoemersonnature38Fewadult
personscanseenature.Mostpersonsdonotseethesun.Atleasttheyhavea
superficialseeing.
o FINDQUOTEABOUT
Winterbourne,althoughAmericanborn,hasassimilatedintothetraditional
Europeanlifestyle
o HefeltthathehadlivedatGenevasolongthathehadlostagooddeal;he
hadbecomedishabituatedtotheAmericantone.(1.66)
Winterbournerealizesheslostapartofhimbytravelinginhisfinallinewith
Mrs.Costello
o "Youwererightinthatremarkthatyoumadelastsummer.Iwasbooked
tomakeamistake.Ihavelivedtoolonginforeignparts."
Daisyrepresentsnature,rejectionofsociety
Aratherbroadthemewhichactsasavehicletoillustratetheconflictsbetween
naturalresponseandconventionandsocialcustom.Rousseaubelievedthat
naturalman'sinnocenceandpuritywasdestroyedbytherigidrulesofformalized
civilsociety.ByreferringtotheGoldenAgeinchapterfour,thereaderis
remindedofthephilosophicnotionsofnature'sruinatthehandsofcivilization.
JamesislikelyimplyingsubtextuallythatDaisy'spositioninasortofGoldenAge
isastateofinnocenceandgoodness,notsomethingtobeinsultedorridiculedby
characterssuchasMrs.Costello.Daisy,ashernamesymbolizes,issimpleand
naturalwhereashercompanion,the"beautifulItalian",isanimitationofa
gentleman,urbaneandartificial.Theurbanitysymbolizedintheformalcivilized
settingofRomeoverwhelmsthenaturalinnocenceofDaisyandshesuccumbsto
harshcondemnation,incaution,andalackoflove.Natureovercomesurbanityin
theend,asGiovanelliconfessesDaisy'sinnocencetoWinterbourne.
flower(spring,newlife,reproduction)
embracesnature
Ihaveneverallowedagentlemantodictatetome,ortointerferewithanythingI
do.

Doesntfitintosociety
TheonlythingIdon'tlike,"sheproceeded,"isthesociety.Thereisn'tanysociety;
or,ifthereis,Idon'tknowwhereitkeepsitself.Doyou?Isupposethereissome
societysomewhere,butIhaven'tseenanythingofit.I'mveryfondofsociety,and
Ihavealwayshadagreatdealofit.Idon'tmeanonlyinSchenectady,butinNew
York.IusedtogotoNewYorkeverywinter.InNewYorkIhadlotsofsociety.
LastwinterIhadseventeendinnersgivenme;andthreeofthemwereby
gentlemen,"addedDaisyMiller."IhavemorefriendsinNewYorkthanin
Schenectadymoregentlemanfriends;andmoreyoungladyfriendstoo,"she
resumedinamoment.Shepausedagainforaninstant;shewaslookingat
Winterbournewithallherprettinessinherlivelyeyesandinherlight,slightly
monotonoussmile."Ihavealwayshad,"shesaid,"agreatdealofgentlemen's
society.34
'I never heard anything so stiff! If this is improper, Mrs. Walker,' she
pursued, 'then I am all improper, and you must give me up. Good-bye; I
hope you'll have a lovely ride!' and, with Mr. Giovanelli, who made a
triumphantly obsequious salute, she turned away.
Winterbourne told her about the place. But he saw that she cared very little for

feudal antiquities and that the dusky traditions of Chillon made but a slight
impression upon her."

Whyshouldwegropeamongthedrybonesofthepast,orputtheliving
generationintomasqueradeoutofitsfadedwardrobe?

Daisyturnedverypaleandlookedathermother,butMrs.Millerwashumbly
unconsciousofanyviolationoftheusualsocialforms.Sheappeared,indeed,to
havefeltanincongruousimpulsetodrawattentiontoherownstrikingobservance
ofthem."Goodnight,Mrs.Walker,"shesaid;"we'vehadabeautifulevening.
Yousee,ifIletDaisycometopartieswithoutme,Idon'twanthertogoaway
withoutme."Daisyturnedaway,lookingwithapale,gravefaceatthecirclenear
thedoor;Winterbournesawthat,forthefirstmoment,shewastoomuchshocked
andpuzzledevenforindignation.(2.173)
o ThisisrightafterWalkersnubsDaisyatherparty.Mrs.Millerisso
sociallyclueless,shedoesn'tevenknowenoughtobeoffended.Onthe
otherhand,weseeDaisygetsitinaseriouswayandthisistheonlytime
weseeherreallylooking"grave"untilshe'sunderone.
"Theyareverycommon,"Mrs.Costellodeclared."Theyarethesortof
Americansthatonedoesone'sdutybynotnotaccepting.""Ah,youdon'taccept
them?"saidtheyoungman."Ican't,mydearFrederick.IwouldifIcould,butI
can't."1013
o Mrs.CostelloregardstheMillersastheonewhodoesonesduty
(slave/worker)yetcontradictsherselfwhenshesaysshecannotaccept
themsheisaslaveofsociety
"It may be enchanting, dear child, but it is not the custom here," urged Mrs.
Walker, leaning forward in her victoria, with her hands devoutly clasped.

"Well, it ought to be, then!" said Daisy. "If I didn't walk I should expire." (2.102-3
o

society believes Daisy needs to be contained and quarantined, like a

disease

they fear her liberalism will spread, like Roman fever

"I don't care," said Daisy, in a strange little tone, "whether I have Roman
fever or not!" (2.257)

Conclusion
Daisymayquiteauthoritativelyusehermalariatoremoveherself
permanentlyfromthesocietywhoseconventionalgenderidealsshewishesto
escape,butWinterbourneandGiovanellimustcontinuetheirsociallives
madesubstantiallymoreconfusingbythetraceofDaisysillness.Giovanelli
isleftnotonlywithabrokenheart,but,inanimportantswitchofnineteenth
centurygenderroles,thepainfulrealizationthathehasbeennaivelyconfused
aboutDaisysintentionstowardhim.Winterbournereturnstothesituationhe
inhabitedpriortomeetingandlosingDaisy:[H]esoonwentbacktolive
atGeneva,Jamessnarratortellsusin1909,whencetherecontinuetocome
themostcontradictoryaccountsofhismotivesofsojourn:areportthathes
studyinghardanintimationthathesmuchinterestedinaveryclever
foreignlady.73Itis,forWinterbourne,asifnothinghashappened.
Hestoodstaringattherawproturbenceamongtheaprildaisies.63
Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and
Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit
that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

Intro
DaisyMillerisapotentsocialcommentarythatconsiderstheideologiesof
transplantedAmericansresidinginEurope.Duringthelatenineteenthcentury,the
UnitedStatessurfacedasapoliticalandeconomicpower.WealthyAmericans,
anxioustocreatetheirownelitesociety,embracedthewellestablishedcustoms
oftheEuropeanaristocracy.
DescribingMrs.Costelloveryexclusive99