Critical and Comparative Analysis between Daisy Miller and The Wife of His Youth - Essay Example

Critical & Comparative Analysis between “Daisy Miller” and “The Wife of His Youth” Introduction: Literary work is a mirror of contemporary society ofthe respective region. Some of the sensitive writers persistently throw light on the social systems and cultural values. Henry James and Charles Chestnutt are among them. Both of these writers are Americans and have used some aspects of American society. James reflects individualism and liberty and Chestnutt reflects racism hidden in the liberal American society which propagates individual values. The social, political, and cultural aspects and their impact on human relationship are described in the novella Daisy Miller and the short story The Wife of His Youth. Daisy, James’ protagonist represents typical American values. She is the symbol of American individualism and freedom. It is a story of American v/s European culture. In The Wife of His Youth the periphery of that conflict is narrow. It is an intra-racial conflict, a conflict between lighter skinned and darker skinned blacks. The female gender is influencing. The two stories revolve around the female characters. In Daisy Miller the novella constantly revolves around Daisy whereas in “The Wife of His Youth” the story revolves in two main female characters i.e. Molly Dixon and Liza Jane. The paper focuses on the comparative analysis of these two literary works critically and analytically. Keyword: American, African, European, race, gender, cultural and socio-economical factors. Interaction of Race or National Culture: The cultural conflicts have frequently been reflected in the literary work of various scholars and authors. From intra-racial to occident v/s Orients have always been discussed and debated in literary and non-literary work all over in Europe and America. There is a biased approach about American liberal culture in the minds of conventional European society. It is the general perception of some European that American culture is very trivial and shallow. A common thing is found in the two literary works and that is the conflict within the limited framework of community. In Daisy Miller the conflict arises because of two major reasons. First is that Daisy does not have a problem with original Europeans but from her compatriots of expatriate colony. They were opposing Daisy because they felt that Daisy is disgracing American culture by her petty behaviour. In the eyes of Europeans, Americans have no cultural identity and that is why their uncultured behaviour is the lack of cultural identity. Secondly they felt ashamed of the unbridled American freedom. Daisy is portrayed as a young enthusiastic lady, who lives her life on her own terms and conditions and seldom cares about what the other people say or comment. She is bold enough to carry her liberalism even in a conventional European culture. The Intra-cultural conflict starts in Daisy Miller when Winterbourne’s wealthy aunt Mrs. Costello disapproves Daisy and her entire family. For her, “they are the type of Americans that one does ones duty - by not accepting.” (James Henry Part2) Daisy is very candid and innocent whereas in European culture, her candid manners are titles as uncultured. That is the reason why they think Daisy just on surface level. The intra-cultural conflict in Daisy Miller is the clash between sophisticated and unsophisticated, between rustic and polished between innocence and experience. It was the period when American and Europeans had started knowing each other. The cultures of these two opposite territories of Atlantic ocean were like two poles, opposite to each other and alien and somewhat biased to each other. “These two poles of the world give sense to each other. (Oltean 269-280) Till the end the European constrained values could not identify the inner beauty of Daisy Miller. On the contrary the protagonist Mr. Ryder in “The Wife of His Youth,” he is shown as overcoming the long-lived racism in his mind and chooses an old, dark skinned, illiterate but innocent lady who was his past wife. He had a very good option available in form of Ms. Dixon, a young light skinned, educated and smart lady. In The Wife of His Youth, the problem is with biased approach within the same community on the basis of hierarchical race. It is a conflict between dark black and light black, between the slaves in field and slaves in house which at the end resolves with a positive step of the protagonist. Socio-economic class & Gender: The Wife of His Youth is a fine depiction of social and economic issues in the African – American community, whereas Daisy Miller is the depiction of gender issues. Through The Wife of His youth Charles W. Chestnutt has tried a very positive move towards wiping out the line between two races within same community. His efforts are quite positive for bringing the unprivileged class of African American into the main stream of social development. Mr. Ryden’s decision, at the end of the story is very revolutionary. He has shown falling in love with Miss Molly Dixon in the beginning of the story. Molly Dixon is a young and rich widow. His marriage with Dixon would ensure a promising future for Ryder. It was a chance for Ryder to change his existing social stratum. He was going to propose her. The initial intention was to be close with the white people through the marriage with light skinned Miss Molly. Somewhere in this mind he has class and colour prejudice but he overcame it by accepting his dark – skinned plantation wife Liza after decades of separation. He came to know the real beauty lies inner of the person. He bravely admits that she is his wife. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “this is the woman, and I am the man, whose story I have told you. Permit me to introduce to you the wife of my youth.” (Chestnutt p.10) The focus of Daisy Miller is the gender issue and cultural issue rather that socio-economic issue. Daisy is not accepted in the rigid and conventional society of Europe which to some extent inclined towards hypocrisy rather genuineness. Daisy Miller cannot be successful in changing the social and cultural value and at the end she has lose her life. But the values and approach do not change. They remain intact. This is the major contrast between these two stories that one ends with positive note and another ends with tragic note. Sources: 1. James Henry “Daisy Miller 2. Chestnutt Charles “The Wife of His Youth” in The Wife of His Youth, And Other Stories of the Color Line, 1899with illustrations by Clyde O. De Land. Houghton, Mifflin and Company originally published in Atlantic Monthly July 1898. P.10 Website: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai2/identity/text1/chesnuttyouth.pdf 3. Otlean Roxena “Colonia Hysteria, The American And James Paris” The Henry James Review Review 24 (2003) 269 -280 Read More