Conventionality vs Instinct in Daisy Miller and The...

Henry Jamess Daisy Miller and Kate Chopins The Awakening were first published twenty-one years apart, the former in 1878 and the latter in 1899. Despite the gap of more than two decades, however, the two works evince a similarity of thought and intent that is immediately evident in their main themes. Both works display characters whose lives have been governed almost solely by the conventions of their respective societies. Furthermore, both works also attempt to demonstrate to the reader what happens when these conventions are challenged by individual instincts, which more often than not are in direct contradiction to the dictates of convention. The theme of conventionality versus instinct predominates both works. In†¦show more content†¦Winterbourne and Daisy, in fact, represent two vastly different ways of looking at the same world. He views reality in very conventional terms. Daisy has an unconventional perception of life and reality in Europe, and she acts accordingly. Winterbourne is stiff, though worldly. Daisy is spontaneous and naive. It is no coincidence that she is dressed in white when we first meet her. James intends us to understand that she is very innocent, if only of European conventions. James reinforces Daisys unconventionality almost immediately. When Winterbourne first meets her we are told, In Geneva, as he had been perfectly aware, a young man was not at liberty to speak to a young unmarried lady except under certain rarely occurring conditions (James 131). But Daisy flouts this convention immediately upon their first meeting. She not only speaks with him, unchaperoned, but makes a date to go with him to the old castle, also unchaperoned. Winterbourne is at a loss. He does not know how to react to Daisy. James explains that Winterbourne had lost his instinct in this matter, and his reason could not help him (137). He does not understand Daisy, and so he reverts to his conventional views and tries to categorize Daisy in conventional terms. By this point the reader has realized that although the work is entitled Daisy Miller, it is really the story of Winterbournes internal struggle. Daisy is the