The Character of Daisy Miller and Her View of Winterbourne -- 谢迪青

Daisy Miller A beautiful, innocent, fresh, and natural girl She grew up in America and was deeply influenced by the spirit of freedom. She lives a free life according to her will.

The character of Daisy ⅰ Mr. Winterbourne Mr. Giovanelli ⅱ Mrs. Walker Mrs. Costello ⅲ The feminist

For Winterbourne “ But this young girl was not a coquette in that sense; she was very unsophisticated; she was only a pretty American flirt.” “She seems to him, in all this, an extraordinary mixture of innocence and crudity.”

“She was too light and childish, too uncultivated and unreasoning, too provincial, to have reflected upon her ostracism, or even to have perceived it.” “the ambiguity of Daisy’s behavior, and the riddle has become easy to read. She was a young lady whom a gentleman need no longer be at pains to respect.”

For Mr. Giovanelli “ She was the most beautiful young lady I ever saw, and the most amiable”; then he added in a moment, “ and she was the most innocent. ”

The view of Daisy Mr. Winterbourne Mr. Giovanelli The representative of the male-dominated society

Daisy was a beautiful, warm, innocent girl, who just lack of traditional culture awareness. And all her behavior was on her nature without any hypocrisy, which seems to be uneducated and uncultivated.

For Mrs. Costello “ of course she is pretty. But she is very common.” “ What a dreadful girl !” “ They are hopelessly vulgar, whether or no being hopelessly vulgar is being ‘bad’ is question for the metaphysicians. They are bad enough to dislike.”

For Mrs. Walker She was a reckless girl. “so I though that a month ago. But she has been going too far.” “she was naturally indelicate.” “she never enters my drawing-room again.”

The view of Daisy Mr. Winterbourne Mr. Giovanelli Mrs. Walker Mrs. Costello The representative of the male-dominated society The representative of the conservative people

Daisy was a vulgar, ignorant and dreadful flirt, whose strange behavior aroused the dissatisfaction of the conservative people. She dares to break the social conventions and is doomed to be isolated from the society.

For feminist Daisy symbolizes the free, pure and independent women in the new world. Her fearless behavior shows that women desire to break the yoke of the traditional society.

“In Geneva, a young man was not at liberty to speak to a young unmarried lady except under certain rarely occurring conditions. But she was not in the least embarrassed herself. There had not been the slightest alteration in her charming complexion; she was evidently, neither offended nor fluttered.”

“I have never allowed a gentleman to dictate to me, or to interfere with anything I do.” “I have never heard anything so stiff ! If this is improper, Mrs. Walker,” she pursed, “then I am improper, and you must give me up.”

The conflict between Daisy and the traditional patriarchal society is plain, and Daisy is a symbol of self awareness. The characteristics of Daisy is highly praised by feminist, and she was regarded as an ideal female image, striving for her dream at that time.

Her View of Winterbourne Too stiff “what on earth are you so solemn about? I like to make you say those things. You are a queer mixture.” “as I have had the pleasure of informing you, you are stiff.”

Very handsome “Mr. Giovanelli is a great friend of mine and the handsomest man in the world- except Mr. Winterbourne.” Uncaring “why you are awfully mean up at Vevey,” Daisy said. “You wouldn’t do most anything. You wouldn’t stay there when I asked you.”

At first, Daisy thought Mr. Winterbourne is different from other Europeans, he can understand her pursuit of freedom. But when Daisy found that Mr. Winterbourne treated her as an American flirt,she felt disappointed and hurt.