Henry James (1843-1916) was an American-British author. He was a profoundly transatlantic figure - born in New York City; he died in London a year after becoming a British citizen. His work often dealt with the complex relationship between old Europe and new America, portraying the social interactions between citizens of both worlds. He is generally considered a link between literary realism and modernism - a transitional author.
Millions of flashcards designed to help you ace your studies
Sign up for freeWhich literary movement(s) were Henry James’ work part of?
Where did Henry James publish his first short story?
The old world and the new world in Henry James' works refer to...
How many years before his death did Henry James become a British citizen?
Where was Henry James born?
Who is the main character in The Portrait Of A Lady?
What second language (other than English) did Henry James learn to speak as a child?
How many children does the governess have to take care of in The Turn Of The Screw?
Which literary movement(s) were Henry James’ work part of?
Where did Henry James publish his first short story?
The old world and the new world in Henry James' works refer to...
How many years before his death did Henry James become a British citizen?
Where was Henry James born?
Who is the main character in The Portrait Of A Lady?
What second language (other than English) did Henry James learn to speak as a child?
How many children does the governess have to take care of in The Turn Of The Screw?
Achieve better grades quicker with Premium
Geld-zurück-Garantie, wenn du durch die Prüfung fällst
Review generated flashcards
Start learning or create your own AI flashcards
Team Henry James Teachers
Realism is a style in art or literature that shows things and people as they are in real life.¹ It was established in the 19th century in Europe. Common features in realism works include realistic plots and in-depth descriptions of settings and characters. Works of realism are character-driven and focus on their day to day lives.
Let's get to know Henry James a little better.
Henry James was born in New York City on 15 April 1843. His parents were well-off, privileged, and educated. His mother came from a rich New York family, and his father was a philosopher, lecturer, and academic who had inherited money from his father, a banker. His father provided a varied cultural education for the young Henry.
As a shy, bookish youth, he travelled widely with his family throughout his childhood, spending time in Geneva, Paris, and London. They spent the most time in France, where James learned French. He had a rich, multicultural childhood and was exposed to many European influences.
Interestingly, he spoke English with a stutter, but he had no stutter when he spoke in French.
Henry James' adult life can be split in two parts, his life before fame and his life after fame.
At 19, Henry James enrolled at Harvard Law School but mainly spent his time reading literature, including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Balzac. His first story appeared anonymously two years later in the New York Continental Monthly.
He befriended the American novelist William Dean Howells, and together they helped establish and define the movement of American Realism.
In 1869-70, he spent 14 months travelling around Europe, meeting influential literary figures of the day, including John Ruskin, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and William Morris. He tried to establish himself as a freelance writer in Paris and Rome, returning to America when these efforts failed.
He was a studious and patient writer and spent ten years writing short stories and journalistic pieces before attempting a full-length novel.
After 1875, he spent almost all of his time in Europe, finding it was more suited to his work and temperament than America, to which he only returned a couple of times during the rest of his life.
His first notable novel was Roderick Hudson, published in 1975. It was the beginning of a long and prolific career. The Portrait Of A Lady (1881) is widely regarded as his first masterpiece.
After a period during which French Realist writers heavily influenced him, James attempted to write for the theatre. His dramatic work was poorly received, which led to him completely changing his approach to develop his prose style.
After his attempt in theatre, his work became more symbolic and abstract, much less definably realist in style, and pointing the way towards the early 20th century modernist novel.
Henry James died on 28th February 1916 in London.
Henry James never married, leading some critics to hypothesise that he was homosexual. He was a distant, private figure that tended not to become involved with people, preferring to observe from a distance.
Let's discuss some of his famous works and memorable quotes.
We'll look at two novels and briefly mention Henry James' short stories.
You must save what you can of your life; you mustn't lose it all simply because you've lost a part.’ Chapter 55
Henry James’ first notably successful novel, The Portrait Of A Lady, is one of his most popular and critically acclaimed works. It was originally published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan’s Magazine in 1880-81, before being published as a book in 1881. Set in England and Italy, it deals with the life of a passionate American woman named Isabel Archer, who inherits a sizable fortune and falls victim to the schemes of two Americans who intend to steal the money from her. Like many of James’ books, it addresses the tensions between Europe and America's old and new worlds.
All roads lead to Rome, and there were times when it might have struck us that almost every branch of study or subject of conversation skirted forbidden ground.’ Chapter 13
The novella The Turn Of The Screw is a ghost story with gothic horror elements.
Gothic fiction is a literary genre that started at the end of the 18th century in Europe. Works of gothic fiction usually feature an ominous setting, mysterious characters and events, and a scary atmosphere.
It tells the tale of a young woman working in her first job as a governess on a remote estate. The estate is being haunted by ghostly apparitions that seem to have dark intentions for the two children that are her responsibility. As the governess attempts to protect them from these sinister, ghoulish figures, we are left unsure whether the ghosts are real or whether she has gone insane. It is a masterpiece and probably the book for which Henry James is best known.
The Turn of the Screw has been adapted many times, including the critically acclaimed 1961 film The Innocents.
During his lifetime, Henry James wrote many short stories. Let's take a look at some of them:
Some of the recurring themes in Henry's works were: the old world vs the new world, freedom, and secrets.
Henry James’ main theme is the contrast between the old, traditional, corrupt, wise world of Europe and America's exuberant, industrious, youthful, new-moneyed world. He was interested in how the past influences the present in these settings. His works frequently feature expatriate American characters in European countries - a natural way to explore this theme.
In The Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer is an American woman who travels to Europe.
In his works, Henry James explores the freedom or lack thereof of the individual. This freedom is related to independence. In The Portrait of a Lady, the protagonist, Isabel Archer, values her independence as a woman in a man's world. She turns down a marriage proposal from Lord Warburton because she doesn't want to give up her freedom to live her life on her own terms. Lord Warburton himself sees things differently - he assumes that by offering her wealth and stability, he's allowing her to secure freedom. However, Isabel views freedom not as security but as a constant exploration.
Most of the characters in Henry James' works are secretive. The stories revolve around the things that they hide. This theme is significant in The Turn of the Screw. The governess's secrets destroy her relationship with the children she looks after. If the governess had shared her secrets, this could have led to a different outcome of the story. Henry James offers a look at the psychology of hiding secrets - he explores our need to conceal what we know.
Realism was the dominant literary movement of the 1800s, which attempted to portray the real world. Modernism was the dominant movement of the early twentieth century. It was partly a response to technological developments and the horrors of the First World War. Modernism expressed a sense of emptiness and a loss of faith in old ideas and truths. Modernist literature tended towards experimental forms and techniques and stylistic innovations.
Henry James’ earlier works were much more grounded in realism; they attempted to paint every intricate detail of a situation. His later work left out details to create a psychologically complex, subjective style influenced by theatrical storytelling techniques. In creating this new style, he paved the way for the modernist 20th-century novel.
¹ Realism, Oxford English Dictionary: oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/realism
Sign up for free to gain access to all our flashcards.
What is Henry James known for?
Henry James is known for his literary works, such as the novel The Portrait Of A Lady (1881) and the novella The Turn Of The Screw (1898).
Henry James is also known for being a transitional author - a link between literary realism and modernism.
What is Henry James' greatest novel?
Henry James' greatest novel is considered to be The Portrait Of A Lady (1881).
What is Henry James' style of writing?
Henry James' earlier works are grounded in realism while his later works are more modernist.
Why was Henry James called 'the Master'?
Henry James was called 'the Master', mainly by American critics, for his mastery of technique and for his literary achievements.
Did Henry James have a wife?
Henry James didn't have a wife, he never married. This led some critics to hypothesise that he was homosexual.
At StudySmarter, we have created a learning platform that serves millions of students. Meet the people who work hard to deliver fact based content as well as making sure it is verified.
Lily Hulatt is a Digital Content Specialist with over three years of experience in content strategy and curriculum design. She gained her PhD in English Literature from Durham University in 2022, taught in Durham University’s English Studies Department, and has contributed to a number of publications. Lily specialises in English Literature, English Language, History, and Philosophy.
Get to know Lily
Gabriel Freitas is an AI Engineer with a solid experience in software development, machine learning algorithms, and generative AI, including large language models’ (LLMs) applications. Graduated in Electrical Engineering at the University of São Paulo, he is currently pursuing an MSc in Computer Engineering at the University of Campinas, specializing in machine learning topics. Gabriel has a strong background in software engineering and has worked on projects involving computer vision, embedded AI, and LLM applications.
Get to know Gabriel