Henry James’ American Girl: The Embroidery on the Canvas

The figure of the American girl is one that surfaces regularly in Henry James s fiction. Most prominent in the international novels, where the compelling portrait of an Isabel Archer or a Maggie Verver commands attention. James s girl is a complex character eager for experience yet crippled by fear, hungry for selfhood yet tragically incapable of achieving it. In this lucid exploration of James s young women, Professor Fowler examines the psychology, literary function, and cultural roots of the American girl. The result is a new perspective on James s fiction and a reassessment of his views on feminine identity, sexual relations, and American culture that will be of interest and value to all students of American literature, women s studies, and Henry James.