The Portrait of a Lady

Major themes

James's first idea for The Portrait of a Lady was simple: a young American woman "affronting her destiny,"[1] whatever it might be. Only then did he begin to form a plot to bring out the character of his central figure. This was the uncompromising story of the free-spirited Isabel losing her freedom—despite (or because of) suddenly coming into a great deal of money—and getting "ground in the very mill of the conventional."[3]


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