Henry James'Washington Square
Henry James' Washington Square is more than a simple novel with simple characters connected by a simple plot. There are more complex issues brought forth within the text besides a daughter heartbroken over her father's control and the departure of her money grubbing suitor. Yet only the simplistic issues and characterizations are brought forth in the critical article written by Elizabeth Hardwick.
Within the pages of "On Washington Square," published in English 3230, Hardwick offers her readers the entire plot, including the ending of James' novel, without shedding new light on the text. She offers little interpretation of the material and only provides readers with the obvious.
Hardwick explains the novel in such detail; one could almost use it as a Cliff Notes edition to the book. She uses what is said about Townsend to demonstrate that he wants nothing more than Catherine's money, yet she does not look close enough to realize that he is more complex than the information that the narrator provides ("On Washington Square" 26).
The biggest fault in "On Washington Square" is that Hardwick does not recognize that the narrator of Washington Square provides the reader with only the information he wants to, leaving out details that could slant the story. There are several times in the novel when the narrator waffles on his accuracy using phrases like, "It might very well be…" in regards to describing Catherine's emotions (James 36). The narrator also leaves out information, which the reader assumes is unimportant, but cannot be sure, for the narrator has already shone that he does not guarantee to know the emotions of the characters, let alone the importance of their actions. For example, during a conversation between Morris and Catherine the narrator cuts off the conversation and states, "This is all that need be recorded of their conversation" (66). These statements and several like them show the narrator to be unreliable, yet Hardwick explains the novel through the narrator's eyes, portraying the information as accurate.
The author, David McCullough, effectively describes each of the battles Washington participated in 1776 in great detail. McCullough gives almost a system of day to day accounts and very detailed information such as the days of August 1776 when the British are arriving. "On August 1, a swarm of forty-five ships carrying Generals Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis and some 3,000 troops were sighted off Sandy Hook.... On August 4, Nathaniel Green reported that another twenty-one had been counted on the horizon, the whole Lord Howe 's fleet" (147). McCullough uses a trend of almost a day to day account. This gives a better detailed description of the scene and a better overall picture of the situation. McCullough also portrays another trend that made it more clear to keep up with. He never skipped a transition stage before a major event. So for example, before a major battle, McCullough doesn 't skip the scene before it. For example before the Battle of Trenton, McCullough provides a detailed picture of what was occurring before the battle. "Trenton was often referred to as a pretty village, which was an exaggeration. With perhaps a hundred houses, an Episcopal church, a market place and two and three mills and iron furnaces, it was, in peacetime, a busy but plain little place of no particular consequence, except that it was at the head of navigation on the river and a stop on the King 's Highway from new York to Philadelphia" (278). Another characteristic of McCullough 's writing that proved to be effective is the way he almost makes you feel like you were at the scene. Often he describes scenes so much in detail you almost feel like you 're there. For example, McCullough includes characters personal history in the novel. For example, you know a detailed biography of George Washington. "George Washington was the great-grandson of John Washington, who had emigrated from Northampton, England, in
author gives the reader the feeling as if the reader was there, in Washington. The
...in which all of the tales and happenings are true. Having visited Mount Vernon for instance, Borneman’s portrayal and detailed information about George Washington brings so much more to the man and the character. Walter Borneman consistently connected the dots in describing what individuals did and what important things they had yet to do. With no real complaints and only a thirst for more, the author has scored big with this book and exampled narrative history at its finest! In the end, what is most important is the knowledge one can gain from such a vivid and living portrayal of the Seven Years War.
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print
Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.
Washington Square Park is home to thousands of New York University Students, families leisurely strolling through the park on afternoons, people cooling off at the fountain during the summer, couples lounging on the green grass, and even home to the New York City Pillow Fight held during the summer. At the center of Greenwich Village, it provides an escape from the busy traffic and city surrounding it. Most importantly, it is home to the Washington Square Arch.
Abrams, M.H. and Greenblatt, Stephen eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Seventh Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited disease that affects the cardiac muscle of the heart, causing the walls of the heart to thicken and become stiff. [1] On a cellular level, the sarcomere increase in size. As a result, the cardiac muscles become abnormally thick, making it difficult for the cells to contract and the heart to pump. A genetic mutation causes the myocytes to form chaotic intersecting bundles. A pathognomonic abnormality called myocardial fiber disarray. [2,12] How the hypertrophy is distributed throughout the heart is varied. Though, in most cases, the left ventricle is always affected. [3] The heart muscle can thicken in four different patterns. The most common being asymmetrical septal hypertrophy without obstruction. Here the intraventricular septum becomes thick, but the mitral valve is not affected. Asymmetrical septal hypertrophy with obstruction causes the mitral valve to touch the septal wall during contraction. (Left ventricle outflow tract obstruction.) The obstruction of the mitral valve allows for blood to slowly flow from the left ventricle back into the left atrium (Mitral regurgitation). Symmetrical hypertrophy is the thickening of the entire left ven...
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
In previous years the big financial institutions that are “too big to fail” have come to realize that they can “cheat” the system and make big money on it by making poor decisions and knowing that they will be bailed out without having any responsibly for their actions. And when they do it they also escape jail time for such action because of the fear that if a criminal case was filed against any one of the so called “too big to fail” financial institutions it...
Kelly, John. ENGLISH 2308E: American Literature Notes. London, ON: University of Western. Fall 2014. Lecture Notes.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Sixth Edition Volume1. Ed. M.H.Abrams. New York: W.W.Norton and Company, Inc., 1993.
Klinkowitz, Jerome and Patricia B Wallace. The Norton Anthology of Americal Literature. Seventh. Vol. Volume D. New York City: Norton, 2007, 2003, 1998, 1994, 1989, 1985, 1979. 5 vols.
In Washington Square', Henry James used a refined technique of narration, language, symbolism and irony as he explored the psychological dimensions of his characters' actions, motivations and interpersonal relationships. He did so as he confronted the tragedy of the immorality of human beings, personified in the characters of Dr. Sloper and Morris Townsend, in dominating the spirit of Sloper's daughter, Catherine, for their own ends.
Discrimination based on or derived from religion has been a cause of significant suffering. Prejudice directed against people based on their religious beliefs, practice, identification or association has resulted in a wide range of discriminatory practices. Prejudice and discrimination based on religion continue to be problems even in countries that otherwise has achieved a high level of religious diversity. Prejudice based on religion has been used to justify discrimination against those with different religious beliefs, individuals of various ethnicities, those who are not exclus...