Henry James Research Paper

A. Biography Henry James, one of the most well-known and influential American writers of the 19th century, was born on April 15, 1843, in New York City. His father, Henry James Sr., was an extremely eccentric philosopher, lecturer, and social theorist who became highly influenced and interested in the ideologies of Swedenborg, a Swedish scientist and philosopher. James Sr. believed that "the curse of mankind, that which keeps our manhood so little and so depraved, is its sense of selfhood, and the absurd abominable opinionativeness it engenders.” Bringing these ideas home with him, his lectures were constantly engraved into the adolescent mind of Henry James. James’ mother, Mary Walsh, came from a wealthy family background. Her sister, Katherine, lived with the family for some time. Similar to his prominent father, James was the younger brother of William James, a pragmatist

Living in places like London, Paris, Geneva, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Rhode Island, James’ childhood education was very chaotic and unconventional; studying under different tutors and shortly went to several schools whenever his family dwelled in Europe.

In 1864, his family moved to Boston, Massachusetts to be closer to his brother, William, who was attending Harvard at the time. James attended Harvard Law School shortly after, but left after realizing that law was not his passion. Instead, he pursued literature at Boston and Cambridge, becoming acquainted with other public figures who would become his lifelong friends.

Over the course of several years, James’ work became published, including a review of a stage performance “Miss Maggie Mitchell in Fanchon the Cricket” in 1863, his first short story A Tragedy of Error a year later, and his first novel, Watch and Ward. In between these successes, James wrote for several papers including the North American View, The Nation, and Atlantic