ヘンリー・ジェイムズのアメリカ観(6)

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This paper explores Henry James's view of American people and society projected in his delineation of the hero Strether and other characters in The Ambassadors (1903). Henry James is a writer who makes an acute reflection of social tendency in each of his novels. In The Ambassadors his sense of consumer culture is revealed in the characterization. One of the marked aspects of consumer culture is that people are attracted more to the appearance of merchandise than to its intrinsic value. In this story, such tendency is reflected in people's way of thinking and judgment. Strether's misjudgment is led through his judging people by appearance. For example, he found Chad got refined, but it was only by appearance; Chad was a materialistic American all the same. James shows Chad as a new type of American businessman: he is not interested in exploring traditional European culture as the Americans used to do; he is not eager to acquire antiques. Instead, he acquires refinement for himself through intercourse with Mme. De Vionne, which he would make the most of in his future business career, along with his newly acquired knowledge of advertisement. Chad should be a successful businessman in the new age. James shows his anxiety about American people's insolence as a result of material affluence.
恵泉女学園大学の論文
2002-01-01