The-America Infographics

The American

“He was holding his breath so as not to inhale the odor of democracy.”

 

About the Author

Henry James was an American-British author and is one of the greatest English novelists. He has written novels on social and marital interplay émigré Americans, English people, and continental Europeans. Other than ‘The American,’ some of his great works are – The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, Daisy Miller, and The Wings of the Dove. He was a prominent social theorist and well known for writing short stories in America.

 

About the Novel

This novel is about a man named Christopher Newman, who came to the Louvre in search of a wife. Somehow Newman met with a widow lady Claire de Cintre and proposed her for marriage. She did not accept it at first, but she took the second proposal. Yet, at the end of the story, Claire de Cintre again resolved never to marry and presented her wish to become a Carmelite nun. To this, he planned to take revenge from Claire’s mother as he thought her mother is forcing her not to marry him. But due to his honesty, he dropped his evil plan of revenge.

Genre: Novel

Tone: Satirical

Type: fiction

Year of publication:  1877

 

Significant Characters

 

Christopher Newman: He is the hero of the novel. He is a protagonist and an excellent American. He forced to earn at a very young age. He is honest and challenging.

Claire de Bellegarde: The author described her as an exquisite, cultured, and beautiful lady. She twenty-eight-year-old widow. Though Claire is a strong woman, she cannot fight for her happiness.

Mrs. Catherine Bread: She is living in London as Lady Atheling. She helped to raise Valentine and Claire. Mrs. Bread is a decent, honest, and trustworthy woman.

Valentin de Bellegarde: He is the younger son of the Marquis and Marquise and Christopher’s friend. He is a French aristocrat. He is charismatic and entertaining.

Noemie Nioche: he is charming, fearless, and free-spirited. He is a Parisian whose painting Newman agrees to buy. Noemie habitually humiliates his father.

Urbain de Bellegarde: he is the older son of Marquise and Marquis. He is ambitious and temperamental. He has inherited Marquise’s traits.

Marquise de Bellegarde: She is the mother of Valentin, Claire, and Urbain. She is the secret killer in the novel.

 

Themes

  • Appearances- Christopher Newman is searching a beautiful wife at Louvre
  • Betrayal- Newman was utterly heartbroken when Claire’s family backstabbed him
  • Pride- Bellegarde’s family take great pains to conceal their pride
  • Revenge- It dominates the second half of the story as Newman tried to take revenge from Bellegarde
  • Suffering- Ms. Claire has no control over her life choices. Her love created complications that lead to pain.