DAISY MILLE

R—— 金笛诗 陈文琳

金雨萌 王雅儒 曾元一 洪丽 黄晓玲 肇启慧

MAIN CHARATER

Daisy MillerDaisy Miller is spirited, well meaning, but she is also shallow, ignorant, and provincial. She acts just as she likes it to be, daring and independent, and plays no attention to what other people would think of her.She has no social graces or conversational gifts, such as charm, wit, and a talent for repartee ([,repɑː'tiː]), and she is really interested only in manipulating ([məˈnipjuleit]) men and making herself the center of attention.

WinterbourneWinterbourne, an Europeanized American, who in his own word has lived too long in foreign parts. He is very experienced and yet he has a problem understanding Daisy.

WinterbourneDaisy is a novelty to him. Her spontaneity charm him, but he is also confused by her lack of concern for the social niceties and the rules of propriety ([prə'praɪətɪ]) that have been laid down by centuries of European civilization and adopted by the American community in Rome. He befriends Daisy and tries to save her but ultimately decides that she is morally beyond redemption.

Mrs. Costello:

Does not like Daisy. She thinks Daisy is uncultured and always speaks Vulgar words and does some strange things.

Mrs. Miller

Does not like all her male friends and is very Shy.

Randolph:

Mature, naughty, likes eating candy.

Giovanelli:

In low social status, a third-rate artist.

symbolism

the collision between the European culture and American culture (new world & old world)

the natural and innocent American and the decadent European

natural response and convention and social custom

Rousseau believed that natural man's innocence and purity was destroyed by the rigid rules of formalized civil society.

The tragedy of Daisy Miller

Europe & America

★ culture: new land & old land

★ hierarchy([ˈhaɪərɑ:ki])

★ female morality

★ different attitude toward European culture

Major ThemesAmerican Abroad

a subject very much of the moment in the years after the Civil War

Innocence

<1> ignorant, uninstructed

<2> naive,

<3> not having done harm or wrong

Major ThemesRespect and Reputation

Mrs. Costello: one must always be aware of how what one does reflects on one, and also one must refer to oneself and others as "one" all of the time because one has a pretty clear idea about how any and every one must behave

Daisy: you only live once, so ignore the haters and do what you want to do