The Content Reader

Dolce Belezza is hosting a read along of The Portrait of a Lady, and has written a short summary of the plot here . As always with the novels of Henry James, the ending holds more questions than answers (compare The Turn of the Screw) . Belezza has two questions: why did Isabel Archer marry Gilbert Osmond? Why did she plan to return to him on the very last page? Two relevant questions and I am looking forward seeing what the other read alongs will answer. Here are some of my thoughts. Why did she marry? Although she, unknowingly, was manipulated into the marriage, it is not the whole answer. She already had two offers of marriage and friends and relatives were much for both of them. However, she refused. She had clearly stated that she did not want to marry, but travel around the world. She wanted to have an independent life, settle down somewhere nice and live her life as she chooses. It was definitely easier after she came into the money, and would have been difficult without...