James’s novel however remains riddled with uncertainty as Isabel exemplifies qualities of both the proto-feminist movement as well as the acceptance of cultural norms. Bringing the novel into the modern realism era, James’s text attempts to provide a character portrait of the ideal Victorian woman. Using both Feminist Literary Theory and Deconstruction, this paper offers a reading of Henry James’s novel, The Portrait of a Lady, that examines the character of Isabel Archer by revealing the possibility that a portrait of a lady falls into both categories of feminine assertion and societal expectations. Constance Fulmer, Professor of English, Associate Dean, Pepperdine University.Julie Smith, Associate Professor of English, Pepperdine University. Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady: Deconstructing Isabel Archer’s Feminist Facade Author: Kristina McClendon
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