ARCHITECTURES OF THE MIND: SEMI-FICTIONAL SETTINGS IN HENRY JAMES’S THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
ARCHITECTURES OF THE MIND: SEMI-FICTIONAL SETTINGS IN HENRY JAMES’S THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Author(s): Paula Pîrvu-DănăricuSubject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Foreign languages learning, Fiction, Studies of Literature, Novel, Philology, Theory of Literature, American Literature, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: Henry James; semi-fictional setting; Gardencourt; Isabel; symbols
Summary/Abstract: This article examines the role of semi-fictionalized settings in Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady as extensions of the protagonist Isabel Archer’s psychological and moral development. By blending real locations like Albany, London, Rome, Venice with fictionalized or embellished spaces such as Gardencourt and Palazzo Roccanera, James transforms geographic sites into symbolic landscapes that mirror Isabel’s evolving consciousness. The study explores how these architectural spaces function metaphorically to represent freedom, constraint, autonomy, and entrapment, illuminating the interplay between external environment and interior life. Through a close analysis of spatial dynamics, this article reveals James’s innovative use of setting not merely as backdrop, but as a crucial element in the narrative’s ethical and aesthetic framework.
Journal: Journal of Romanian Literary Studies
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 41
- Page Range: 299-303
- Page Count: 5
- Language: English
