It was this one the relationship established by Catherine Sloper, the daughter of a very well known New Yorker doctor, Mr. Sloper. The title of the book from their house at Washington Square.
An emotive prison where Catherine couldn't go away, in which searching for some escapism and realization impossible and not because impossible financially.
The family of Mr.Sloper, his wife and another child dead, was pretty rich for giving comfort to everyone. The "mental paralysis" and inability of escapism of the main protagonist derived by his dad's behavior. He will avoid any kind of great development in her existence. One of the best books by James regarding the profound, mysterious and cruel dynamics existing into a family. Henry James doesn't offer in this sense any answers, no and if you search for hope, nope. You won't find it reading his books. What Henry James does wonderfully well is registering the fluidity of the life, of the various protagonists in their singularity, in their being unique and in their little, big hypocrisies.
Mr.Sloper created a luxurious emotive prison for his daughter, developing in the soul of this girl thanks to his cruel phrases, rich of sagacious taste psychological insecurities so that the girl couldn't fly away but remaining there, close to him.
Most important for Mr. Sloper she would have always thought of being less than anyone else. At the same time Mr.Sloper didn't forget of educating her at a profound, mystical great respect for himself. He couldn't be put in discussion.
Mr Sloper considered his daughter from the point of view of a man: a very unattractive girl.
Maybe according to Mr. Sloper who knows? she didn't have the right to create her own existence and to be happy with a man close to her although in some final passages we saw him telling her that he would have been pleased if she would have found someone. Of course he knew that it wouldn't never been possible because the girl too scared for starting other big fights with his dad.
Mr Sloper didn't love his daughter according to my point of view. Not very happily and not in a healthy way.
The British humor when he speaks with her is pretty sarcastic most of the time and it tends to mortifying her in every possible way for trying to diminish her beauty and her intelligence. Catherine is a common girl. not too beauty, not too intelligent, but with feelings for sure.
Problems, for this dad and doctor started when for the occasion of the engagement feast of a relative of Catherine, Catherine meets Morris Townsend and the two falls in love.
Or better: Catherine falls in love.
Morris is a too much intelligent and beautiful boy according to Mr.Sloper for losing his time with Catherine. He persists just because he knows that she would have inherited a great amount of money. In a few words: they wouldn't never slept under a bridge. A comforting idea.
Mr. Townsend was at the moment of his first meeting with Catherine unemployed and in search of a job. He lived with his sister. This news was seen negatively by Mr.Sloper who would have wanted to see someone different close to Catherine, although he wouldn't never wanted to see anyone close to her because to him the girl not too interesting for finding someone just interested to her and not to her money. Just this consideration would have put down anyone discouraging from continuing to hope and being optimistic .
Mr. Sloper in case of a positive relationship of her girlfriend dreamed someone more active and in grade to bring food on the table and not someone there ready to dilapidated his fortune. And of course he was right of being worried but if the doctor wanted to help in this sense Catherine and Morris he could, donating to someone else (as he did!) some of the fortune destined to her, and making them much more poor. Real love would have resisted.
In these long months of meetings between the two, Catherine could count only in the loyal friendship of her aunt Mrs. Penniman, a loving lady who grew up this girl after the death of Catherine's mom with great affection and someone who wanted to see Catherine happy.
Romantic, plenty of optimism, Mrs. Penniman tried all her best to build bridges between the two lovers, also when Mr Lodger brought her daughter in Europe for a year for the so-called Grand-Tour very loved by the American elite.
What it appeared sad was that Catherine lived isolated by everyone else and couldn't share any impressions of this love-story with other girlfriends of her same age, for some suggestions.
To me another symptom of the great isolation the family choose for this girl and her existence.
Townsend was attracted by the money but he also took in consideration other options. Less rich but happy together. At the end tired of Mrs.Penniman, tired of Catherine's dad, tired of Catherine, he will give up and will leave New York City.
Catherine won't never forget this young love but more she won't forget a promise she did to her dad later: of not marrying after his death Mr Townsend in case of a re-appearance of this man considering maybe the daughter hadn't never forgotten him considering she refused a lot of other men. Another act of respect and subjection to her devoted dad, who, de facto ruined her life.
If this one is not subjection what other else is it?
Henry James works psychologically and can be cruel, sophisticated, tremendously real in the exam of life, people and mainly the psychological moves during the existence of the actors in the scene of Life.
Highly suggested.
Anna Maria Polidori
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