The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

The Portrait of a Lady could be considered a coming-of-age novel in that, over the course of the book, Isabel moves from a naïve and open-hearted young woman—searching for freedom and feeling excited about the prospects of her life—to an embittered adult trapped in a destructive marriage. In this way, James intentionally undermines the literary conventions of Victorian novels (such as those by Jane Austen) that end with joyful engagements or marriages. In the world of James's novel, marriage usually ends up with both parties feeling alienated and trapped.