A Myth And Archetypal Interpretation Of Isabel Archer's Initiation

This thesis is aimed to analyze the life experience of the heroine Isabel Archer in the novel The Portrait of a Lady through the perspective of myth and archetypal criticism. Northrop Frye points that there exists the typical U-Shaped plot pattern in the Holy Bible. In The Portrait of a Lady, the life experience of the heroine Isabel Archer follows the U-Shaped pattern-innocent time, temptation, sufferings, introspection, and finally self-redemption.This thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter one gives a brief introduction to Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, the literature review about this novel, and the motivation and organization of the thesis. Chapter two views the development of myth and archetypal criticism and the three representative theorists of this school.Chapter three is the core of this thesis. Isabel's life apparently follows the biblical U-Shape and takes the story of Eve as its archetype. The archetype of Isabel Archer is Eve and the Gardencourt is the Garden of Eden. Being tempted by the forbidden fruits "Knowledge" and "Freedom" that Madame Merle and Gilbert Osmond given to her, the innocent Isabel is trapped in an unhappy marriage. The strange state of her marriage and the suspicion of Madame Merle torment Isabel but never destroy her. After the reflection on her previous thoughts and actions, she comes to realize the mistakes she has made and decides to confront the unfortunate consequences bravely. That is to go back to Gilbert Osmond with courage so that she can save herself from the spiritual dilemma. She makes the choice because of three reasons:the subtle change of her character, the sense of moral responsibility, and the love for Osmond.Chapter four is the conclusion part of this thesis. The return of Isabel is an active response to the complicated life with no abandonment of her fine nature and it symbolizes the maturity of the heroine. The Portrait of a Lady can be classified as an initiation story. The novel is definitely the dynamic portrait of Isabel Archer's initiation process.