Point Of View And Power: An Analysis Of What Maisie Knew

Point of view plays an important role in Henry James's novel innovation. Apart from its application in psychoanalysis, it also has the function to reflect the power struggle. Maisie's point of view experiences the change from naive looking to critical watching. Her naive vision often rests on the adults' pretence, which Maisie mistakes for sincere affection. The result of this misunderstanding is that Maisie is always the loser in her interaction with adults, and she is taken as a commodity for the exchange among the adults. As Maisie gradually looks through the superficial phenomena and sees the motives behind the adults' behavior, she grasps the social principle and makes reaction to her vision. Both her silence and voiced resentment are the strategy of quitting the adults' manipulation and taking control of her own life. It is in this process that we see how Maisie quits the passive status and climbs the power ladder.