This month we continue with our efforts to use biography to understand history. Of course, a good futurist is usually a better historian as you can’t take one step into the future until you recognize every step that has brought you to where you currently are. Additionally, it was James A. Michener who stated that biography was the best way to study history.
Our subject this month is Henry James who I believe is an often overlooked literary master of the late 19th century. James was born in New York City in 1843. His wealthy father was a known intellectual of the mid-century and his brother, William, also was a highly regarded intellectual figure.
As a result of his difficulties with various ailments James did not fight in the War Between the States. He was extensively schooled in the states, but principally in Geneva, London, Paris, Bologna and Bonn. By the late 1860’s while in his early twenties he was already contributing to Atlantic Monthly and The Nation. His first novel was published in 1871. Included in his “masterpieces” are ... Daisy Miller, Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, What Maise Knew, Wings of a Dove, The Ambassadors, The Turn of the Screw and In The Cage, which I will address shortly. He was also a prolific writer of short stories.
After his death he was largely forgotten. At the conclusion of World War II interest in his work renewed and a significant number of biographical works were created.
Much of James work dealt with the excesses of the aristocracy and of the upper class. James spent the majority of his adult life living in Europe and England and was keen on exploring the relationships between higher class intellectuals and their trans-national relations. Some have suggested that the “special relationship” between England and the United States begins with him.
In the 1960’s he developed somewhat of a cult status and is credited as having developed the “stream of consciousness style” which eventually was perfected by James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. He had a deep personal relationship with Oliver Wendell Holmes and appeared to be a foil via his liberal political views to the politically conservative (eventual) Chief Justice. The two were part of the Metaphysical Club, a short lived conversation club which discussed the burning questions of the day. James is a contributor, if not the ringleader, in providing the inspiration for a new philosophy called “pragmatism”.
Many of James’ works dealt with the ideal young women of the time, (femininism had just been thrust upon the Western stage) as being heir of all the ages and carried forward the accumulated moral wisdom of the human race. James saw America as the outlying region of the Anglo-Saxon civilization. He was a harbinger of the complicated and complex world that was to follow. So much so that I’d argue that his work “In The Cage” provides via the advent of the telegraph (the technological “edge” of those times) an illuminating view of consciousness of dehumanizing in today’s techno-society of the internet.
Have a great month
W2
 | About HJ |
| Fiction Magazine |
| Henry James |
| Lions at the Lamb House |
| Metropolitan |
| The Henry James Scholar's Guide to Web Sites |
| The Homiletics of Criticism |
| The New Face of Fiction |
| Washington Square |
colin harper - 12/10/2007 9:32:08 AM DST (GMT-4)
Good essay as normal. I think the 'special relationship' is between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (We're still a Kingdom although we have a Queen). To leave out the Scots, Welsh and Irish is remiss, despite ever increasing devolution from the UK. And interestingly the UK (Scots Welsh and Irish has) a signiificant non Anglo Saxon heritage, being Celt, or Pict (leavened by Scandinavians in the north. As well as Anglo Saxon. Did Michener really mean the US is the last outpost of Anglo Saxon civilisation? Or British?
Seasons Greetings to you all!
C
spacecowboy - 12/11/2007 10:48:41 AM DST (GMT-4)
Watts!
It's feminisim...not feminimism!
jysypiud - 1/6/2008 7:17:11 AM DST (GMT-4)
<a href="http://bhkjvebz.com">jrmqedkx</a> [URL=http://zmpwziov.com]vbyrlmfd[/URL] nuydsyet http://ljvffemr.com qqhwuvug sootfjox
James and Pragmatism - kccole01 12/9/2007 7:04:40 PM DST (GMT-4)
Hi Mr Wacker,
Good essay. I'm one of those who joined the cult you mentioned as having arisen in the 1960s. One small correction. It was Henry's brother William who was in the Metaphysical Club with Holmes and Peirce et al. and it was William who was the great popularizer of Pragmatism.
Thanks very much.
--KCC
Go to the General discussion area.
 |
Management Inspiration | Issues | Archives | Lexicon | Forums | Mailing List | Log In | Search | ?? | ||
|
© 1997-2008 FirstMatter LLC