Question

The lesson, ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ shows the writer’s ingenuity in using humour. Justify with evidence and analysis from the text.

Answer 1

In simple words, The Portrait of a Lady refers to the novel from Henry James, initially written in 1880–81 as just a series in The Atlantic Monthly as well as Macmillan's Weekly, and later in 1881 as a volume. This is one of the most famous long books by James, and is deemed also one his best by reviewers.

The Portrait of a Lady is the storey of Isabel Archer, a spirited young American woman, who finds it overwhelming, "confronting her fate." She acquires a significant sum of wealth as well as two American expatriates subsequently become the victim of Machiavellian scheming.