Daisy Miller: American Innocence and European Decadence

Cultural Clash in Henry James’ Novella

The American expatriates presented in Daisy Miller are well integrated into European society, having adopted its beliefs and values. They assume a European identity, thus suffering a shift from innocence to decadence, emphasized in the opposition with the American tourists, representing the typology of the innocent. Europe is a space of resistance against innocence; conversely, America is a space of resistance against decadence. Thus, the reader deals with a

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