Essay Questions

How is the Prince a symbol of the collapse of European aristocracy and embrace of democratization?

The very first words of the novel are “The Prince.” A significant number of pages will pass before it is revealed that the name of this Prince is Amerigo. Technically, he is an Italian nobleman, but his title has fallen so far from the peak of his lineage that he is forced to find a wealthy wife in order to actually live like a prince rather than being one in name only. Significantly, the source of wealth that he eventually finds is not a haughty European enjoying the privilege of wealth through assumed superiority of aristocratic bloodlines, but the innocently girlish daughter of a self-made American millionaire. The Prince’s name Amerigo alludes to the Age of Discovery figure Amerigo Vespucci who inspired the naming of a vast unexplored continent in the New World: America. The Prince is eager to reinvent himself and establish a new identity not singularly tied to a meaningless aristocratic Italian title. His name Amerigo connects with the legacy of Vespucci to symbolize his quest to discover a new world for himself and his marriage to Maggie becomes a commentary on the influence of American democracy upon archaic European aristocratic ideals.

Does the plot of The Golden Bowl really matter when it comes to appreciating the experience of reading the novel?

This is the sort of novel for which a plot summary seems almost beside the point of why it should be read. The central storyline of this novel can genuinely be summed up in a single sentence: The American wife of an Italian Prince moves from childish innocence to mastery of Machiavellian machinations upon learning he has renewed an affair with a former mistress. Henry James was never a writer who placed greater emphasis on storyline than on the construction of the prose used to tell that story. What passes for action mostly takes place inside the heads of the characters. It is in the deep recesses of the human mind where all the “stuff” that makes a story gripping takes place. James is a writer who is far more fascinated by what stimulates people to make the decisions they do than the actions which result from those decisions. Plot always matters when it comes to appreciating a story, of course. Ultimately, however, when it comes down to fully appreciate the experience of reading The Golden Bowl, what passes for its plot matters less than any other foundational component of storytelling. From the mastery of composition to memorable characterization to fully developed explorations of theme, the significance of its actual plot pales in comparison. The capacity to appreciate this book derives not from following the path which leads Maggie from an innocent “little person” to becoming the “mistress of shades” but from penetration into a mind as it evolves and calculates the decisions which guide her toward following that path.

How does the pace of the narrative reflect its setting?

The idea that “nothing happens” in this book is only partly due to the dearth of action. It is also due in large part to it being a very long novel in which to risk such a dearth of action. It is a perfectly valid criticism to suggest that The Golden Bowl is a book in which there is a notable paltriness of action relative to its length. And that is the stimulating cause behind complaints that nothing happens. Everything ultimately comes down to pacing. If this were a short story, it would seem like quite a bit happens. This slow pace is an authentic characterization of the time but is also infused by the specificity of the characters. These are all people used to enjoy the privilege of excessive amounts of leisure time. They do not have a job that takes up precious hours of each day. When half of one’s life is not consumed by doing work one hates for wages not equitable to the labor required, one is given the privilege to move through life with greater deliberation. When your story is populated by a Prince, a millionaire, an heiress, and a mistress, your story is populated with characters who have more than enough time to contemplate before they act. And so, this becomes a story about the consequences of contemplation rather than a story about acting without thinking things through. This affirms its status as being completely out of sync with modern society. Once a reader accepts that this is the fundamental nature of James’ writing style and is prepared to adjust their definition of “action,” one may find that The Golden Bowl is actually not a book in which nothing happens but a book in which quite a lot happens.