Washington Square

By Henry James

-Themes & Symbols-

Members: Munteanu Alexandra

Neata Diana
Trandafir Robert
 Contents
1 Plot summary
2 Characters
3 Structure
4 Major themes
5 Literary significance & criticism

Washington Square is a short novel by Henry James. Originally published in 1880 as a serial
in Cornhill Magazine and Harper's New Monthly Magazine, it is a structurally simple
tragicomedy that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant,
domineering father. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to James by his
close friend, British actress Fanny Kemble.[1] The book is often compared to Jane Austen's
work for the clarity and grace of its prose and its intense focus on family relationships. James
was hardly a great admirer of Jane Austen, so he might not have regarded the comparison as
flattering. In fact, James was not a great fan of Washington Square itself. He tried to read it
over for inclusion in the New York Edition of his fiction (1907–1909) but found that he
couldn't, and the novel was not included. Other readers, though, have sufficiently enjoyed
the book to make it one of the more popular works of the Jamesian canon.
Plot summary
Dr. Austin Sloper, a rich and intelligent widower, lives in Washington Square, New York
with his only surviving child, Catherine, a sweet-natured woman who is a great
disappointment to her father, being physically plain and, he believes, mentally dull. Sloper's
beloved wife, along with a promising young son, died many years before. His silly busybody
sister, the widowed Lavinia Penniman, is the only other member of the doctor's household.
One day, Catherine meets the charming Morris Townsend at a party and is swept off her
feet. Morris courts Catherine, aided by Mrs. Penniman, who loves melodrama. Dr. Sloper
strongly disapproves, believing him to be after Catherine's money alone. When Catherine
and Morris announce their engagement, he checks into Morris's background and finds him
to be penniless and parasitic. The doctor forbids his daughter to marry Townsend, and the
loyal Catherine cannot bring herself to choose between her father and her fiancé.
Dr. Sloper understands Catherine's strait and pities her a little, but also finds an urbane
entertainment in the situation. In an effort to resolve the matter, he announces that he will
not leave any money to Catherine if she marries Morris; he then takes her on a twelve
month grand tour of Europe. During their months abroad, he mentions Catherine's
engagement only twice; once while they are alone together in the Alps, and again on the eve
of their return voyage. On both occasions, Catherine holds firm in her desire to marry. After
she refuses for a second time to give Morris up, Sloper sarcastically compares her to a sheep
fattened up for slaughter. With this, he finally goes too far: Catherine recognises his
contempt, withdraws from him, and prepares to bestow all her love and loyalty on Morris.
Upon her return, however, Morris breaks off the relationship when Catherine convinces
him that her father will never relent. Catherine, devastated, eventually recovers her
equanimity but is never able to forget the injury. Many years pass; Catherine refuses two
respectable offers of marriage and grows into a middle aged spinster. Dr. Sloper finally dies
and leaves her a sharply reduced income in his will out of fear that Townsend will reappear.
In fact, Morris – now fat, balding, cold-eyed, but still somewhat attractive – does eventually
pay a call on Catherine, hoping to reconcile; but she calmly rebuffs his overtures. In the last
sentence, James tells us that "Catherine,... picking up her morsel of fancy-work, had seated
herself with it again — for life, as it were."
Characters
The four principal characters are Catherine, Dr. Sloper, Mrs. Penniman, and Morris
Townsend. Dr. Sloper's sister, Mrs. Almond, and Townsend's sister, Mrs. Montgomery, are
significant but secondary.
Catherine Sloper, often referred to by the narrator as "poor Catherine", is Dr. Sloper's only
surviving child; her brother died at the age of three, and her mother succumbed to
complications of childbirth a week after Catherine was born. She is sweet-natured and
honest; however, she is also shy, plain, and not considered 'clever'. This makes her a great
disappointment to her father. She has inherited an annual income of $10,000 from her late
mother's estate and stands to inherit an additional $20,000, annually, from her father's.
Dr. Austin Sloper, a man in his early fifties, has succeeded brilliantly in his profession. He has
never recovered from the death of his wife, a beautiful and vivacious woman who died
shortly after Catherine's birth. Dr. Sloper is clever, experienced, perceptive, satirical, and he
is almost always certain he is right. He often speaks ironically to Catherine who, having no
way to retaliate, loves him anyway. She is also afraid of him, and defying his disapproval of
Morris is a fearful step.
Lavinia Penniman, Sloper's childless, long-widowed sister, provides comic relief derived
from her unrealistic romantic scheming, wild hyperbole, and duplicitousness. She takes a
keen vicarious interest in Catherine's courtship, and later becomes infatuated with Morris as
a tyrannical son, whose love affairs are of the greatest interest. She manipulates both
Catherine and Morris, trying to shape their relationship into a romantic melodrama in which
she plays a leading role; almost invariably, however, she makes matters worse.
Morris Townsend, a tall, handsome man of about thirty, has squandered a small inheritance
travelling the world and now lives with his sister. He is a typical fortune-hunter, and Dr.
Sloper immediately suspects his artificial nature. James also gives Townsend some
intelligence and grace, however; as a result, Catherine is unable to resist his attentions.
James describes Townsend as a "statue," an "apparition," and "a knight in a poem."
Mrs. Almond, Sloper's other sister, is sensible and clever, and has a large, blooming family.
Sloper frequently confides in her about Catherine's entanglement with Morris, and his
sarcastic view of the situation contrasts with hers, which is more sympathetic.
Marian Almond Mrs Almond's daughter, is an important contrast to Catherine. Marian is
the conventional, flirtatious and confident young woman that Catherine isn't, who also
marries "punctually".
Mrs. Montgomery is a widow living in genteel poverty with her five children. Dr. Sloper pays
a call on her so they can discuss her brother, Morris. With some persuasion, he induces Mrs.
Montgomery to admit that Morris takes money from her, returns very little, and makes her
suffer.
Structure
The novel is told from a third-person omniscient point of view, although we don't know
anything about the narrator. The narrator often offers his comments directly to the reader.
The novella begins at a distance from the characters, describing the background of the
Sloper family. It then recounts in detail the story of Catherine's romance with Morris
Townsend. When Morris jilts her, the focus shifts back to a long view. As James puts it: "Our
story has hitherto moved with very short steps, but as it approaches its termination it must
take a long stride." The final few chapters are taken once more in short steps, ending with
the striking vignette of Catherine's refusal of Morris.
Major themes
Family and Betrayal
Betrayal is perhaps the most dominant theme of the novel. Some characters fear betrayal,
others astonished to find themselves betrayed. If we look at the four major characters of the
novel, we find betrayals ranging from failed expectations to deliberately broken promises. In
some cases, the over-sensitive individual perceives a betrayal when no true betrayal has
actually occurred.
Dr. Sloper feels betrayed by Catherine, because she is unwilling to follow his advice
regarding her engagement to Morris. Dr. Sloper uses exceedingly harsh language and vows
to disown Catherine for breaking his heart. Sloper's behavior likens him to Shakespeare's
King Lear, a similarly paranoid father who causes great harm to innocent people. Dr. Sloper's
efforts to circumvent Catherine's perceived betrayal actually push Catherine to limit the
deference and respect she gives her father. Dr. Sloper becomes so hostile that he pushes
Catherine towards the very betrayal of which he accused her.
Dr. Sloper has been betrayed by his family. His wife and son have died and left him. Indeed,
the reader should recall that after Catherine was born, her mother "betrayed alarming
symptoms" even though she had been in good health. This has been a betrayal of
expectations. Catherine has similarly betrayed Dr. Sloper because she is plain and ordinary -
she is no daughter of his. Dr. Sloper goes so far as to accuse his sister Lavinia of "treason"
because she advocates for Catherine and Morris' wedding despite Dr. Sloper's most
strenuous objections. Dr. Sloper's betrayals have come from his family, then. Ironically, Dr.
Sloper does not seem to value family bonds, for he interrogates Mrs. Montgomery with the
intention of provoking her to betray her own brother, Morris. The novel tells us explicitly
that Dr. Sloper takes special pleasure in the fact that Mrs. Montgomery's confession has
come at the dear price of her "family pride."
Dr. Sloper has done all of this on Catherine's behalf. Despite his cruelty, Dr. Sloper is correct
in predicting that Morris will prove himself a man of low character and low means. The most
dramatic betrayal of the novel is Morris' abandonment of Catherine, after Catherine has
sacrificed so much for Morris' sake. This is not the traditional story of unrequited love
because Morris' original intentions were always mercenary and Catherine had to struggle to
convince herself to fall in love with Morris. Catherine is also somewhat betrayed by Lavinia.
In one sense, Aunt Lavinia has painted the picture of romance and led Catherine into a pit of
thorns. Catherine has suffered on account of her aunt's very poor counsel. Perhaps more
significant, Lavinia is working on Morris' behalf as well as Catherine's. Indeed, Lavinia comes
to see Morris as a son, though she also harbors thoughts of Morris being the sort of
"imperious" man that she ought to have mattered. Lavinia does not place her family
obligations as foremost and principal. She has created a fictitious family with Morris and, to
be honest, Lavinia looks out for Morris' interests more than she looks out for Catherine's.
Lavinia realizes that Catherine will be hurt by Morris' abandonment, but Lavinia is so
enthralled with Morris that she fails to chastise him or even perceive the true extent of the
young man's depravity.
Morris feels betrayed by Lavinia. Towards the end of the novel, Dr. Sloper warns Lavinia that
Morris will become angry with her when he realizes that he is simply a "deluded fortune-
hunter." Just as Lavinia has pushed Catherine into a romantic engagement, Lavinia has lured
Morris into a financial prospect that has soured.
Home and Domesticity
Home is a symbol of tradition, of culture, of family and the past. Washington Square is a
residential neighborhood, a community of homes, in contrast to other areas of Manhattan.
And Washington Square is the neighborhood where Henry James was born and spent his
first years. Much of the narrative action of Washington Square occurs within the walls of the
Sloper home.
One of the principal images connected to the idea of home is the image of the fireplace - the
hearth. The hearth is a source of warmth and a venue for communal activities (the fireside).
In ancient Greek literature, the hearth is connected to ancestors and guardian deities.
Indeed, James mentions that when Dr. Sloper moves up from the City Hall area to he "moved
his household gods uptown, as they say in New York" with him - in a figurative sense. These
are memories, mementos, family heirlooms, inheritance, etc in the literal sense.
Certainly, we must consider Dr. Sloper's lack of "family feeling." More than once, the doctor
is described as cold or cool, cruel or unemotional. And more than once, this cool/cold
imagery is described in direct opposition to the loving warmth of the fireplace. Catherine
cannot find warmth in her father's eyes, so she focuses on the fireplace.
 In Chapter 31, Dr. Sloper suspects that Morris has abandoned Catherine. Prying for
information, Sloper wants to know when the wedding will take place, adding: "It would be a
convenience to me to know when I may expect to have an empty houseŠ.When you go, your
aunt marches." Given that a house is built to contain (to house) a family, the lack of usage is
an odd convenience. Instead of an empty house, however, Sloper gets no physical escape
from his family. Lavinia and Catherine are very disconnected from Austin, but the house
remains the center of the novel's drama - nobody ever moves away. Catherine never leaves
home, never gets married, never starts a family of her own. Even when Morris was courting
Catherine, Catherine was reluctant to meet for romantic trysts in far-off or secluded
locations. Her "unromantic," almost "perverse" choice was to host her beau in her father's
parlor.
While she lives in her father's house, Catherine must struggle to deal with his law. The home
is like a small society in which Dr. Sloper considers himself a patriarch, an enlightened
despot. Mrs. Montgomery's ability to keep a clean and tidy house despite her financial
limitations is evidence of her character. In a similar sense, Dr. Sloper manifests his intellect in
his elaborate study, his den of academia and knowledge. Dr. Sloper's "study" becomes the
site of treason, however. In the most literal sense, Lavinia gives Morris full access to Dr.
Sloper's study when the doctor goes to Europe for a year. This year of indulgence is the
closest that Morris can get to inheriting any of Sloper's property. The more damaging
treason comes from Catherine. Catherine steels herself and on two occasions she
courageously goes to her father's study and confronts him, respectfully, with the truth. In his
own study, Sloper's logical fallacies are exposed; in the study, Catherine asserts her rights,
pleads for forgiveness, and is shut out of the room.
In the end, the Sloper home is such a contrast to the Almond home, just as the Sloper
family line declines (downward slope), whereas the Almond family continues to flourish and
blossom and grow (like a tree). The reader recalls that the Slopers visit the Almond house
every Sunday and that Aunt Almond throws an engagement party for her daughter. Aunt
Almond becomes a sympathetic mother figure, "spreading out carpets" for Catherine after
the young woman is jilted. We don't need to read too deeply into the casual phrase to
detect that for Aunt Almond, as for most people in our society, ideas of family and home are
interconnected. To the extent that we live indoors, our interior furnishings (carpets, but also
beds, rocking chairs, wine and china) reveal the transactions that occur within a family
household. At the end of the novel, the house becomes a living tomb for Catherine. In the
final scene, Catherine sits in the parlor, focused on her knitting: "picking up her morsel of
fancywork, [she] had seated herself with it again - for life, as it were." Catherine has found
domesticity, just as Dr. Sloper had found a house. But these physical aspects of domesticity
are not enough to make a home.

Truth, Deception, and Imagination

 Dr. Sloper is very interested in pursuing and uncovering the truth. Dr. Sloper aims to prevent
Catherine from marrying Morris but at the same time, he is interested in finding out whether
Catherine will stick with her plans. When Dr. Sloper realizes that Morris is a charlatan, he
believes that Catherine must be informed and convinced to change her mind. Dr. Sloper
hurts Catherine in the process and his behavior raises the question of whether truth should
always be pursued to the fullest extent. Even in moral terms, it may sometimes be better to
leave certain truths unsaid.
Morris and Lavinia are both characters who prefer to leave a good deal of truth unsaid,
though for very different reasons. Though Morris did not have good intentions, he did not
intend to hurt Catherine. He lied with the expectation of gaining money without causing any
harm to Catherine. When Morris decides to end his engagement, he feels guilty about the
pain he will cause Catherine. He does not look forward to speaking this truth to Catherine.
Dr. Sloper relishes his opportunities to speak the bitter truth to Catherine.
Of course, Morris has several reasons to avoid speaking the bitter truth, but the main reason
is because he's a liar. We can separate Morris' hesitant and incomplete confession to
Catherine from his energetic voluble self-advertisements at the beginning of the novel.
Morris lied so much that gullible Catherine couldn't help but consider him "artistic," as Aunt
Penniman considered him "imperious." Morris is a fictional character who fictionalizes
himself into a hero. His rakish poverty is redone as a moral tableau, some youthful excess
from which Morris has drawn a lesson. Morris styles himself as a Spanish teacher, a stranger
who has been around the world, and a commodities merchant who works downtown and
most suddenly leave for New Orleans (Philadelphia) to speculate on cotton.
Lavinia Penniman also has a tenuous grip on truth and reality. Like Dr. Sloper, Lavinia seeks
to counsel and advice others. If Dr. Sloper gives the right advice in the worst way, Lavinia has
a "genius for consolation." Her imaginative powers are incredible and she can uncover a
glimmer of hope or possibility in any scenario. At times, her character resembles Polonius
from Hamlet, because she is often spouting commonplace phrases and platitudes that
contradict each other: "The important thing is to act" a few scenes after Lavinia warns the
young ones to be patient.
Lavinia is a romantic. Just as Morris has become "artistic" and sculpted a new self for
himself, Lavinia has invented the idea of Morris and Catherine falling in love and realized this
as best she could, all the while imagining herself as the "manager" or director of a "drama."
In Lavinia's world, truth is beauty and beauty is relative. Lavinia does not distinguish
between shades of possibility or desirability. She prefers "first meetings" and "last partings"
and, once the end of the engagement is inevitable, Lavinia looks forward to this as well - so
long as there is drama. This beautiful dramatic quality is what Lavinia interprets as true.
Whenever Catherine is not visibly depressed, she is hiding something; for seventeen years,
Catherine does not speak of Morris, she must have unresolved feelings for him. These are
Lavinia's erroneous interpretations. Consistently, Lavinia looks at Catherine's deficits of
emotion and romanticizes them as hidden spaces. At the end of the novel, Lavinia is surely
disappointed that Catherine has dispensed with Morris so permanently and without fanfare.
 Lavinia's artistic idea of truth as beauty is a contrast to Dr. Sloper's ideas of science and
logic. But just as Lavinia's actions are a corruption of artistic ideals, Dr. Sloper's idea of truth
is a corruption of science and logic. Sloper describes himself as an "anatomist" and argues
that just as he is accustomed to assessing and looking into human beings (as a doctor) he can
see through Morris' surface games and identify the man as a swindler. Sloper is entirely right
in fearing Morris' greedy intentions, but Sloper uses false logic and abuses rules and
conventions in order to have his way. Having identified Morris as guilty, Sloper does not take
the time to prove his case logically. Having satisfied his own need for truth, he requests of
Catherine: "I don't ask you to believe it, but to take it on trust." The narrator identifies this as
"an ingenious sophism" ( a sophism" is an argument apparently correct in form but actually
invalid). And Dr. Sloper's interrogative methods undermines the values and truths he aims to
support. He abuses the trust that Catherine has in him, as her father. As a great man of
society, he bullies a widow into speaking ill of her brother, as a means of protecting his own
family. Once Sloper has his "revenge" on Catherine and allows her to suffer, he is unable to
undo the consequences of the truth. He cannot make Catherine forget the betrayal; he
cannot coax her into marriage with a different man. Dr. Sloper's accusations of treason and
betrayal are ultimately documented in the codicil to his will - but that does not make the
arguments, though legally binding, any more valid.