Isabel Archer “held that a woman ought to be able to make up
her life in singleness, and that it was perfectly possible to be happy without
the society of a more or less coarse-minded person of the opposite sex.”
Not to say that she was opposed to being married, but that
she believed that she needed to know herself before she could know someone
else. This is why she must leave New York and travel Europe before considering
marriage. In this sense, she is not Elizabeth Bennett. She is the ideal woman
(according to Ralph and the rest of her lovers) but the same characteristics
that make her ideal are what drive her away from marriage.
James raises this question through Isabel: Does a deep
knowledge of oneself prepare them for emotional intimacy with another, or does
emotional intimacy with another soul lead a person to knowing themselves? Can
you even know yourself apart from your spouse once married? I believe that it’s
possible, but it seems like this is exactly what Isabel is afraid of. She’s
scared to lose that identity, which is pretty understandable since she’s been
orphaned and left her country of origin.
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