What's More Important?

In my opinion, Portrait of a Lady asks the question of what is more important, doing what one wants or doing what society wants. At first I thought it was going to be a love-triangle story, but as I kept reading I realized it's more about Isabel, her independence, and her struggle between doing what she wants and doing what is expected of a lady. I love strong female characters, so I was immediately drawn to Isabel, but I was kind of disappointed when I finished the book. I really wanted her to stay in London. She seemed like she had a miserable life in Rome, and I wanted her to choose happiness over duty. "When it comes down to being happy or making the world happy, be selfish,". That is a quote I live by and I very much wanted Isabel to be selfish and not go back to Rome. I think I lost a little bit of respect for her in the end, but I still enjoyed the book very much.