Defamiliarization and Foreshadowing of Death in Henry James'

The novels Daisy Miller and The Wings of the Dove are both following the same story in general. We can summarize their plots in one sole sentence: A beautiful American girl traps in European society and unfortunately dies. James’ heroines seem to be unsatisfied in their love lives. They strive for happiness, and it seems they cannot achieve it in the finale. 'Daisy Miller,' 'The portrait of Lady,' 'The Wings of the Dove,' 'The Golden Bowl,' and many more presumably follow the same routine. There always seems to be a barrier that hinders the heroines from having joy and happiness. In this book we will discuss how James' restates the same themes and concepts overtly, without making his fictions boring and tiresome. The concepts like Organic Unity, Defamiliarization, and Foreshadowing are derived from Russian Formalism and The New Criticism, and will be discussed separately on 'Daisy Miller' and 'The Wings of the Dove.'