Notes

Chapter 1 sets up the basic situation of the novel and obliquely introduces all the major players. Henry James always introduces characters obliquely. Notice that he doesnÂ’t actually name the "ugly young man" for the entire scene. This young man, the son of Mr. Touchett, will play a central role in the plot. He is introduced slowly, first by physical description and then by dialogue. It is clear that he is devoted to his father and that he is, as Lord Warburton says, a cynical young man who is also, as his father says, always cheerful.

However, it is not so much the characters who are introduced in this first chapter. It is the situation of Americans in England. This situation is subtly introduced by the description of the history of Mr. TouchettÂ’s house, especially during tea time. The reader might wonder why James would be so long in describing the tea when he hasnÂ’t yet described the characters. In describing the perfection of the afternoon and all its accouterments, James touches on his favorite subject: what he considers the high civilization of English country life. The house is an embodiment of this civilization and its history shows the changes that have occurred here. Built under Edward VI, surviving CromwellÂ’s wars, repaired during the Restoration of the monarchy, "remodeled and disfigured in the eighteenth century," it is now owned not by a British noble but by an American banker. If the reader is tempted to think this is a devolution, James is quick to show that although Mr. Touchett remains American in his straightforward speech and big tea cup, he understands the value of British tradition in his love for his house.

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