Study
Questions and Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What kind of
character is Winterbourne? How might James have presented him differently
if he had intended him to be a romantic hero?
2. How do you
think James wants us to view the Millers’ relationship with servants?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Why do you think James chose
to call his heroine “Daisy Miller”? Do the names “Winterbourne,”
“Mrs. Walker,” and “Giovanelli” seem significant or perhaps ironic
in any way?
2. Discuss the importance of
setting in Daisy Miller.
3. How does health function differently
for different characters in the novel? In the case of Daisy’s illness, might
any symbolism be at work?
4. Daisy makes two trips to architectural
sites—the castle at Chillon and the Coliseum. How are they different?
What, if anything, do they reveal about her character?
5. Discuss Daisy’s relationship
with Mr. Giovanelli. How does it differ from her relationship with Winterbourne?
6. Is Daisy Miller more
about our discovering what kind of person Daisy is or what kind
of person Winterbourne is? Defend your answer.
7. Some of James’s contemporaries
thought his portrait of Daisy insulting to Americans. Can you suggest
why?
