“Washington Square” by Henry James, 1881Washington square tells the story of a father (Dr. August Sloper), daughter (Catherine Sloper), and suitor (Morris Townsend). Morris Townsend’s, a man-about-town, proposal to Catherine Sloper is met with resistance by Dr. Sloper and forbids the marriage. Dr. Sloper believes Morris Townsend is only after his daughter, Catherine’s, fortune and inheritance.
Selfishness, cruelty, and manipulation were central themes in this novel; which I think may not be traditional of 19th century novels. I found Dr. August Sloper insidious, yet genial. Catherine Sloper was frustratingly a model of passive resistance, yet present the strength of innocence in the face of manipulation. The spinster aunt Lavinia adds to theme of manipulation through the use of her niece’s courtship as a way to work out her own foiled romantic desires.
I honestly can’t say which character I disliked the most. They were all pretty much despicable. If they had any redeeming qualities I would get a whiff of it, or I may have not been paying attention closely enough. Overall, I found style in which the book was written, well, boring. The plot is fairly straight forward and predictions unnecessary.
My rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 out of 5 stars)
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