In 'Washington Square' James treats on a subject about which he was passionate - the relationship between parents and their children. Dr Sloper, a wealthy man, is in a difficult position. His son has died aged three years old. His wife also dies within two weeks of giving birth to their surviving daughter Catherine. She is a plain awkward child, yet capable of giving immense affection. She becomes fascinated by would-be man of the world Morris Townsend, falling in love with him very swiftly.
Is Morris a fortune hunter? Is Catherine capable of making the right decision? Has Dr Sloper the right to control his daughter's destiny? The battle of wills is long and James, one feels, is not sure of the resolution. In Sloper's time and class what could he do? Listeners will find themselves caught on the horns of this moving dilemma.
Henry James (1843 –1916) was an American-born author and literary critic. Born in New York City into a wealthy, intellectually inclined family, James travelled with his family back and forth between Europe and America. At the age of 19, he briefly attended Harvard Law School, but he much preferred reading and writing fiction to studying law. From an early age James read, criticized, and learned from the classics of English, American, French, Italian, German and (in translation) Russian literature. In 1864, he anonymously published his first short story and from then devoted himself completely to literature. He wrote 22 novels and is one of the major figures of trans-Atlantic literature. His works frequently juxtapose characters from different worlds—the Old World (Europe), simultaneously artistic, corrupting, and alluring; and the New World (United States), where people are often brash, open, and assertive—and explore how this clash of personalities and cultures affects the two worlds. ...
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