The Daisy Doomed to Perish: A Platonic Interpretation of Daisy's Destiny

Abstract

This paper draws on Plato's allegory of cave, to analyze Daisy's doomed fate in Henry James's Daisy Miller. In this paper, Europeanized Americans and irresolute Winterbourne represent two kinds of humans and capricious Daisy represents light itself in Plato's allegory of cave. Daisy's death reveals a shackled Europe with its stiff values. Her death also reveals a dilemma of some people, who dare not challenge the traditional values and pursue an authentic identity.