Personality Types in Daisy Miller

Sukhpreet Saini

English 220

March 13, 2016

 Personality types in Daisy Miller

Daisy, Winterbourne, and Giovanelli are all represented with many shared and different characteristics, motifs, and stories. They are represented uniquely through their various individualities.

Daisy's character is perplexing. She is youthful and gullible, additionally extremely autonomous and certain. At first impression, Daisy is depicted as a "pretty American flirt”. Winterbourne tries to label her character within his reason and eventually he describes her as a flirt. “Never, indeed, since he had grown old enough to appreciate things, had he encountered a young American girl of so pronounced a type as this. Certainly she was very charming, but how deucedly sociable! Was she simply a pretty girl from New York State?” (p.33) Daisy is youthful, unsophisticated, loquacious, and boasts about all the general public, particularly gentlemen’s society she had in New York. She appreciates teasing and getting responses out of individuals only for the purpose of it. For instance, the second time she and Winterbourne meet, late one night in the garden, she inquires as to whether he needs to take her out in a boat on the lake. Obviously, her mom and the courier defy while Daisy snickers and proclaims, "That’s all I need a little fuss!" She had no intention of going; she simply needed to provoke somebody. “Bidding good night to Winterbourne, she says, " I hope you’re disappointed, disgusted, or something!" (p.44) She is being coy, however, this sort of teasing is likewise simply piece of her comical inclination. Her strength might be because of not knowing any better, but rather she keeps on doing whatever she prefers even in the wake of being prompted against it. For instance, Mrs. Walker tries to protect Daisy from her neglectful night stroll with Giovanelli and Winterbourne by begging her to get in the carriage." With her typical lack of concern and tone of delight, she denies, even after the asking of Winterbourne." She says to Mrs. Walker, " if this is improper, than I’m all improper, and you had better give me right up" (p.57). Daisy might act shocked that individuals would get certain thoughts regarding her, at the same time, regardless, she doesn't give anybody a chance to meddle with her choices.

Winterbourne is a simple, positive, and straightforward character that is aware of the fact that he loves Daisy regardless of how much of a flirt she is. Compared to Daisy, Winterbourne is more honest, and he accepts Daisy even when society does not. In a conversation with Mrs. Costello, his aunt, Winterbourne says “She is completely uncultivated,” Winterbourne went on. But she is wonderfully pretty, and, in short, she is very nice. To prove that I believe it, I am going to take her to the Chateau de Chillon. You two are going off there together? I should say it proved just the contrary. How long had you known her, may I ask, when this interesting project was formed? You haven't been twenty-four hours in the house. I had known her half an hour!' said Winterbourne, smiling. Dear me! cried Mrs. Costello. 'What a dreadful girl!'" (p. 37) Winterbourne doesn’t believe any of the things that his aunt informs him about in relation to Daisy, rather he thinks positively about Daisy and disregards his aunt. In his attempts to please both Daisy as well as his aunt, he pressures himself into a hard spot by putting others before himself. He is theoretically stiff in the sense that he does not let emotion overcome him, but as he tries to satisfy people with opposing views, he comes off as a hypocrite. For example, he invited Daisy to meet at the castle alone, yet looked down upon Daisy meeting Giovanelli alone in Rome. Once Winterbourne came to the realization that he does not need Daisy, he changed his attitude yet still spoke to her to prevent her from being unhappy with him. The last time Winterbourne and Daisy talked, Winterbourne showed no signs of affection or care rather he was indifferent to Daisy’s action, “I believe that it makes very little difference whether you are engaged or not!' (p. 71)