Here Henry James’ uses Romantic conventions of the Gothic novel to provide insight into the nature of Isabel’s character and her approach to people and situations. ‘Twilight’ is a time that is neither day nor night and has come to represent unpredictability and potential tragedy in various forms of art. The use of such a term preceded by ‘winter’ leans more towards the potentially tragic outcome of Isabel’s response to Osmond. This ‘slightly treacherous’ scenery adds another dimension to the unpredictable and potentially ‘unnatural’ nature of future events as it foreshadows the nature of the relationship that will occur between Isabel and Osmond. Not only does the scenery described reflect the mystery exhibited by the man who has just confessed to Isabel, but it also reflects the danger associated with such a man. This danger, Isabel finds intriguing and she ultimately binds herself to this danger.

"The Portrait of a Lady" and the Gothic Romance Author(s): Elsa Nettels Source: South Atlantic Bulletin , Nov., 1974, Vol. 39, No. 4 (Nov., 1974), pp. 73-82 Published by: South Atlantic Modern Language Association Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3198233

THE HAUNTED "PORTRAIT OF A LADY" Author(s): ALDEN R. TURNER Source: Studies in the Novel , fall 1980, Vol. 12, No. 3 (fall 1980), pp. 228-238 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29532051

The expression ‘to rest on one’s laurels’ refers to one’s reliance on their past successes and or achievements to compensate and or cover up for current inadequacies or failings. Such an expression is derived from the use of the ‘Laurel’ in classical Greeko-Roman cultures, whereby champions of athletic events and or victors of war were crowned with a laurel wreath symbolising the honour bestowed to them by the ruling authorities. Osmond’s use of this expression in conjunction with his representation of it as being ‘vague’ implies that his successes and achievements were in themselves rather vague, thus maintaining that air of mystery and ‘refined’ appreciation for the arts that he comes to embody. What is interesting to note about this use of phrase is that for the Greeks, athletics and the like, were considered to belong to the category of art. Which adds an interesting layer of depth behind Osmond’s desire for the aesthetic.

A Victor’s Message: The Talking Column of the Temple of Artemis at Sardis Author(s): Fikret K. Yegül Source: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians , Vol. 73, No. 2 (June 2014), pp. 204-225 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural Historians Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/jsah.2014.73.2.204

A key theme that arises throughout The Portrait of a Lady is of course the pursuit of freedom, but in opposition to this desire for free expression of thought comes the issue of control, whether this be clearly seen by the characters in the diegetic universe or not. In this particular instance Osmond’s control of the situation is evidenced in his firstly predicting Isabel’s future state followed closely by seeming to appear hesitant to speak at this point in his conversation with Isabel. When regarding this situation in light of the representation of the human psyche in literature, this is one of the many forms of manipulation. Osmond’s apparent honesty found in his hesitance to tell Isabel of his feelings (which in light of previous descriptions of his character would suggest that they are more desires to fulfil a certain aesthetic rather than genuine emotions) results in Isabel becoming more inclined to consider him honest. This meticulous control of language reflects a similar use of language exhibited by other players in literary history, such as Iago’s apparent reluctance to inform Othello of his ‘suspicions’ in Shakespeare’s Othello. This control of language serves to both foreshadow the control Osmond will attempt to exert over Isabel, and the ultimate outcome of his failure to successfully do so: being that due to his miscalculation of her wilfulness, they come to despise one another.

'Carefully chosen words' for 'playing theoretic tricks': Perception, Representation, and Self-Fashioning in Henry James's "The Portrait of a Lady" Author(s): Elke Pacholek Source: AAA: Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik , 1997, Vol. 22, No. 2 (1997), pp. 195-218 Published by: Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH Co. KG Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43025537

PRESSURE, TRICKERY, AND A UNIFIED ACCOUNT OF MANIPULATION Author(s): Robert Noggle Source: American Philosophical Quarterly , Vol. 57, No. 3 (JULY 2020), pp. 241-252 Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of the North American Philosophical Publications Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/48574436

Henry James’ narrator – who conducts said narration in the third person omniscient style – shifts their point of focalisation from Ralph’s perception of Gilbert Osmond to Osmond’s perception of himself, simultaneously giving the reader insight into the nature of Gilbert Osmond’s character as well as the sentiments held by Americans and Europeans regarding desire. Gilbert Osmond (an American-born who lived the majority of his life in Italy) is portrayed as the amalgamation of these two cultures in two respects. First; Osmond’s assertion that any success he has before his death shall be thoroughly earned demonstrates a deeper level of determination to achieve his ideals (something considered a very American trait, especially by those of British society). Second; his otherwise very ‘European’ qualities of sophistication and appreciation for the aesthetic are frequently referred to by both himself and the narrator throughout the novel.

Bell, M. (2010). Nineteenth-century Europe (1843–1900). In D. McWhirter (Ed.), Henry James in Context (Literature in Context, pp. 14-25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511763311.005