The word ‘bêtise’ means ‘a foolish, ill-timed remark of action; a piece of folly’. The origins of the word are rooted in French, where it translates to ‘stupidity’.

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 saw French become the official language of England. As it made its way into the affairs of public office and the judiciary, French became widespread amongst the nobility. Although English eventually replaced French as the official language in 1362, members of the English elite continued to use loanwords from the latter as a signifier of their prestige. Indeed, it was not uncommon for upper-class English children to be taught French.

Although Isabel is American, her use of French denotes her assimilation into English upper-middle-class society.

Singh, I. (2005) The History of English, London: Hodder Arnold.

Braugh, A. C & Cable, T. (2002) A History of the English Language, London: Pearson Education.

This ‘statistic’ Isabel puts forward signifies how most women in her position would have accepted Lord Warburton’s proposal without a second thought. This is reflective of the Victorian conception of marriage as a means of gaining wealth for women. In the Victorian era, patrilineal property laws overwhelmingly excluded women from inheriting property or wealth. The common law doctrine of coverture extinguished the independent legal existence of a woman and merged her legal identity completely with that of her husband. Marriage essentially became the only arena for women to secure their financial security and gain control over property. It must be noted, however, that whatever control over property women gained through marriage was limited, as their influence was restricted mostly to day-to-day upkeep while the actual title remained in the name of either their husband or male children.

Wardley, L. (2010) ‘Courtship, marriage, family’ in D. McWhirter (ed) Henry James in Context, Cambridge University Press, 150-160.

Crosswhite, A. B. (2002) ‘Women and Land: Aristrocratic Ownership of Property in Early Modern England’, New York University Law Review 77(4): 1119-1156.

The ‘queer country across the sea’ that Lord Warburton thinks of is America, Isabel’s homeland.

The late nineteenth century saw the United States establish itself as a burgeoning superpower through its rapid economic expansion. As a ‘young’ continent, the Americas were often positioned as less sophisticated and more material than Europe, which was contrastingly viewed as rich in culture and intellect. The European tour became a signifier of bourgeois prestige, with members of the American elite taking transatlantic trips to acquire cultural legitimacy.

This contrast of America as crude and immature in comparison to Europe is explored in most of James’ work, possibly reinforced by his own experiences. James himself undertook many transatlantic trips in his lifetime, before eventually settling in England and becoming a British citizen.

Izzo, D. (2010) ‘Women and men’ in D. McWhirter (ed) Henry James in Context, Cambridge University Press, 378-388.

Chung, J. H. (2010) ‘Money and class’ in D. McWhirter (ed) Henry James in Context, Cambridge University Press, 224-233.

Taylor, A. (2010) ‘Nineteenth-century America (1843-1870)’ in D. McWhirter (ed) Henry James in Context, Cambridge University Press, 3-13.

A ‘personage’ denotes a ‘person of high rank, distinction, or importance’. Early modern England was a predominantly agricultural society in which the foundation of aristocratic wealth and power was dependent on land ownership. However, in the late nineteenth century, England began to undergo a period of industrialisation that disturbed the existing feudal class system. This weakened the economic power of the upper class, the members of which struggled to maintain or improve their social status. Read within this context then, the reference to Lord Warburton as a ‘personage’ is especially impressive in conveying his sheer wealth and standing as a member of the English aristocracy even in spite of the transformations that were happening to the English class structure at the time.

Chung, J. H. (2010) ‘Money and class’ in D. McWhirter (ed) Henry James in Context, Cambridge University Press, 224-233.

Crosswhite, A. B. (2002) ‘Women and Land: Aristrocratic Ownership of Property in Early Modern England’, New York University Law Review 77(4): 1119-1156.