November's Feature Book: The Europeans

            Last month, I finished reading my first Henry James novel, The Bostonians. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to find another of his works to read. Therefore, this month is all about James' short novel, The Europeans. Once again, I couldn't get enough of the novel. Twelve chapters almost didn't seem like enough to truly do the characters justice. Even so, the characters are detailed and interesting. The plotline is a unique one of comparison between two European siblings and their New Englander cousins. The differences are striking and slightly ironic, which makes the story that much better.

            Descriptions and characters are what drive this novel. Action and settings are minimal. The descriptions of the place and its influence on the people are a major aspect. Colors, sunsets, and tree lines all play a part in expressing the characters' feelings and actions at any one moment. The best aspect is the characters themselves. They are who I intend to focus on. A small family circle is presented to the reader to study. First, there are the Europeans, Eugenia – also known as Madame Munster – and her brother Felix Young. Eugenia is a baroness who is complicated, critical, and scheming. Her brother is her opposite as an eternally joyful artist whose goal in life is to find the silver lining. These siblings stand out against the backdrop of their cousins, the Wentworths and the Actons.

            I wanted so badly to like Eugenia. Much like Robert Acton, I seemed to have been drawn in by the woman’s mysterious persona. Through the novel, I wavered between thinking she was a good woman in a bad situation or an immoral woman using good people. For the sake of both her and her relatives, I wanted it to be the former. However, Eugenia makes more than a few bad choices in the novel. The one that bothers me the most is her lying to Robert. It seemed as if she loved him. In the end, I don't think she truly was. If she were in love, Eugenia wouldn't have treated Robert so poorly or gotten overly involved with her other cousin Clifford Wentworth.

            Unlike Eugenia, her brother Felix is a delight. I realize that many would soon tire of Felix's optimism and sunny disposition, but I rather like it. Despite all the protests Felix made about his being a Bohemian, I think his roots ran much deeper. His uncle, Mr. Wentworth, must have seen something too considering he came very close to asking for his nephew's advice. In an often hateful world, Felix managed to hold on to a measure of innocence. He could still see the beauty in life and thoroughly enjoyed it. Felix didn't have much as a traveling artist and actor, but he seemed more content with life than anyone else in the book.

In sharp contrast to the European siblings are their cousins. First is Eugenia and Felix's uncle, Mr. Wentworth. He was pious and well-respected. He struggled with the knowledge of how his niece and nephew lived and wondered often about the moral aspects. While not a character in the forefront, I believe Mr. Wentworth is an interesting character to study. He had a front-row seat to this comparison of Old World versus New World. Mr. Wentworth wanted earnestly to understand and make a wise decision, but the ideals of the Old World baffled him. I don't find that overly surprising. How would you react to a mere notion of family members suddenly becoming a living reality? All his ideas and imaginings were put to the test. It can be jolting when reality proves one's imaginings to be false. Mr. Wentworth had become used to the way things were. A shake-up of these proportions was a shock. How he reacted is the interesting part. Mr. Wentworth was open to hearing out his niece and nephew. Mr. Wentworth naturally wanted what was best for his newfound family members even if he was uncertain what that would be.

Mr. Wentworth’s three children also give readers plenty to consider. Clifford was Mr. Wentworth's only son and his more troublesome child. Clifford traded the sin of drunkenness for the sin of getting mixed up with married Madame Munster. I won't say that he fell in love because I don't think it is true. Even if Clifford were in love, his behavior said he was too naïve to realize it. There are also Mr. Wentworth's two daughters, Charlotte and Gertrude. Charlotte was very similar to her father. She wavered between dismay and disapproval concerning her cousins. Gertrude, on the other hand, was fascinated by Eugenia and completely dazzled by Felix. She alone amongst her family came to life with the arrival of their visitors.

Finally, there are the Actons, Robert and Lizzie. Robert was the most cosmopolitan of the family. Naturally, he thought he could see straight through Eugenia to her true motives. Madame Munster was a master at weaving a web and Robert was quickly caught in it. Lizzie was impertinent and overly confident. She knew what she thought and, more importantly, what she wanted. Her goal was to marry Clifford and live a successful life as a New England lady. In some ways, I found her annoying. But, I have to respect her drive and strong personality.

           In the end, The Europeans was a lovely short novel that made me smile. The New Englanders tried so hard to hold the traditions passed down from them and uphold a high moral standard, but the Old World had let what was fade into the past. They were somehow more progressive than the New World. I wonder how much of that is true even now. Do we hold to traditions much more tightly than our ancestors? Do we even know why we do the things that we do? I love traditions, but I believe they are useless if we don’t have a reason or meaning behind them. Many of us will be keeping the tradition of having dinner with our families tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Giving our family our time, reflecting on our blessings, and remembering those who came before us are all very good reasons for keeping a tradition. I hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!