The Bostonians: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Bostonians" is a novel by Henry James that delves into the complex dynamics of the women's suffrage movement in the late 19th century through its major characters. Olive Chancellor embodies the Boston lady, passionately advocating for women's rights but often engaging in misguided efforts. Her sister, Adeline Luna, represents a contrasting perspective, rejecting the notion of the "new woman" and embracing a more traditional role. Basil Random, Olive's cousin from Mississippi, finds himself enchanted by Verena Tarrant, Olive's protégée, who is initially groomed for activism but is ultimately swayed by Basil's charm to marry him instead. The character of Selah Tarrant, Verena's father, adds a layer of complexity with his dubious profession as a mesmeric healer.
Other notable characters include Miss Birdseye, an elderly reformer whose sincerity does not translate into effectiveness, and Dr. Prance, a pragmatic physician whose contributions quietly advance women's rights beyond the suffragist activities. The interactions between these characters highlight varying attitudes toward gender roles and societal expectations. Through these portrayals, the novel examines themes of ambition, manipulation, and the struggle for autonomy within a patriarchal society, inviting readers to reflect on the historical context and its relevance to contemporary discussions on feminism and social reform.
The Bostonians: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Henry James
First published: serial, 1885–1886; book, 1886
Genre: Novel
Locale: Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: Early 1870's
Olive Chancellor, the portrait of the Boston lady. She is won over to the cause of the suffragists but exercises poor taste in attempting to accomplish their goals.
Adeline Luna, her sister. She is a worldly woman who does not subscribe to the concept of the “new woman.”
Basil Random, her cousin from Mississippi. A lawyer practicing in New York City, he falls in love with Verena Tarrant's voice, if not her ideas, and is able to persuade her to marry him. He believes that people must excel within their appointed stations in society.
Verena Tarrant, Olive's protégée. An attractive young woman, Verena possesses few ideas of her own but is groomed for the cause of the woman suffrage movement. She is saved from this fate, however, by Basil Random, who carries her off to Mississippi as his bride.
Selah Tarrant, Verena's father, a fake mesmeric healer.
Mrs. Tarrant, Verena's mother. She is the daughter of Boston abolitionists.
Miss Birdseye, an eighty-year-old reformer who is both sincere and ineffectual. Henry James's favorite character, she dies believing that Basil Random has been persuaded of the need for a women's movement.
Dr. Prance, a woman who is a true doctor and who, in her real and practical way, is doing more for the women's rights movement than the suffragists.
Mrs. Burrage, a New York society hostess.
Henry Burrage, her son, a Harvard undergraduate who courts Verena.
Mrs. Farrinder, a suffragist campaigner who is suspicious of Tarrant.