This is my
summary post of The Portrait of A Lady, as part of the tasks inquired for my The Well-Educated Mind Self Project. There are still 40 more chapters of it,
which I will post in the next three summary posts.
Chapter 1
Introducing
old Mr. Touchett, an American wealthy banker with an unhappy marriage to Lydia
Touchett—an independent old woman; they had a son—Ralph Touchett—a sickly,
unattractive in appearance but clever young man, who had a friend—Lord
Warburton—a charming but arrogant young man. The Touchetts lived in a beautiful
Tudor old house near London, and the father and son were now waiting for the
mother to come home with her unknown niece from America.
Chapter 2
The niece
was Isabel Archer—a beautiful, self-esteemed, independent young woman. Both
Ralph Touchett and Lord Warburton seemed to be attracted to her on the day she
arrived.
Chapter 3
Isabel had grown
up and got her intellectual education from books in her grandmother’s big
house. After her father’s death, Mrs. Touchett visited her, and both aunt and
niece came to respect each other because they had similar bluntness and
independent minds.
Chapter 4
People had
always thought Isabel as natural and too clever as a woman. A young man called
Caspar Goodwood—her suitor—came to propose a more fruitful relationship, but
Isabel—who was then eager to have a new beginning—disappointed him.
Chapter 5
Ralph
greatly admired his father. He had had a promising life before his health
betrayed him and forced him to stay in Gardencourt (The Touchetts house). When
Ralph thought his life won’t last long, he became interested in Isabel and
observing her unique characters.
Chapter 6
Isabel was
always thirst of knowledge, but lacked of the real knowledge of humans
sufferings, as she had always been fortunate since she was a child. Isabel has
then grown up as a self-centered woman.
Chapter 7
Ralph liked
Isabel’s company because she enlightened his burdened days; he feared of losing
his father, whose health had been down lately. Ralph observed his feelings
towards Isabel, and decided that it’s not love. Meanwhile Lord Warburton paid a
visit to Gardencourt for three days and made Isabel liked him very much.
Chapter 8
Isabel
visited Lockleigh—Lord Warburton residence—and have discussion over their
countries and politics with the Lord. In Ralph’s and his father’s opinion,
Warburton was inconsistent; he wanted to have a reformation, yet didn’t want to
lose his land. As Mr. Touchett had once warned Warburton not to fall in love
with his niece, he warned Isabel the same thing too.
Chapter 9
Isabel got
acquainted with Lord Warburton’s siblings; both his sisters were typical
English women with their shyness and passive manners. Warburton would like to get
to a higher stage in his relationship with Isabel, but Isabel insisted that her
aunt will take her to visit other countries abroad.
Chapter 10
Isabel’s
female American journalist friend came to visit Gardencourt. Henrietta
Stackpole thought Ralph was rough and indifferent; while Ralph had
misinterpreted Henrietta of proposing him a marriage—which he declined and made
Henrietta angry.
Chapter 11
Miss
Stackpole despised Mrs. Touchett as much as the hostess disliked her guest; but
on top of it, they disliked each other’s country. Caspar Goodwood came to
England to change Isabel’s mind, who then rejected him.
Chapter 12
At the same
time Lord Warburton was proposing Isabel to marry him. Isabel admitted that she
liked him very much, but still, she wasn’t ready for matrimonial life; although
she had not quite sure yet what she wanted exactly.
Chapter 13
With Caspar
Goodwood—a cotton businessman—Isabel felt he was too dominant for her, and she
did not love him anyway. Isabel wrote a refusing letter to Lord Warburton,
while Henrietta—who was concerned about Isabel’s personality change—asked Ralph
to invite Goodwood to Gardencourt, which Goodwood rejected. Henrietta, Isabel
and Ralph then planned an excursion to London.
Chapter 14
When Lord
Warburton asked Isabel why she rejected him, she answered that she did not want
to end like ordinary English women without chance to see more from life; she
haven’t been ready yet to give up her freedom.
Chapter 15
In London
the two cousins fell in serious conversation from which they came to a
realization of what Isabel had been wanting for her future, which made her
rejected the idea of marriage. As Ralph said to Isabel: “The world interests
you and you want to throw yourself into it.”
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