Book analysis of Washington Square; Jane Austen.

Henry James, in Washington Square, provides a direct challenge to our preconceived notions of the novel of manners, notably through his chosen ending for the novella. After developing an idea about these principles through the works of Jane Austen, the reader may reasonably go into James's story with an expectation of a bright finish - but he refuses to conform his work to meet these hopes. With the conclusion of Washington Square, James impedes both …

…of freedom gained by the character of Miss Tina. In this manner, James challenges the conventionality of the genre's typical ending while presenting his own example as a resolution. By impeding the reader's preconceived routes of how romance and justice should operate, he compels the audience to realize a heightened degree of realism. James forces not only the reader, but also the novel of manners as a whole, to redefine the boundaries of the genre.