Gertrude

Henry James, the author of The Europeans, portrays Gertrude Wentworth as an innocent woman who yearns to lash out and be rambunctious. When Gertrude is first introduced, most of the characteristics are physical. Gertrude is about twenty-two in age, bareheaded, tall, pale, thin, and awkward. It is clear that Gertrude is not the prettiest person to look at, and that her eyes were dark, dull, and restless. Gertrude is also placed in a garden, which …

…Gertrude becomes restless because of the environment in which she lives. When talking to her father about marrying Felix, Gertrude wants to be able to make her own decisions and to be independent. When sharing opinions about what is best for the future, Gertrude says, “Why discuss it? Leave it to me.” In the end Gertrude’s character was able to transform into a self-reliant person and she got what she wanted, to marry Felix.