Innocent Daisy Miller

In Webster’s New World College Dictionary, innocence is defined as a very naïve or simpleminded person. In Henry James,’ Daisy Miller: A Study, young Daisy Miller is very innocent girl. She is an American girl traveling in Europe with her mother, brother, and her brother’s teacher trying to fit in with the European culture. She meets a man named Frederick Winterbourne, narrator, who is born in America, but grows up in Europe. …

…is not told. It is not fair to judge her based on Winterbourne’s study and therefore it is not right to make the assumption she is a terrible person. In Henry James’ story, “Daisy Miller: A Study,” Daisy is an innocent young American girl despite the perception portrayed by the narrator, Winterbourne. She is completely naïve that she is doing anything wrong because she is a simple-minded girl having fun in her youth.