Portrait of a Lady

Portrait of a Lady Isabel Archer doesn't go away with Casper Goodwood because it would mean giving up what she values most, her freedom and independence. The very first time we meet Isabel she tells Ralph that "I'm very fond of my liberty" (p. 30) and that she is "not a candidate for adoption" (p. 29). Both of these statements clearly show early on that she is not looking to be tied down at all. She wants …

…experience the life that she could not find in America. At her arrival in Europe, she was immediately experiencing new people and places. She was in a totally different world, where the people valued life, art, and were more civilized. She had finally found a place where she could grow both emotionally and morally. Goodwood's proposal would have taken her away, back to America, where in Isabel's mind there was no more room to grow.