Henry James, "Washington Square" (60-130)

Henry James’ American novel “Washington Square” tells the story of Dr. Sloper and his family as they steer through their disagreements and differences. In the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the family background and the individual characters such as Catherine, Lavinia Penniman, Mrs. Almond,  Morris Townsend and Dr. Austin Sloper himself who all play a major role in developing the dramatic plot. Then, between chapters 11-23, we see the plot develop more with melodramatic elements as James dives into the family conflicts, betrayal, and struggles for each character. 

            This section presents Catherine, daughter of Dr. Sloper, who expresses her interest in marrying Morris Townsend, a young impoverished man, to her father.  Catherine, raised mainly by her aunt Lavinia, has gained reputation through her father’s reputation and will be expected to inherit her father’s fortune.  As a result, Dr. Sloper, who has always thought of his daughter as dull, not clever, and submissive, feels apprehensive towards Morris’ affection for Catherine and attempts to target his underlying intentions. It is evident Dr. Sloper is cautious about marrying his daughter off to someone who just wants her for her future fortune but at the same time he struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with his daughter.  In this situation, we see Catherine grow up a little and branch into adulthood. She abuses her freedom to pick a husband and gets engaged with Morris without consultation. As such, we see a conflict develop between her and her father for the first time as Dr. Sloper puts their relationship on the line, as he demands her not to marry Morris.  He threatens to disown Catherine and forbid any inheritance. He goes at length to prevent the marriage by manipulating Morris’ sister Mrs. Montgomery opinion and also forbidding any betrayal from his fellow sisters in the house, particularly Mrs. Penniman, who appears to side with the marriage.

            Evidently, one of he major melodramatic aspects presented in the conflict is the tension and betrayal occurring at hand. Catherine juggles choosing between family vs. romance, a moral dualism we have established in the beginning. While she has always been respectful and admirable of her father, she slowly branches from her norm as she seriously considers choosing between her father and Morris. She uses patience, in the form of quietness, as a weapon, which builds the tension between the father-daughter relationships. The element of betrayal also presents itself, contributing to the melodramatic effect. Dr. Sloper manipulates Mrs. Montgomery with his words and convinces her that Morris is not right for Catherine. As a result, Mrs. Montgomery ends up betraying Morris. Subsequently, Mrs. Penniman betrays Dr. Sloper by going behind his back and encouraging Morris to more forward with their marriage at all cost. The sibling relationship begins to tumble into flames with Dr. Sloper’s violent and oppressive nature. It is clear that his behavior acts as a destructive force that could ultimately sever all his family bonds, Yet, he still insists on continuing with his tyrannical and fearful nature to his advantage to keep people in check. The section ends with Dr. Sloper planning to take Catherine on a trip to Europe to delay the marriage, but we see Catherine remains adamant about her feelings. The familial tension and betrayal continues to unfold as the story proceeds. The irony that follows develops the drama as the characters end up falling at the hands of their own weapons.