Henry James
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Major Issues Major IssuesExpatriatism was the central theme of both Henry James’ life and his major literary works. His portrayal of naïve Americans encountering sophisticated European culture and society has been studied by many critics. Scholars have been particularly interested in James’ development and employment of the "reflector" in his writing, that is, the focalization of the narrative through one central character, but with 3rd person narration. The reader then sees all the action through this character’s eyes and consciousness. This technique has contributed to James’ work being labelled both realist and impressionist. It also creates the sense that the characters’ responses to events are more important than the events themselves. It has been noted that dialogue, likewise, is privileged over action in James’ writing. He is credited with shifting the focus of fiction from external to internal representation. James’ convoluted syntax and dense, abstract style has been remarked on by both critics and sometimes frustrated readers. Author LinksScholars’ Guide
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