The Chaperon by Henry James (1905)
A young American woman travels to Europe with her aunt and cousin, where she becomes embroiled in a complicated love affair with a wealthy and charming man who is already engaged to be married. As the story unfolds, the woman's relationships with her family members are revealed to be complex and fraught, and she must navigate the societal expectations placed upon her while also confronting her own desires and values.
By Henry James · First published 1905 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Psychological Fiction · 22,882 words
First lines
AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees. She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind. She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them. What she really saw was quite another train of affairs. The room was spacious and dim; the thick London fog had oozed into it even through its superior defences. It was full of dusky, massive, valuable things. The old lady sat motionless save for the regularity of her clicking needles, which seemed as personal to her and as expressive as prolonged fingers. If she was thinking something out, she was thinking it thoroughly.
What this Textopian page supports
The Chaperon is listed on Textopian as a novella by Henry James, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Henry James
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Psychological Fiction, Romance
- Length: 22,882 words
- Structure: 1 section, 274 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Chaperon by Henry James
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Chaperon?
- How does this novella by Henry James fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Nona Vincent by Henry James
- The Pitfall by Mary Cholmondeley
- Mother And Daughter by Guy De Maupassant
- Eugene Pickering by Henry James
- The Marriages by Henry James
- My Distant Relative by John Galsworthy
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The narrative style and character exploration are characteristic of literary fiction.
- Social Commentary — The story critiques societal norms and expectations, particularly regarding gender roles.
- Psychological Fiction — The focus on the internal thoughts and motivations of characters aligns with psychological fiction.
- Romance — Elements of romantic relationships are present, though not the primary focus.
Tags
Psychological Fiction · Social Commentary · Realism · Philosophical Themes · Morality · Ethics · Class Conflict · Societal Hierarchy · Marriage · Love · Deception · Appearance vs Reality