Outward Action versus Inward Meditation

Outward Action versus Inward Meditation

In the American summer resort, in the month of June, there have been always nice features among whom we have Daisy Miller. She was a young American girl who always " appeared to be in the best humor with everything ".

She was a representative of American girls in the strict society of Europe, where firm customs would make people behave opposing to their inner feelings.

Vevey, the summer resort, is a mixture of American and European cultures where Winterbourne, found the best conditions to talk to a young unmarried lady, while he would not find it anytime in Geneva where he had lived too long to get the routine ethnicities. Unlike Daisy Miller who is a carefree pretty girl, winterbourne never acts on his impulses. He would prefer to evaluate his desires rather than act autonomously. Thus he is incapable of seeing the real Daisy.

English: Second preliminary session of the World S...

Daisy Miller

Daisy Miller (1974 film)

Instead of understanding her, he tries to understand why society-if there was any- and his aunt do not approve Daisy's behaviors. Daisy's outward actions give the idea that "this young lady is pretty, but very common, who has also an intimacy with her mamma's courier " regarding Mrs. Costello's ideas about her. This old woman often intimated that if she didn't suffer from terrible headaches, she would have made a deeper impact on her society, yet she is not the only one who doesn't approve of Daisy's manners; we have Mrs. Walker who is devoted to the customs of Europe and believes Daisy is ruining herself by doing whatever that was not done there. Flirting, dancing and receiving visits at eleven o'clock at night.

Even Winterbourne wonders "whether Daisy's defiance came from the consciousness of innocence or from her being essentially, a young person of the...