Introduction: “The Real Thing” by Henry James
“The Real Thing” by Henry James, was published in 1892 and garnered immediate acclaim for its insightful exploration of art, class, and the elusive nature of authenticity. Set in London, the story follows an artist who encounters a down-on-their-luck aristocratic couple seeking work as models. Paradoxically, the couple’s supposed ‘realness’ proves a hindrance to the artist’s work. Through subtle irony and nuanced characterization, James critiques the very concept of artistic realism. “The Real Thing” endures as a classic, offering a timeless and thought-provoking commentary on the complexities of representation and perception.
Main Events in “The Real Thing” by Henry James
- Introduction of the Narrator and Hiring the Monarchs:
- The narrator, a writer, hires Mr. and Mrs. Monarch as models for his sketches.
- He admires their genuine appearance and mannerisms.
- The Monarchs’ Struggle:
- Mr. and Mrs. Monarch are struggling artists who need the money from modeling to support themselves.
- Professional Relationship Development:
- The narrator and the Monarchs develop a professional relationship, with the Monarchs posing regularly for various sketches.
- Admiration for Authenticity:
- The narrator is impressed by the Monarchs’ sincerity and authenticity, finding them refreshing compared to other models.
- Introduction to Major and Lady Chasen:
- The narrator introduces the Monarchs to his friend, the painter Major, and his wife, Lady Chasen.
- Skepticism from Major and Lady Chasen:
- Major and Lady Chasen admire the Monarchs’ appearance but are skeptical of their authenticity, suspecting them of putting on airs.
- Hiring by Major for Portrait:
- Major hires the Monarchs to pose for a portrait, intrigued by their appearance but still doubtful of their genuineness.
- Changes in Behavior:
- As the Monarchs adapt to their new environment among Major and Lady Chasen’s social circle, their behavior begins to change.
- Frustration with Lack of Authenticity:
- Major becomes frustrated with the Monarchs’ inability to maintain their authenticity, noticing them adopting artificial behaviors.
- Defense by the Narrator:
- The narrator defends the Monarchs, believing that their genuine nature is what makes them valuable as models, despite Major’s criticisms.
- Departure of the Monarchs:
- Feeling out of place in the sophisticated world of Major and Lady Chasen, the Monarchs eventually leave.
- Reflection by the Narrator:
- The narrator reflects on the difficulty of capturing authenticity in art and the rarity of finding true authenticity in people.
- Continued Search for Authenticity:
- Despite the departure of the Monarchs, the narrator continues to search for subjects who possess the “real thing” in their character.
- Realization of Rarity and Value:
- The story ends with the narrator’s realization that true authenticity is rare and valuable in both art and life, leaving a lasting impact on him.
Literary Devices in “The Real Thing” by Henry James
- Allusion: References to other works of art or literature to create resonance.
- Example: The artist’s mention of Holbein, a famous portraitist, sets a standard of excellence.
- Diction: Intentional word choice to establish tone, character, or theme.
- Example: The Monarchs’ overly refined language (“abjectly,” “conspicuously”) highlights their artificiality.
- Foreshadowing: Hints of events to come, creating suspense or anticipation.
- Example: Early on, the artist notes “something…awkward” in the Monarchs, suggesting their unsuitability.
- Imagery: Vivid descriptions appealing to the senses to create mental pictures.
- Example: “The Major was…tight as a drum,” visually emphasizing his rigid posture.
- Irony: Contradiction between what’s stated and what’s meant, often for humor or critique.
- Example: The Monarchs, supposedly the epitome of class, are financially ruined.
- Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting elements side-by-side for emphasis.
- Example: Miss Churm’s plainness is juxtaposed with Mrs. Monarch’s elaborate appearance, highlighting natural versus constructed beauty.
- Metaphor: An implied comparison between unlike things.
- Example: The art market is called a “great wave of experience,” suggesting its overwhelming nature.
- Motif: A recurring image, symbol, or idea contributing to the theme.
- Example: Clothing as a motif highlights the performance of class and notions of authenticity.
- Paradox: A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
- Example: “They were somehow more real than anything else,” describes Miss Churm and her husband as they excel in portraying an identity not their own.
- Parallelism: Similar grammatical structures to emphasize ideas or create rhythm.
- Example: “She was patient and clear…she was hungry and poor.” Repeating sentence structures highlights Miss Churm’s circumstances.
- Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.
- Example: “The studio…had an embarrassed air,” implies that even inanimate objects sense the awkwardness.
- Point of View: The narrative perspective (in this case, a first-person artist). This shapes how we understand characters and events.
- Example: The artist’s bias is clear – he idealizes certain social types and is frustrated by the Monarchs.
- Satire: Using humor or irony to expose social flaws.
- Example: James satirizes the shallowness of class distinctions and the blindness of the art world.
- Symbolism: Objects or actions representing larger concepts.
- Example: The Monarchs’ increasingly worn-out clothing symbolizes their fading status.
- Tone: The attitude the author conveys towards the subject matter.
- Example: James’ tone wavers between critical, introspective, and occasionally playful.
Characterization in “The Real Thing” by Henry James
Major Characters
- The Narrator/Artist:
- Idealistic: Believes in representing a refined vision of the upper class. (“It was only a question of getting the right people to pose for you”)
- Critical: Judges the Monarchs harshly from the beginning. (“They were somehow not a good imitation”)
- Compromised: Struggles between artistic integrity and the demands of the market. (“I had but to judge… between my old idea and my new”)
- Major and Mrs. Monarch:
- Aristocratic Airs: They project an image of nobility and refinement. (“She carried her three-and-sixpenny cotton gloves with the same grand air as if they had been satin”)
- Impoverished: They are financially desperate, contradicting their social facade. (“Their little house… suggested a pair of polished shoes without socks”)
- Artificial: Their attempts at upper-class behavior come across as stiff and unnatural. (“something awkward in their step and something simpler in their self-control”)
- Miss Churm:
- Plain, working-class: Lacks the external refinement the artist initially desires. (“a freckled cockney”)
- Unstudied Grace: Possesses an innate elegance the Monarchs fail to simulate. (“[She] carried herself with…a noble unconsciousness”)
- Socially Elevates: Gains status through her modeling, blurring the lines she once represented.
Minor Characters
- O’Rourke:
- Italian Servant: Surprisingly adept at performing the role of a gentleman. (“.…O’Rourke, the tobacconist’s infinitely handy Italian.”)
- Social Chameleon: Underscores the performative nature of social class.
- Claude Rivet:
- Fellow artist: Recommends the Monarchs to the narrator, highlighting artists’ need for suitable models.
- Philip Vincent:
- Successful Novelist: The artist is illustrating his works, hinting at the commercial side of art.
Major Themes in “The Real Thing” by Henry James
| Theme | Description | References from the Story |
| The Nature of Authenticity | Questions what makes something or someone ‘real’. Challenges the assumption that authenticity resides in social status or external appearances. | * The Monarchs’ aristocratic lineage doesn’t equate to natural grace. (“They weren’t natural.”) <br> * Miss Churm, from a humble background, embodies a more genuine elegance. (“She was absolutely, divinely real.”) |
| The Illusion of Class | Critiques the arbitrary nature of class distinctions. Exposes how easily external markers of class can be imitated, and how genuine qualities transcend social standing. | * The poverty-stricken Monarchs cling to outdated notions of class. (“I give you my word of honor as a gentleman…my wife was the daughter of a general.”) <br> * O’Rourke, the servant, outperforms the ‘real’ aristocrats in his portrayal of a gentleman. |
| Art vs. Commerce | Explores the tension between artistic ideals and the demands of the marketplace. Questions whether true artistic expression can survive commercial pressures. | * The artist initially seeks authentic models for his work. (“I was in want of types.”) <br> * He compromises by using the popular but less ‘real’ Miss Churm. (“It was not my ideal, but it was my material.”) |
| Representation and Reality | Examines the ability of art to capture genuine essence. The story questions whether representation inherently alters or diminishes what is being depicted. | * The artist struggles to portray his idealized vision on canvas. (“‘I only want the real thing!'”) <br> * Paintings are ultimately seen as a ‘substitute’ for the real models. (“a clever counterfeit”) |
Writing Style in “The Real Thing” by Henry James
- Complex Sentence Structures:
James employs elaborate sentences with multiple clauses and phrases.
Example: “It was all as clear as day, they couldn’t give me what I wanted, and I didn’t want what they could give.”
- Intricate Syntax: Uses unusual word order and grammatical constructions.
Example: “Awkwardness of their having walked straight into the studio without a preliminary introduction.”
- Sophisticated Diction: Utilizes a rich vocabulary, including uncommon or archaic words.
Example: “She carried her three-and-sixpenny cotton gloves with the same grand air as if they had been satin and her jacket with the same ampleness as if it had been fur.”
- Focus on Psychological Realism: Delves into the characters’ inner thoughts, motivations, and anxieties.
Example: [The artist reflects] “I should probably have been more tactful if it hadn’t been for my conviction that my time was short.”
- Formal Third-Person Narration: The narrator’s voice is sophisticated and detached, providing detailed commentary.
Example: “They were horribly poor, and the Major was altogether a ruin of a gentleman…”
- Emphasis on Subtlety and Nuance: Reveals meaning through indirect suggestions, dialogue, and subtext.
Example: The repeated description of the Monarchs’ clothing subtly hints at their declining fortunes.
- Use of Irony: Creates contrasts between what’s explicitly stated and what’s actually implied.
Example: The Monarchs, despite being genuine aristocrats, fail to embody the upper-class image.
Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Real Thing” by Henry James
| Literary Theory | Focus of Analysis | Potential Application to “The Real Thing” |
| Marxist Criticism | Socioeconomic structures, power dynamics, and class struggle. | Examines the arbitrary nature of class distinctions and the commodification of art. Considers how the Monarchs’ economic precarity exposes the artificiality of social hierarchy. |
| Feminist Criticism | Gender roles, representations of women, and the patriarchal structures shaping their lives. | Analyzes Mrs. Monarch’s limited agency within societal expectations and Miss Churm’s complex position as both empowered model and objectified subject. |
| Psychoanalytic Criticism | Unconscious desires, motivations, and the psychological underpinnings of characters’ actions. | Explores the artist’s obsession with ideal forms as potentially revealing inner insecurities or repressed desires. Examines how characters like the Monarchs may project manufactured identities to mask their true selves. |
| Deconstructionism | Instability of meaning, internal contradictions, and ambiguities within the text. | Challenges the concept of “authenticity” as a fixed notion, revealing its constructed nature. Highlights the ironic success of “impostors” like Miss Churm and O’Rourke in representing social ideals. |
| New Historicism | Cultural, social, and historical context surrounding the work’s creation. | Considers Victorian preoccupation with class and appearances, and how James critiques these societal fixations. Examines the changing role of art and the influence of commercialization during this period. |
Questions and Thesis Statements about “The Real Thing” by Henry James
Topics
- The Nature of Authenticity
- Artificiality of Social Class
- The Tension Between Art and Commerce
- Representation vs. Reality
- Performance of Identity
Questions
- How does James critique Victorian class structures and notions of authenticity?
- Does “The Real Thing” endorse an idealized artistic vision, or ultimately acknowledge its impossibility?
- In what ways do characters like Miss Churm challenge or reinforce traditional representations of women?
- To what extent does the portrayal of O’Rourke subvert expectations based on class and nationality?
- How does James use irony to expose the contradictions inherent in seeking the ‘real’?
Thesis Statements
- Henry James’ “The Real Thing” unravels the performative nature of social class, revealing that external appearance often contradicts lived experience.
- In “The Real Thing,” James highlights the tension between artistic ideals and commercial necessity, challenging the notion of purely uncompromised artistic expression.
- Through the characters of Miss Churm and O’Rourke, “The Real Thing” explores the fluidity of identity, suggesting that authentic representation can be achieved through unexpected and even artificial means.
- By juxtaposing “real” aristocrats with their more successful imitators, James’ “The Real Thing” critiques the arbitrary nature of authenticity, forcing readers to question who, or what, embodies the true ideal.
- Henry James’ use of irony and ambiguity in “The Real Thing” leaves the reader questioning the very concept of reality in art, suggesting it exists on a continuum between authentic inspiration and constructed representation.
Short Question-Answers about “The Real Thing” by Henry James
| Question | Answer |
| What is the artist’s initial goal? | The artist seeks to capture the essence of the upper class in his illustrations, motivated by a belief in an idealized form of reality. As he states, “I was…in want of types…my studio seemed a hundred miles away.” His focus on “types” rather than individuals emphasizes this pursuit of an ideal. |
| How do the Monarchs fail him? | While the Monarchs possess genuine aristocratic backgrounds, they fail to embody the grace and refinement the artist desires. Their projected nobility appears stiff and artificial, with “something awkward in their movement and something squeezed in their figures and faces.” |
| Why is Miss Churm successful? | Miss Churm, despite her plain appearance, possesses a natural elegance and composure that far surpass the forced refinement of the Monarchs. She embodies “a natural harmony of pose, points, and persuasion,” making her a far more convincing model than those whose class status is more obvious. |
| What is the central irony of the story? | The “imposters” (Miss Churm and O’Rourke) prove far more adept at representing aristocracy than the actual aristocrats (the Monarchs). This irony reveals the performative nature of social class and challenges the very notion of “authenticity,” suggesting that “they were somehow more real than anything else.” |
Literary Works Similar to “The Real Thing” by Henry James
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:
· Explores the intertwined themes of beauty, artifice, and the complex relationship between art and reality. Thematically parallels “The Real Thing” as both works question how external representations can create a deceptive facade and manipulate perceptions of the ‘real’.
· Washington Square by Henry James:
- Features characters who navigate the complexities of social class and confront societal expectations of authenticity. Catherine Sloper’s struggles reflect those of the Monarchs, as both are constrained by perceived social roles that clash with their lived experiences.
· The Turn of the Screw by Henry James:
- Shares a focus on ambiguity, challenging the reader’s grasp of reality and perception. Like the artist’s skewed view of his models in “The Real Thing,” the governess’s interpretation of events in “The Turn of the Screw” remains suspect.
· Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw:
- Examines ideas of social transformation and performativity. Eliza Doolittle’s journey in “Pygmalion” mirrors the trajectory of Miss Churm; both are molded to conform to higher social expectations, raising questions about the authenticity of such constructed identities.
Suggested Readings: “The Real Thing” by Henry James
Scholarly Articles
- Beer, Gillian. “Limited Engagements: The Representation of Work in ‘The Real Thing.'” The Henry James Review, vol. 10, no. 1, 1989, pp. 1-10. JSTOR.
- Bogardus, Ralph F. “The Real Thing and a Change.” The Henry James Review, vol. 7, no. 1, 1985, pp. 25-32. JSTOR.
- Freedman, Jonathan. “The Decomposition of the Image.” The Cambridge Companion to Henry James, edited by Jonathan Freedman, Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 71–93.
Books
- Gale, Robert. A Henry James Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press, 1999. (Provides key information and analyses of many James texts, including “The Real Thing”.)
- Rowe, John Carlos. The Theoretical Dimensions of Henry James. University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. (Includes chapters applying theoretical lenses to James’s work.)
Websites
- The Henry James Scholar’s Guide: [invalid URL removed]. (Offers resources, bibliographies, and essays relating to James.)
- The Victorian Web: http://www.victorianweb.org/. (Provides context on Victorian literature and culture, relevant to James’ work.)
