China Nights

China Nights

What is China Nights about? 

Directed by Osamu Fushimizu in 1940, China Nights is a Japanese wartime propaganda film about a Japanese soldier named Hase who finds Keiran, an anti-Japanese orphan, in occupied China and allows her to stay him. It is revealed that her family was killed and her home destroyed by the Japanese. She has trouble fitting in with the Japanese community, and many of Hase's Japanese friends and family members are upset that she is uncooperative. This conflict reaches a head when Hase slaps her, which ends up making her fall in love with him.

In part 2 of the film, Keiran and Hase get married, and their romance is explored. Keiran is finally accepted by the Japanese community as she assimilates more to Japanese culture. Hase goes back to fight in the war against the Chinese, and Keiran worries for him. She is then told that he has died at war. She is devastated, and almost commits suicide.

How is this film melodramatic?

This film is different from the others we watched because it is pushing an overt political agenda that is hard to ignore, and makes it hard to look at it as a standalone story. Although there are many moments in the film that are very melodramatic, they are used to enhance the propaganda.

The theme of a forbidden romance between two lovers from different worlds, and the way class differences play into this, is a melodramatic trope that is definitely present in this film. In this case, the difference in class is not only due to socioeconomic status but also ethnicity. Keiran, as a Chinese girl, is not accepted by the Japanese and only becomes a part of the community when she falls in love with Hase and wholeheartedly accepts the Japanese way of life. We see a more complex version of the social hierarchy we see in films like Mother's Melody or Golden Demon. In this case, the melodramatic trope is used not only to heighten the drama but to push an agenda. By presenting this story, the film is intending to show the audience that assimilation to Japanese culture is necessary. It is advocating for better Sino-Japanese relations, but only on the pretext that the Chinese conform to Japanese standards. Melodramatic themes exist, but are only used as vehicles to promote a different kind of messaging.

One scene that makes the message behind the movie glaringly obvious is the scene in which Toshiko talks to Keiran about her brother's death. She finds Keiran out in the ruins of a house and asks what she is doing there. Keiran says that these are the ruins of her house, and reveals that her parents were killed and her house demolished by the Japanese. This is why she holds a grudge against the Japanese. Toshiko reveals to her that her brother died in the war as well, but that she does not hold any grudge against the Chinese. She says, "I believe those killed gave up their lives for the peace of both nations. That's why I can bear this sadness." This is a common melodramatic trope of a big reveal that explains the protagonist's tragic backstory and grief. Toshiko then reveals her own grief. In this situation, though, this exchange of tragic stories is presented to make a point. These two experiences are equated, and the idea is that both sides of the war are making sacrifices so that peace can be achieved. Toshiko's statement is framed as the "correct" way to think about this pain, and the statement is basically fed directly to the audience. The melodrama is used for the purposes of promoting this message, and it takes us out of the story a bit.

The second half of the movie is melodramatic in a much more traditional way. It is essentially the story of a woman who waits for her husband to come back from war, thinks that her husband has died, but then is saved when it turns out that he is not. It is very much in line with the traditional melodramatic format of forced drama coming out of misunderstandings and circumstance. However, this too is all tinged with Japanese propaganda. The war is glorified, and Hase is framed as a hero for his role as a soldier. Keiran has now completely assimilated to Japanese culture and fully accepts the war, and she is framed as a better woman for it.

For these reasons, I do not believe China Nights can be categorized as a true melodrama. It does have many melodramatic elements, story structures, and themes, but these elements are never there purely to heighten the drama or progress the story. The melodrama is secondary to the political messaging and allegorical nature of the film, and it takes the focus away from the story.

Other Notes

This movie is notable for the controversy it caused as a result of its depiction of Sino-Japanese relations. Chinese viewers were offended because they felt as though Keiran was depicted as inferior or primitive in the beginning, and only becomes a "good" character when she is exposed to Japanese culture. They also felt as though the slap of the Chinese woman by a Japanese man, which resulted in the Chinese woman falling in love, was metaphorical of a physical submission of the Chinese by the Japanese. Although the film advocates for peace and cooperation between the two cultures, it does so in a very one-sided way, emphasizing Japanese culture as superior and implying that the Chinese should conform to their culture.

The movie is also notable because of the lead actress, Yoshiko Yamaguchi. She was a Chinese-born Japanese actress that had a successful career in both China and Japan. She did not reveal her Japanese heritage until after the war, which means that she was presumed to be fully Chinese in both ethnicity and cultural background at the time that this film was released. She was heavily criticized by Chinese audiences because of her involvement with China Nights for its offensive depiction of Chinese characters, and actually apologized to a group of Chinese reporters for being a part of it. She was an object of criticism from both Japan and China for not fully being a part of either culture, and has a rather tragic and melodramatic life of her own. It is interesting to see the ways in which Keiran's problems as a character are mirrored in Yamaguchi's own life.

Haha no Kyoku: A Japanese Take on American Melodrama

Summary:

“Haha no Kyoku”/” 母の曲” (“Mother’s Melody”) is a melodramatic film from 1937 directed by Satsuo Yamamoto. A Japanese re-imagining of American film “Stella Dallas”, “Mother’s Melody” is a story about status, family, and motherhood. It centers around the Hatano family whose patriarch’s position and subsequent promotion has lifted them up in status and put his previously low-class wife, Oine into an entirely new social setting that she was all-together unprepared to adapt to. Their daughter Keiko – a girl gifted who quite easily fits within the world of the upper class.

Problems begin to appear when Junkichi – head of the Hatano household – reunites with a former lover turned world-class pianist Kaoru Fujinami while with Keiko on a trip to the mountains. Drama mounts further when Oine happens to encounter an old acquaintance named Ryusaku one day while walking. However, whether or not Ryusaku has a good reputation aside, Oine’s interactions with him inadvertently lead to Keiko’s reputation souring – a result of the gossip that came from Oine’s actions. This culminates in Keiko’s friends abandoning her on her birthday, and further berating her at school, though not elaborating on why. That same day, Keiko meets Ryusaku for the first and only time at her home. Appearing to identify exactly what her former friends meant, she tells him very curtly to leave and never to return.

This scene is followed by another trip to the mountains with Oine accompanying Keiko instead of Junkichi. Oine has the opportunity to talk with Kaoru, and they discuss Keiko. Meanwhile, Keiko is spending time with other youths who have come to this mountain retreat. They ask Keiko to invite her mother to their dinner, but Oine – overwhelmed with it all – frantically declines her daughter’s invitation by saying she is not fit for such things, much to the amusement of the other women present. Except for Kaoru, who excuses herself from the group to console Oine.

Shortly after returning, Oine is given news that she will be separated from Junkichi. She comes to the conclusion that it is better for everyone if she was not around. Following this, she entreats Kaoru to take care of Keiko in her stead since she is a woman of status who Keiko might be better off with. After tricking Keiko into believing she is with Ryusaku, Kaoru and Junkichi take care of Keiko full time. The film ends with Oine observing Keiko’s growth into a woman from the shadows, watching her wedding from a distance.


Themes:

Class:

A theme prevalent throughout “Haha no Kyoku” is social class. That is, the different interactions between classes, and the implications a character’s given social class has for the things that happen to them within the film.

For example, Oine is born into a lower class than her husband Junkichi. Despite her marriage, she is never seen as having risen in status. She is mocked throughout the movie by women who should by all measures be her peers for being unable to act in a way consistent with women of her rank no matter how much effort she puts forth. This isolation from high-society women is likely what leads her to value her friendship with Ryusaku. Though not a primary character, Ryusaku too suffers to an extent from his class. While we the viewers are left unaware of if he has a bad reputation or not, from his introduction he is an object of disdain by at least one woman. Subsequently, Oine’s reconnecting with Ryusaku is what further worsens her opinion among the other women – creating a negative feedback loop that sees her rely on Ryusaku for any form of companionship and in turn pushing her further away from other women of her status. By the end of the film, the only friends that Oine has are Kaoru and Keiko. The former being the object of her ex-husband’s affection, and the latter being her own daughter.

Keiko is the only other character who receives as much attention as Oine does. Keiko transiently exists within the spheres of both the rich and the poor as a result of her birth. However, her class is only of import when viewed in relation to Oine. Keiko’s character arguably suffers more as a result of her mother’s inability to adapt to her new status. All of Keiko’s hurt comes directly from her mother, which as stated stems from Oine’s lowborn status. However, unlike Oine, Keiko eventually rises out of the low class influence she inherits from her mother when she comes under Kaoru’s care. In being adopted by Kaoru she effectively sheds any connection she might have had to her trueborn mother’s place in society. From here, she excels and becomes a true member of high society with her marriage.

Parent-Child Conflict:

Parent-child conflict/struggle are a frequent feature within melodramatic fiction, and "Haha no Kyoku" also has this trope to an extent, although it is not particularly salient when compared to other contemporary melodramatic works.

Keiko and Oine are throughout the movie seen as being close. Keiko very clearly thinks highly of her mother as evidenced by her use of the -sama honorific when addressing her. Up until Oine begins fraternizing with Ryusaku, the two are shown to be an idyllic mother-daughter pair. It could be argued that the movie's primary plot is motivated by their conflict of interest, which is dramatic in and of itself. Oine's desires at the beginning of the film stem from her inability to integrate herself within high-society (while later it becomes her desire to see Keiko succeed), Keiko's wants are similar in that she wants to be accepted among her peers. While Keiko is already accepted among her classmates, her mother's longing for companionship creates strife between both Keiko and her friends, and Keiko and Oine.

This conflict reaches its head when Keiko comes home from school after being berated by her former friends for some unspoken thing her mother has done. Upon arriving and seeing Ryusaku, she concludes quickly what has occurred. Oine's pleas to Keiko to speak with Ryusaku are peppered with such things like, "He isn't a bad guy!" and, "He's brought gifts!". Ultimately, she concedes to her daughter's wishes to not meet Ryusaku, and moves the plot into its second movement wherein Keiko deigns to give Keiko up so she might have a better life.



Other Notes:

"Haha no Kyoku" is based on an American silent film called "Stella Dallas". The parallel and inspiration are very apparent on viewing both. Both are about mothers from poor backgrounds marrying into the upper class and being unable to adjust "properly" to their new environment, both have family patriarchs rekindle their feelings for a past lover, and both have mothers give up their child for the child's sake. These are but a few examples that are easily identifiable, though there exist more -- even whole scenes are replicated.

There are differences, however, and these differences reflect cultural differences between the two countries where the movies were made. These differences are most clearly seen in the two protagonists Stella and Oine respectively. Stella is loud, boisterous, and free-spirited as is typical of younger women in her time. It is precisely because of her personality that she finds herself caught up with the kinds of people that sour her relationship with her husband. Conversely, Oine is substantially more modest and meek. Her circumstances are arguably not even her own fault but more the fault of the women she finds herself compared to.

Broken Blossoms

Broken Blossoms (1919) dir. D.W. Griffith

Broken Blossoms, a 1919 film directed by D.W. Griffith, tells the story of an unlikely platonic romance between a beautiful but abused girl Lucy (Lilian Gish) and the kindhearted but discriminated Chinaman Cheng Huan, or the Yellow Man (Richard Barthelmess). Lucy’s father, Battling Burrows (Donald Crisp) is an alcoholic prize-fighter. Lucy and The Yellow Man find comfort in each other, but when Battling finds out Lucy’s whereabouts, the story takes a violent turn and end in death and suicide.

The film is described by many as a “melodrama,” especially in relation to Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916). In contrast to these two historical epics, Broken Blossoms is a much more intimate, tragic romantic drama, and it adheres to the general definition of melodrama in a number of ways.

First of all, the narrative features vividly archetypical characters: Lucy, the frail, innocent, beautiful damsel; the Yellow Man, the exotic, religious Chinaman who resorts to opium; Battling, the vulgar, alcoholic father of the damsel. For the most part, these three main characters are pretty flat throughout the story. There is simply nothing likable about Battling and it’s also impossible to dislike Lucy. The Yellow Man is also a character who one can easily sympathize with. This polarization of good and evil brings to mind Peter Brook’s initial definition of melodrama: “it seemed, in fact, to be staging a heightened and hyperbolic drama, making reference to pure and polar concepts of darkness and light, salvation and damnation.” In the film, it is clear that both Lucy and the Yellow Man are “damned” and they become each other’s “salvation.” One interesting thing to note: in Catherine Russell’s “Melodrama and Asian Cinema” she mentions that “the goal of egolessness, associated with Zen aesthetics, becomes melodramatic when it is narrativized within a discourse of history.” This can definitely be seen in the character of the Yellow Man, especially when he enters a foreign land as the selfless (and sexless) preacher of Buddhism.

In what ways are they damned? Lucy is brutalized by her father, and the Yellow Man suffers from discrimination and is disillusioned by how his dream to “take the glorious message of peace to the barbarous Anglo-Saxons” is shattered. In “Tales of Sound and Fury,” Thomas Elsaesser mentions how “Griffith tailored ideological conflicts into emotionally loaded family situations.” The ideological conflicts presented in Broken Blossoms concern racism, and societal issues such as alcoholism, child/domestic abuse are also the primary sources of tension. The final blow of violence occurs with Battling’s discovery of Lucy taking sanctuary at the Yellow Man’s shop, which is charged by racism (“You! With a dirty Chink!”). The violence Battling inflicts on Lucy as her father, and the Yellow Man’s intervention of the operations of this dysfunctional “family” become highly emotionally charged as Lucy is too pure of a girl to abandon her father or to fight back, which heightens the tragic and melodramatic quality of the situation. The intense, clear-cut dichotomy of “the ethical” and “the unethical” of the two sides of ideological conflicts points to Peter Brooks’ idea of the “moral occult; the domain of operative spiritual values which is both indicated within and masked by the surface of reality”; it becomes especially noticeable in melodrama as the moral and the immoral are usually not at all subtle, just like in Broken Blossoms.

(The depiction of racism in the film is rather ironic, as the film itself is arguably racist since it plays on the stigma/stereotype of the Chinese opium addict and the weak Buddhist preacher, and the fact that a Chinese character is portrayed by a white actor who droops his eyes just speaks for itself… Given the controversy surrounding Griffith, Broken Blossoms doesn’t seem to deviate from the ideological basis of his more overtly racist films much. This brings my attention to a new concern: does melodrama makes the depiction of a “foreign” or “exotic” character more sensitive/easily subject to being assessed in relation to the ideological milieu of the country that produced the work?)

While the word “melodrama” originated from the combination of music and drama, indicating music’s contribution to the emotional effects in dramatic narratives (Elsaesser), we should look at how filmmakers approached Broken Blossoms in the era of silent films. According to Elsaesser, directors had to develop “an extremely subtle and yet precise language (of lighting, staging décor, acting, close-up, montage, and camera movement” hence “an intensified symbolization of everyday actions, the heightening of the ordinary gesture.” The aspect of heightened gesture is notably evident in Broken Blossoms as it could not rely on sound or music to convey emotional effects.

The facial expressions and actions are extremely exaggerated in the film, and Lilian Gish’s visceral acting especially gave a lot of life to the film. These exaggerations intensify the polarization of good and bad, which essentially spoon-feeds us the “moral occult” within the world of the film in a way since the actors don’t really hold back with the information about their characters and the events that surround them. This seems to be an important pattern in melodrama, which the “moral occult” is made obvious by heightened gestures that are usually deemed excessive in real life, but still lies in a context of realism. It is this very excess that points us to the hidden “operative spiritual values” in our daily lives, and in our world.

Ozu's "Early Summer"

   The movie we watched for today was Ozu Yasujiro’s “Early Summer”. The story is about a girl named Noriko and her family. Noriko is a 28 year old secretary who works in Tokyo, and lives in Kamakura with her extended family. It takes place a few years after the war. The movie starts out with an uncle of the family visiting Kamakura, and Noriko’s boss suggests she gets married soon, with her age. He suggests one of his friends, Manabe, a 42 year old businessman, and gives her pictures. Noriko is more or less excited about the proposal, and avoids a lot of the talk surrounding it, making her family take matters in their own hands. They gently push her towards him, but she neither accepts or declines the offer. The movie progresses on, and it isn’t until the mother of the childhood friend, Yabe, impulsively asks her to marry into the family, the day before Yabe and his family is scheduled to move to Akita for a new job. Noriko, without thinking or consulting her family beforehand, says yes, and the plan for their wedding goes through. The family disapproves at first, but slowly starts to accept it for what it is, especially with Noriko and her new fiancé expecting to come back to Kamakura in a few years. Noriko’s mother and father then decides to live in the rural country with the uncle that came to visit earlier in the movie. With the way Noriko’s family struggles with communication, and the never-ending clashes of pre-war and post-war societal changes, especially the growing role of women and women taking charge of their own lives, there is definitely a lot of drama that has to be sorted out.

   I can see why this movie can be regarded as a melodrama, but in only a few points. None of the story was really exaggerated; the movie was very slow paced and quiet. If anything, I think the scene that was the most tense was the scene where the sons of Noriko’s brother called their father a liar for not getting them the train tracks they wanted, and their dad started punishing them. Afterwards, when they ran away and couldn’t be found, was also very tense, but the central plot of Noriko being pressured into marriage wasn’t as intense as, say, “The Golden Demon”. Though the music was there, the music was equally as quiet as the drama of the movie, and barely left a mark in my memory. But it does follow themes of many melodramas that we watched so far, such as following what your family wishes of you and marriage. But even with this, the family was very calm and not much was at stake. There weren’t any problems around money, about life or death situations, or anything dire. At the end though, there’s a sense of relief that washes over the family, and that also counts as part of a melodrama.

   While looking online, I found out that this movie is the second part of a trilogy called the “Noriko trilogy”, the other two movies being “Late Spring” and “Tokyo Story”. I have never watched “Tokyo Story, but I’ve heard that it is a classic melodrama, and it makes me wonder what the differences are in the movies, and which movie is the most melodramatic. I heard that all three films use the same quiet atmosphere and simple plot, but I’m sure there are big differences as well.

Washington Square as American Melodrama

Summary:

Henry James begins his novel by describing the life of Dr. Austin Sloper, whose wife and first and only son die tragically in the span on 5 years. The story then follows the life of Dr. Sloper’s daughter, Catherine. 

While Catherine is described as being loyal and faithful, her father is still disappointed in her. He resents Catherine because she doesn’t carry any of her parent’s traits, like her mother’s beauty and her father’s intelligence. Overall, she is viewed as a boring, plain girl, and Dr. Sloper struggles to love her despite his disappointment.

The other prominent characters in the work are Dr. Sloper’s sisters, Mrs. Almond and Lavinia Penniman. Lavinia and Mrs. Almond serve as maternal figures to Catherine. Lavinia wants the best for Catherine, but she is often preoccupied with melodramatic tendencies and delusional ideas of love. Mrs. Almond, on the other hand, is more calculated and realistic but still understanding and supportive of Catherine.

Early on in the novel, Catherine meets Morris Townsend at her cousin Marian’s engagement party. They are immediately interested and drawn to each other. Aunt Lavinia has also taken an interest in Catherine and Mr. Townsend’s potential relationship, and serves as a mediator between the two, trying fiercely to foster their romantic relationship.

Themes:

Familial relationships

Familial relationships are of paramount importance in Washington Square, especially the relationship between Catherine and her father. I found it interesting that, while we understand that Dr. Sloper does not particularly love Catherine, he develops strong feelings regarding her relationship with Mr. Townsend.

"Young men of his class never do anything for themselves that they can get other people to do for them, and it is the infatuation, the devotion, the superstition of others that keeps them going.” (page 70)

The above quote demonstrates Dr. Sloper’s dislike of Mr. Townsend. He is quick to place Morris in a box based on his profession, despite not knowing him very well. Dr. Sloper believes Mr. Townsend is manipulative and selfish, and that Catherine’s “infatuation” and “devotion” towards him will blind her to the truth of his evil character.

·        However, to a certain extent, I think Dr. Sloper is quite emotionally manipulative towards Catherine. He becomes angry when Catherine chooses not to listen to him, even though he hasn’t expressed interest or care throughout the entirety of her childhood. This shocks Catherine, but it doesn’t deter her from pursuing Morris. In fact, I think her father’s disapproval only heightens her defiance. Moreover, Dr. Sloper threatens to disown her if she marries Mr. Townsend. I think Dr. Sloper believes his behavior towards Catherine is justified because of their father/daughter relationship, but he is just as manipulative as the suitor he so despises. There are expectations associated with Catherine and Dr. Sloper’s relationship, namely that because Catherine was born into a family of high social class, she is expected to be modest, respectful, and obedient to her father; it is precisely in her disregard of these expectations that melodrama arises.

Fantasy vs. Reality

There are several characters whose ideologies exist in either reality or the fantasy realm. For example, Mrs. Almond serves as the foil to Aunt Lavinia; she is the rational to Lavinia’s imaginative, the grounding realism to Lavinia’s romantic fantasies. The juxtaposition of these two characters as well as their impact on Catherine heightens the overall melodrama of the novel.

In “The Melodramatic Imagination,” Peter Brooks says, “The desire to express all seems a fundamental characteristic of the melodramatic mode. Nothing is spared because nothing is left unsaid; the characters stand on stage and utter the unspeakable, give voice to their deepest feelings, dramatize through their heightened and polarized words and gestures the whole lesson of their relationship.” Lavinia embodies this “desire to express all,” she is never shy about her opinions and, consequently, is one of the driving plot devices.

Washington Square by Henry James (focus on the second half of the work)

Synopsis:

Washington Square is a short novel written by Henry James, published in 1880 and set in the 1850s. The story is both tragic and comical to a certain extent. The heroine Catherine, the daughter of an intelligent doctor, falls in love with Morris Townsend who is charming but poor and deceptive in his nature. Her father Dr. Sloper strongly opposed their relationship because he shrewdly sensed that Townsend only pursues Catherine for her money, that he is “mercenary”. The heroine is in deep conflict, having to choose between her father and her newly meet lover. According to the ominous third person narrative, Catherine is overly obedient, docile, veracious and unclever in her father’s point of view, which makes her rebellion “quiet” but meaningful, struggling to maintain her role as a good daughter. As the plot precedes, Catherine defended her standing but Morris jilted her after her father’s incessant disapproval and threat to disinherit Catherine. Cather and Morris break up. Decades past, when they meet again, Catherine becomes clear-minded about their relationship and refused Morris’ proposal of acquainting with each other again. Catherine’s aunt Lavinia plays of major role in the form and break of the relationship. Lavinia’s meddlesomeness is one of the most comical elements of this novel.              

Analysis of the novel:

Analysis of relationships

The father-daughter relationship of Catherine and Dr. Austin has its plurality. Because of the character of Catherine’s mother, who was clever and bright, Austin prospected Catherine to be at least as bright and as special. However, due to the nurture of Mrs. Penniman or the nature of Catherine, Catherine seems rather dull and unintelligent for her father. As a result, Dr. Sloper dislikes her as a person. Catherine herself realized that after their trip to Europe. She is clear that her father doesn’t like her because of her personality and it caused her great agony. He was harsh to her, wishing Catherine to grow up to be someone else. At the end when Morris left her, Dr. Sloper sarcastically remarked, “You mean you don’t care? You are rather cruel, after encouraging him and playing with him for so long!” It is unlikely a normal loving father would say so to a daughter after she was tricked by another man.        



"I have told you what I think. If you see him, you will be an ungrateful, cruel child; you will have given your old father the greatest pain of his life." This was more than the poor girl could bear; her tears overflowed. 

Catherine’s relationship with Morris is tragic. She thought he loves her. Most comically, the narrator (James) points out that Morris is conscious about the fact that he only wants to marry her for her money and that she is rather dull and stupid. The relationship is not spontaneous but prompted by Mrs. Penniman’s imagination and meddlesomeness. This consciousness of the readers, knowing that Morris deliberately fools Catherine, Dr. Sloper is right, and Mrs. Penniman only cares about her imagination (a desire for romantic drama), renders the novel extremely melodramatic.   

The role of Lavinia Penniman 

Aunt Lavinia is important for the transition and development of the plot. She is the one who urged Catherine to notice Morris Townsend, and the one who suggests that tactics for the couple to take to convince her brother. However, she acts as a comical role and is inconsiderate and stupid. In the last chapter, it is clear that the mindset of Catherine has changed; she has grown mature psychologically. However, Lavinia is still the old Lavinia who is eager for melodrama and excitement of theatricality in life.



"Yes—why indeed?" sighed Mrs. Penniman. And then, as if from a sense of the inadequacy of this explanation, "But you will not despair—you will come back?"

Catherine Sloper

-Inward conflict: to be a good daughter or to marry Morris Townsend 

-Development of her character: love for Morris --- fights for her marriage --- abandoned my Morris --- refuse to marry --- determined about the nature of her father and Morris; 

-Consciousness of characters: at the end, she was crystal clear about her situation. She had a quiet life but also tragic, with limited love from parents and the deceptive Morris Townsend. It is possible that James feels sorry for her.   



-From her own point of view the great facts of her career were that Morris Townsend had trifled with her affection, and that her father had broken its spring. Nothing could ever alter these facts; they were always there, like her name, her age, her plain face. Nothing could ever undo the wrong or cure the painthat Morris had inflicted on her, and nothing could ever make her feel towards her father as she felt in her younger years.

Good and Evil in Washington Square 

In melodrama, good and evil is usually clear and in contrast. However, from my point of view, James complexes the boundary to a certain extent. Although Morris Townsend is detested and Dr. Sloper is harsh, James seemingly challenged the attributions of the tragedy. Who should be blamed in the story? Arguing from a contemporary view, it is hard to say Morris Townsend should be solely blames. It is true that he is morally irresponsible and wrong, but Catherine (her innocence), Dr. Sloper (his harshness), and aunt Lavinia (her stupidity) all play into the result of the break. For historical reasons, the unequal dynamic of their relationship might not be accepted in the 1880s, but maybe right now, they could be together even if Morris is monetarily disadvantaged. As long as they are happy, maybe it is acceptable that she supports him. Is Catherine the absolute good? It is doubtful because she is quiet, traditionally, and filial, which doesn’t necessarily carry moral connotations. James might be criticizing her simplicity that contributes to the tragedy. But, according to Catherine’s own reflection of her relationship with Morris and her father, after Morris left her, she has developed a lucid understanding of the nature of her relations; she knows she’s deeply hurt by these two men, and it is clear for her the true nature of Morris that her father was right. James, all in all, created a morally corrupted character, Morris Townsend with his hypocrisy. 

Washington Square as a Melodrama 

The short novel is quite melodramatic because of story settings, construction of characters, themes, theatricality, and intensification of conflicts through dialogues. 

According to Brook’s article, Henry James uses theatric setting to tell the story. At the scene that Austin and Catherine talked at the Alps in Europe, James strategically set the conversation at an environment that matches Catherine’s emotion and mindset. Her father questioned her if she has given up. Her answer is unsatisfactory for Dr. Sloper. Instead of a common hotel room or museum, James deliberately chooses the Alps, which is dramatic and visual for readers.

Henry James is descriptive about the settings of events. For example, in the last chapter, the weather is hotter than balmy. Things are dramatic and lightly exaggerated, which resembles a drama in the theatre.  



They followed this devious way, and finally lost the path; the valley proved very wild and rough, and their walk became rather a scramble.