Henry James' Real thing vs. Rossetti's in an artist's studio
Henry James’ long short story “The Real Thing” and Christina Rossetti’s poem “In an Artist’s Studio” are alike and different in various ways. Besides the apparent difference that one is a story and the other a poem, they differ in how each is told. In James’ “The Real Thing”, the artist, who is also the narrator in the story, views everything from his perspective. The narrator in Rossetti’s poem is herself, who describes everything from an onlooker’s point of view. The two works are also different because they people they talk about the models in different mediums. The artist in “The Real Thing” talks about his models, the Monarchs, in the sense that they are still alive real life, whereas in her poem, Rossetti talks a bout Lizzie Siddal, her brother Dante Rossetti’s wife, through a painting. Although many differences are demonstrated throughout both works, the major difference between Henry James’ “The Real Thing” and Christina Rossetti’s “In an Artist’s Studio” is the artists’ interpretation and definition of the real thing. In “The Real Thing” when the artist meets the Monarchs, the first thing he notices about them is their perfection. The artist thought that the Monar
The artist in “The Real Thing” interprets the real thing as perfection is imperfection, whereas in Dante in “In an Artist’s Studio” defines the real thing as perfection is perfection. chs were sitters coming to get their portrait painted, but he was wrong, for they were inexperienced models wanting a job from him instead. He imagines the Monarchs to be a prosperous couple, who were well off, for “[there] was something about them that represented credit—their clothes, their manners, their type…” (James 746). Their mannerisms give off the impression that they are wealthy and that they have “…an indefinable air of prosperous thrift—they evidently got a good deal of luxury for their money,” (James 742). Although the Monarchs give off the impression they are very wealthy people, in actuality they are very poor and lost all their money. During the first part of the story, the artist cannot get over the Monarch’s perfection, but really it is just an allusion. Throughout the story, the artist constantly talks about the Monarchs possessing the real thing: perfection. The artist eventually becomes bored of painting the Monarchs over and over again, for they cannot be anything else but themselves. They make better photography models than painting models. To the couple, looks are everything bec
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Approximate Word count = 896
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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