propels the tragic action of the story. Her rapacious need for male .
attention is fueled by her parental neglect; her mother is oblivious .
and her father is absent. .
The forced gaiety Daisy displays, her democratic regard (and .
disregard) for class, and her desire for attention, set Daisy up for .
failure. She has no ability to see herself or know her own .
contradictions; hence, she can not protect herself. The "lightness" of .
Daisy cannot survive the ancient character of Italy or the dark .
strictures of society. When Daisy is buried in a crooked corner in .
the wall of Imperial Rome, she is essentially put in her place. .
Winterbourne .
Even though the story is told from the point of view of an invisible .
first person narrator, the perspective belongs to Winterbourne. The .
reader is made to follow Winterbourne throughout the nouvelle and .
see the action through his eyes. At times he becomes an unreliable .
source of information, because of his involvement with and his .
opinions of Daisy; he lies to Daisy near the end of the story, .
claiming that her mother believes her to be engaged. Throughout .
the story, his self-interest propels Daisy and the plot to further .
heights of confusion. His dual background is also confusing; he is .
both American and European. Born in the United States, he has .
lived in Switzerland for a long time. As a result, he follows .
European custom but gives it an Americanized interpretation. .
His name carries definite significance: "winter," as in cold and stiff .
and "bourne," as in tolerated. He is to some extent a cold-hearted .
observer, remaining at a distance and never quite putting himself on .
the line. Daisy increasingly refers to him as "stiff," and in his .
evaluations of Daisy, his frustrated amazement, he remains frozen, .
barely able to act. Although he is Daisy's only advocate, he fails to .
really help her in any way. It is obvious that he is jealous of .
Giovanelli, but he stays away at a distance, doing nothing about it.
