L'AMERICANO | I EDIZ. TEA 1988 | HENRY JAMES

Henry James’s The American (1877) explores the encounter between Old World traditions and New World ambitions through the figure of Christopher Newman, a wealthy American businessman seeking refinement and marriage in European aristocratic society. The novel examines themes of cultural identity, social class, and the tensions between democratic energy and inherited privilege. Written in James’s early style, it balances realism with psychological depth, depicting both the allure and resistance of Europe to American ideals. Its significance lies in its contribution to 19th-century transatlantic fiction, reflecting shifting notions of modernity and belonging.