Henry James in his Portrait of a Lady has Madame Merle say:
When you’ve lived as long as I you’ll see that every human being has his shell and that you must take the shell into account. By the shell I mean the whole envelope of circumstances. There’s no such thing as an isolated man or woman: we’re each of us made up of some cluster of appurtenances. What shall we call our “self”? Where does it begin? where does it end? It overflows into everything that belongs to us –- and then it flows back again. I know a large part of myself is in the clothes I choose to wear. I’ve a great respect for things! One’s self –- for other people –- is one’s expression of one’s self; and one’s house, one’s furniture, one’s garments, the books one reads, the company one keeps –- these things are all expressive!
(Quoted from page 65 of The Real Thing: Imitation and Authenticity in American Culture, 1880 -- 1940, by Miles Orvell. The University of North Carolina Press, 1989.)
For a brief biography of Henry James, click here. For images of or relating to Henry James, click here.
For a brief biography of Miles Orvell, click here. For images of or relating to Miles Orvell, click here.
When you’ve lived as long as I you’ll see that every human being has his shell and that you must take the shell into account. By the shell I mean the whole envelope of circumstances. There’s no such thing as an isolated man or woman: we’re each of us made up of some cluster of appurtenances. What shall we call our “self”? Where does it begin? where does it end? It overflows into everything that belongs to us –- and then it flows back again. I know a large part of myself is in the clothes I choose to wear. I’ve a great respect for things! One’s self –- for other people –- is one’s expression of one’s self; and one’s house, one’s furniture, one’s garments, the books one reads, the company one keeps –- these things are all expressive!
(Quoted from page 65 of The Real Thing: Imitation and Authenticity in American Culture, 1880 -- 1940, by Miles Orvell. The University of North Carolina Press, 1989.)
For a brief biography of Henry James, click here. For images of or relating to Henry James, click here.
For a brief biography of Miles Orvell, click here. For images of or relating to Miles Orvell, click here.
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