Seeing and Believing : Henry James and the Spiritual World

This study looks at Henry James's response to the collapse of religious belief in the nineteenth century in his late novels and shorter works. Hutchison's work argues that James's fascination with perception and consciousness should be read in the context of his desire to dramatize a level of human experience beyond the material. Cover -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Relatives, Relationships, Relativity -- Chapter 1 The Language of Uncertainty -- Chapter 2 The Creed of Hesitation: Guy Domville and The Turn of the Screw -- Chapter 3 The Unapproachable Face: Difference in The Sacred Fount -- Chapter 4 The Vain Appearance: Vision and The Ambassadors -- Chapter 5 The Sacred Hush: Death, Elegy, and The Wings of the Dove -- Chapter 6 The Poetry of the Soul in Action: Metaphor and Consciousness in The Golden Bowl "The Victorian age was troubled by religious doubt and the collapse of absolute values. In Seeing and Believing, Hazel Hutchison explores a selection of Henry James's late novels and shorter works, and shows that his central themes and literary method connect closely with issues at the heart of this debate. She sets his work alongside that of his father and brother, and argues that James's fascination with perception and consciousness should be read in the context of his desire to dramatize a level of human experience beyond the material."--Jacket Front Matter....Pages i-xxi The Language of Uncertainty....Pages 1-24 The Creed of Hesitation: Guy Domville and The Turn of the Screw ....Pages 25-51 The Unapproachable Face: Difference in The Sacred Fount ....Pages 53-77 The Vain Appearance: Vision and The Ambassadors ....Pages 79-105 The Sacred Hush: Death, Elegy, and The Wings of the Dove ....Pages 107-136 The Poetry of the Soul in Action: Metaphor and Consciousness in The Golden Bowl ....Pages 137-164 Endless Connections....Pages 165-175 Back Matter....Pages 177-203