“We Haven’t Our Feet in the Soil”: Jamesian Feminism and Cosmopolitanism in The Portrait of a Lady

This article reconsiders feminist themes in Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady by analyzing American expatriate women characters who experience liminal situations that create both alienation and opportunity. James’s expatriate women feel displaced and marginalized, yet this othering also allows them a freedom from European customs. This position of alterity or liminality allows for the women characters in James’s work to develop independence and confidence not just in themselves but also in their native culture. James’s nuanced observation and sympathy with his women characters result in an androgynous literary expression, intricately connecting his feminism and cosmopolitanism. By examining the unique circumstances of the women portrayed in Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady, the article reshapes cultural perspectives and promotes respect for cultural differences encompassing race, nationality, and gender.