What is Daisy's goal in the novel Daisy Miller by Henry James? Why did James create such a seductive and confusing character? Since the publication of James's novel in 1878, Daisy has worn several labels, including "flirty", "innocent", and "American Girl". Daisy's portrayal of a late 19th century American girl is obvious. His free spirit and individuality reflect the social movement of the American middle class. The question of Daisy's innocence, however, remains unanswered. One of the most interesting aspects of Daisy is her distance from the reader. The reader does not have access to Daisy's inner thoughts or emotions. Instead, the reader must observe Daisy through the limited perception of her future lover, Frederick Winterbourne. Although Daisy's psyche is a mystery, her relationship with Winterbourne reveals her true purpose in the novel. Daisy is a failed catalyst or agent of change. She offers Winterbourne spontaneity, freedom and love. In other words, thanks to Daisy, Winterbourne has the opportunity to change. But Winterbourne rejects her and so Daisy fails as a catalyst. Ironically, by rejecting Daisy, Winterbourne fails. One of the reasons why Daisy fails as a change agent is that she is a member of the newly wealthy American middle class. Winterbourne, however, is part of the Europeanized American class that is, as Ian F. A. Bell notes, "barely less 'new' (newly rich) than the Miller mercantilists" (Reeve 23). These Europeanized Americans, aptly represented by Winterbourne's aunt, reject Daisy and her family because they want to maintain their higher position on the social ladder. Ironically, Daisy Miller may have been accepted...... middle of paper ......publishers, 1990.Graham, Kenneth. Henry James: A Literary Life. Houndsmills, England: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1995. Hocks, Richard A. Henry James: A Study of Short Fiction. Twayne's Studies in Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. James, Henry. Daisy Miller: a study. The Health Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Flight. 2 ed. Paul Lauter and Richard Yarborough. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 452-92. 2 flights. Pollak, Vivian R., ed. New essays on Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw. The American novel series. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Reeve, NH, ed. Henry James: The Shortest Fiction. Houndsmills, England: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1997. Scheiber, Andrew J. "Integrated Narratives of Science and Culture in James's Daisy Miller." Academic literature 21.2 (1994): 75-88.