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The American
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Plot Summary of The American
"Christopher Newman, a wealthy American, falls in love with a French aristocrat, Claire de Cintre, while visiting Paris. Her family objects very strongly to their engagement because Newman lacks European culture and social status.

When Newman learns that Claire's mother, the Marquise, had killed her husband, he threatens her with the evidence. Still she refuses to sanction the marriage. Claire renounces the engagement and determines to be a nun. Newman, disgusted with himself as well as the French family, decides not to reveal the crime and resigns himself to his loss. He is a victim of unalterable cultural differences."

Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar

"Christopher Newman, a wealthy American, falls in love with a French aristocrat, Claire de Cintre, while visiting Paris. Her family objects very strongly to their engagement because Newman lacks European culture and social status.

When Newman learns that Claire's mother, the Marquise, had killed her husband, he threatens her with the evidence. Still she refuses to sanction the marriage. Claire renounces the engagement and determines to be a nun. Newman, disgusted with himself as well as the French family, decides not to reveal the crime and resigns himself to his loss. He is a victim of unalterable cultural differences.
"

Danielle Taylor, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The American
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 19th century
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Kind of romance: - fighting matchbreaker (parents/authorities)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Lover is - of a different social class

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - business executive - wealthy
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American) - Eastern European
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - killer - wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 (a good amount)
United States Yes
Europe Yes
European country: - France

Style
Person - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript - significantly more descript than dialog
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Henry James Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jack Goodstein  

SCHOLARS:
Cindy Dashnaw  Danielle Taylor  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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