Subject |
Man-woman relationships; Authors, American -- 19th century -- Family relationships; Authors, American -- 19th century -- Relations with women; Authors, American -- 20th century -- Family relationships; Authors, American -- 20th century -- Relations with women; American Literature Association; James, Alice Howe Gibbens; James, Henry, 1843-1916 -- Family; James, Henry, 1843-1916 -- Relations with women; James, William, 1842-1910 |
Description |
In this paper Dr. Susan Gunter, Professor of English, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, discusses Henry James's relationship with Alice Howe Gibbens James, the wife of his brother William James. Available evidence reveals that women played key roles in Henry's life and texts. Specifically, his almost four decade long relationship with Alice James was one of the most significant relationships he had with a woman. Deleuze and Guattari theorize the body as a desiring machine, with a multiplicity of needs that can be met - or blocked - in widely varied ways. Alice H. G. James fulfilled a number of Henry's complex desires, all without limiting his creativity: she was in turn a friend, a rich source for his fiction, the surrogate mother of his surrogate children, and in his last days, the intimate companion who eased his death. This paper was presented by Dr. Gunter at the American Literature Association Conference, San Francisco, California, May, 2006. |