BOOK REPORT WASHINGTON SQUARE

WASHINGTON SQUARE

by Henry James

Washington Square is one of Henry James books that telling about an ordinary girl who live with her father and her aunt in nice hause in a quite corner of New York. Henry James was born in New York at April 15, 1843 and he become a writer on 1864. In 1875, he left America and lived for a time in Paris, France before moving to London. His famous books are The Ambassador, The Turn of the Screw, The Portrait of a Lady and the short story as like as Washington Square. This story take place in a quite corner in a noisy city of New York and the story begins in 1843.

There are three main character in this book such as Catherine, Morris Townsend, and Dr.Sloper. Catherine live with her father, Dr. Sloper, and her aunt, Mrs. Lavinia Penniman in nice hause in a quite corner of New York. Catherine is an ordinary girl. She is not pretty or clever, but she is verry good and honest. In other side, she love her father very much and she is very afraid of him. Catherine be a quite young woman when she is eighteen, but she is strong and polite. She will be happy when her father happy, and she always keep her father’s feeling. Dr. Sloper is Catherine’s father who always keep and loves her. He was a good doctor and honest. Morris Townsend is a handsome young man. He’s clever and love Catherine very much. But Dr.Sloper never permit Catherine to marry with Morris.

The story started when Catherine was eighteen and her family attending a party in the Mrs Almond hause. In there, Catherine meet Mr Morris Townsend. After the time, they are loving each other. One day, Dr Sloper knowing that his daughter fall in love, but he didn’t like Morris at all. Then, he ask with Catherin if she must break with Morris. After some day left, Mrs Penniman have a plan for Catherine. She want Catherine to run away with Morris and marry with him, but Catherine reject this plan. Catherine disposed Morris to wait her for several time, but Morris choose to leave her and go away leave New York. And Catherine never marry with anyone till she became old.

The novel are not only nice and interest to read but this novel also offers some moral value. The important value is Catherine that always obedient with her father. This value is well-expressed in the story when Catherine chose to go aboard with her father to leave Washington for several time. Then, Catherine didn’t marry with Morris till her father died, because she always keep her father’s feeling. Besides, she love her father very much and she is very afraid of him. This value can useful to living our life, so we must obedient with our parents.

In my opinion, the novel is nice because it’s not only console but also very interesting to read. We can get moral value from this story, such as faithfulnes, obedient, be patient and the others. This book also show many picture clearly and make the readers easier to understand the plot of story. So, let’s read this book and be nice reader.