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What Is Miss Caroline's Loneliness

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By the end of Four Meetings, by Henry James, Miss Caroline falls victim to loneliness, foes, betrayal, and her own mind. First and foremost, loneliness dispels Miss Caroline away from society. Throughout Four Meetings, Miss Caroline spends her time in solitary. Before the narrator arrives, she always stands away from the crowd. Caroline sits “alone by herself at a cafe” and she spends the voyage on the boat “perpetually at the side of the vessel” (James 2). Yet, Miss Caroline stands “at odds with her isolation”; she wants her loneliness to end. In addition, Caroline excites as the narrator talks with her; Caroline’s friend uninterestedly converses with her. “I always talk to her about it. I tire her dreadfully” (James 1) When the narrator visits Caroline after five years, she lives in loneliness. The narrator thinks Miss Caroline wants to suffer alone, but Caroline’s life embarrasses her. “I thought she was rather glad I was going… ” (James 4) Loneliness, a driving force in Four Meetings, isolates Miss Caroline from all. …show more content…
In 1877, no women travel alone, live alone, nor give private lessons, but Miss Caroline sees no problem with it. “It apparently never occurred to her that there could be the least incommodity in her travelling alone” (James 2) Miss Caroline stands as the opposite of societal woman. Also, her cousin, representing society, borrows Miss Caroline’s money, never repays her, and sends his elitist wife to live with Caroline. His actions compare to how society rips all aspirations away from Caroline’s grasp. “Everything has been against it… It has been a mere castle on a cloud” (James 1) Caroline’s dream of visiting Europe dissipates when her cousin takes all her money, permanently placing it out of her grasp. Ergo, society, a great foe of Caroline, hinders her from living her

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