Catherine Sloper: A Study in the Transformation of Self Anonymous 11th Grade

Over the course of time, a person’s life is affected by the various people they have met and the experiences they have endured. As a result, the person -or those around them- may find themselves changed in some way or another, whether it be their personality, behavior, or anything else. In Henry James’s Washington Square, Catherine Sloper – and her family- find her changed from a quiet girl to an independent woman throughout the course of the novel. This essay is a study of Catherine's change in character throughout the novel of Washington Square.

At the start of Washington Square, Catherine is described as a “quiet, ladylike girl” (9) who is also very submissive, especially towards her father, Dr. Sloper. Dr. Sloper is especially rude to Catherine, treating her with little to no respect, and he has “almost never addressed his daughter save in the ironical form,” (16). For example, in Chapter IV, Catherine and Dr. Sloper attend a ball, to which Catherine wears a very extravagant gown. Dr. Sloper remarks, “is it possible this magnificent person is my child?” (16) to which Catherine replies, “I am not magnificent,” (17). This response alone is enough to demonstrate Catherine’s demeanor and the ways she responds to her father...