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Although modern women have somewhat overcome the unfair prejudice and the degradation of the female gender, women in the nineteenth century were forced to deal with a culture in which gender equality was much less understood and existed. The nineteenth century society often placed specific, stereotypical, and restrictive standards on how the female gender should behave. The gazes, which can be described as ¡°the viewing relationship characteristic of a particular set of social circumstances¡±(The Gaze), of various characters at the American woman in literature reflect such gender inequality in the old, conservative society. Especially, in the short story Daisy Miller by Henry James, the gazes of Winterbourne at Daisy during their first meeting, Mrs. Costello at Daisy when having a conversation with Winterbourne, and James at the Miller women and Mrs. Walker are the good examples to present the gender inequality in such conservative society. They are used to create the appropriate behaviors of American women and to demonstrate how the female gender was seen by the other sex as well as the same sex between the young-American and the old-European societies in the nineteenth century. The gaze of Winterbourne at Daisy during their first meeting clearly illustrates how the female gender was seen by the other sex. As Daisy approaches toward Winterbourne and her brother Randolph, Winterbourne is immediately attracted to the pretty American girl. James writes ¡°She was dressed in white muslin, with a hundred frills and flounces, and knots of pale-colored ribbon. She was bareheaded, but she balanced in her hand a large parasol, with a deep border of embroidery; and she was strikingly, admirably pretty. "How pretty they are!" thought Winterbourne, straightening himself in his seat, as if he were prepared to rise¡±(4). Winterbourne¡¯s gaze on the physical features of Daisy shows that she is from the wealthy family.
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