The Fall of Rome and Daisy Miller

Rome In Ruins

It seems fitting that Daisy Miller spent her final days in the city of Rome. Throughout Henry James’ novella, Miss Miller takes great pleasure in living by her own rules and in many ways ignores what society expects of her. She conducts herself with a hunger for life that reflects her youth and naivety. Daisy spends her days flitting about from place to place, content to spend time with various companions that the other expatriates in her circle deem unsavory.

The city of Rome was the ultimate seat of culture in the ancient world. The Romans were sophisticated and well educated and created some of the most impressive monuments and structures the world has seen. Rome was the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Roman Empire, at its peak, controlled over 4,000,000 square miles of land. The Roman culture is perhaps the most overarching culture of the world; its influence can be seen in countless countries around the globe.

Now, and in Daisy Miller’s time, the city of Rome sits in ruins, the great monuments and buildings ravaged by the hands of time and invading forces. The Roman Empire collapsed because it expanded too far too quickly. This formidable city crumbled despite its power and cultural excellence. Daisy Miller suffered a parallel fate, letting her youthful impulses lead her to an untimely death.

Daisy spends her time in Rome traveling about with Mr. Giovanelli, a Roman man whom her elders do not approve of. She visits the sites she wants to see and spends her time however she wants to spend it. While she wants to fit in with the expatriate society, she has a stronger desire to experience the native Italian culture surrounding her. Her headstrong nature directly leads to her death. If she were more concerned with conforming to expectations (a concern that often comes with age) she would not have visited the Coliseum at night and would not have contracted the Roman fever. Her attitude towards life and her death mirrors the rise and fall of Rome. Both Daisy and Rome were powerful forces that chose to chart their own course and met their ends as a direct result of their unrestrained strength and youthful blunders.