The Princess Casamassima: A Novel

"The Princess Casamassima: A Novel" by Henry James is a story set in the late 1800s, focusing on a young boy named Hyacinth Robinson, who is being looked after by Miss Amanda Pynsent, a dressmaker. The story explores the difficulties of social classes and what makes up someone's sense of self. It asks big questions about being noble, the problems that can come from your family's past, and how hard relationships can be as the characters' lives get mixed together by fate. The book begins by showing Miss Pynsent feeling worried as she waits for Hyacinth, with her thoughts focused on her place in society and her secret wish that Hyacinth comes from an upper class family without him knowing. Miss Pynsent's world gets more complex because Hyacinth's mom, who is a prisoner, is about to show up, and she's scared about what this means for the boy's future. All of this builds tension as Miss Pynsent has to choose between how she feels about Hyacinth and how society will view him as a result of where he comes from, setting the scene for a dramatic decision between love and reputation.