Daisy
is portrayed as a character who is not only innocent, but also an individual
that wishes to ensure that she attains her freedom. In addition, she is an
individual that seems to believe that Europe is a fantasy world and has the
ambition to become married to a member of the European upper class so that she
can become a part of that society. Daisy is shown to be extremely naïve because
she seems to be very trusting of individuals. One of the most important ways
through which her naiveté is depicted is in the situation where she agrees to
visit the Château de Chillon with Winterbourne despite barely knowing him for a
half hour. A result of this situation is that she is easily carried away and
she displays characteristics that can be considered oblivious to the
environment and culture around her. Her easy familiarity with individuals all
round her is also mentioned, with Mrs. Costello disapproving of the way that
Daisy shows too much familiarity with the courier (James, 1879, p. 400). Such familiarity is often a sign of a lose
woman, but Daisy does not realize how her actions are making her appear to
others within the society that she desires to become a part of. The failure by
Daisy to realize or weigh the consequences of her actions can be considered a
sign that she is totally oblivious and she is headstrong goes ahead with her
activities. This situation is what leads to disaster because she is unable to
see her tragic end until it is too late.
Daisy
flirtatiously plays with Frederick Winterbourne, an individual that she has
just recently met. Winterbourne, on the other hand, thinks of her as just a
flirt, and this is to such an extent that he feels that were she not American,
it would have been inappropriate. He further believes that it is essential to
make sure that she is not judged by European standards, which are what he has
become used to over the years that he has spent in Europe. Winterbourne
compares Daisy to European women and finds her to be an innocent individual,
despite her flirtatious nature (James, 1879, p. 397). As a man that has essentially become used to
the European way of life and the way that the women of the continent behaves,
he is at first wary of Daisy’s flirtatiousness, but comes to the conclusion
that rather than being a lose individual, she is actually just an innocent
flirt. This attitude is essential in helping in the development of friendship
between them to such an extent that when Winterbourne tells her that he will be
going to Geneva the next day, Daisy feels some disappointment and makes him
promise her that they will meet in Rome within the year. The manner through
which Daisy plays with Winterbourne is an important plot in the story because
it shows her to be an innocent individual that seems to appear world wise. A
consequence is that she ends putting herself in situations that cause concern
to Winterbourne, as in the case where she is seeing Giovanelli, a young Italian
of questionable character (James, 1879, p. 423).