Characters
What is the name of the protagonist of the story?
Dencombe
What does the season of spring symbolize in the story?
Rebirth and middle age
Why is Dencombe on vacation at a medical spa?
He is dying/sick.
During what season is the story set?
Spring
In which country was Henry James born?
United States
Who does Miss Vernham want to be her romantic partner?
Doctor Hugh
What does the red book symbolize in the story?
Who does Dencombe see reading an advanced copy of "The Middle Years"?
Doctor Hugh
In what country is the story set?
England
What prestigious literary award was James nominated for three times? (Sadly, he never won.)
What was the Countess's father's occupation?
What does the pearl symbolize in the story?
Treasure
What do the initial reviews say about "The Middle Years"?
It's his best work yet.
Where does Dencombe first observe Miss Vernham, the Countess, and Doctor Hugh?
At the beach
Where did James live for most of his adult life? (Hint: Think Tilak)
United Kingdom
Who does Doctor Hugh hope to inherit money from?
What does the "colorless sea" symbolize in the story?
Dencombe's mid-life crisis
Why is Miss Vernham nervous about Doctor Hugh spending so much time with Dencombe?
She believes that the Countess will not leave him money in her will.
What is the name of the English seaside town where the story is set?
James was known for his realism and modernism. What other modernist novel did you read? (Hint: Think 10th Grade)
The Metamorphosis
How did Dencombe's son die?
Typhoid fever
What does Doctor Hugh symbolzie in the story?
The next generation/Troy Bolton
What happens to Dencombe at the end of the story?
He dies.
Where does Dencombe die?
In his hotel room
How old was James when he wrote "The Middle Years"?
50