Henry James' 'Washington Square' In 'Washington Square', Henry James used a refined technique of storytelling, language, symbolism and irony to explore the psychological dimensions of actions of its characters, motivations and interpersonal relationships. He did this while confronting the tragedy of the immorality of human beings, personified in the characters of Dr. Sloper and Morris Townsend, by dominating the mind of Sloper's daughter, Catherine, for their own purposes. In other works of fiction where the oppressive circumstances of the protagonists usually arise from the failures of society and in the specific individual, there is often an optimism to the extent that it is suggested that progress might eventually elevate the the individual or humanity beyond the type of situations described. In "Washington Square," however, James's depiction of Catherine's tragedy might well be interpreted, on a universal level, as our susceptibility to the manipulative and dominating elements of human nature combined with those factors that cause us to passionately desire a other. Our hopes for an informed perspective on Catherine's situation diminish as she is confronted with an environment of emotional, psychological and motivational contempt and cruelty manifested in numerous situations of dialogue, interviews and complicity. We recognize, however, that Catherine's suffering is intrinsic to human nature, as she is also portrayed as a protagonist who demonstrates substance and is willing to expand on her perceptions of human behavior at the cost of physical, psychological, and emotional isolation. Catherine's dilemma begins in an overtly conventional but bleak setting. It is the orderly and discreet setting of New York where she is the victim of the calculated contempt and domineering behavior of her father and the perception that others have of her given their economic and social position. She is, in Sloper's words, "absolutely unattractive." She is twenty years old and yet, as Sloper points out, she has never had any suitors in the house. Mrs. Almond's protests that Catherine is not unpleasant are little more than a matter of form, and she is reprimanded by Sloper for suggesting that she do Catherine "more justice." Mrs. Penniman, for her part, readily understands that without Catherine's complete inheritance, Morris Townsend would have "nothing to enjoy" and sets about establishing his role in appeasing his brother and giving inconsistent advice to the court between Catherine and Townsend. For Townsend himself, Catherine's "inferior characteristics" are self-evident and a means to a financial goal. The characters perceive that unfeigned love for Catherine is close to impossible...