A Real New Woman: Covert Progression and Character in Henry James's "Paste"

Abstract: Henry James's "Paste" (1899) displays enormous complexity, if we consider the possibility of a "covert progression" or counter-narrative, in which the character of Mrs. Guy is not antagonist, but protagonist, and potentially an admirable example of the late-nineteenth-century "New Woman." James is sometimes associated with anti-feminist views; yet here he creates a bold and defiant alternative to subjugated femininity and to conventional Victorian sexual morality. Whether readers are meant to find this figure appealing, however, is ultimately left open, as is much in this short story, which explicitly highlights the difficulty of assessing "value" in either human or material terms.