30 pages • 1 hour read
Henry JamesThe Real Thing
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1892A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Social Hierarchy in Late 19th-Century England
In “The Real Thing,” Henry James explores the intricate relationships between artistry, societal structure, and class in late Victorian England (1880-1901). The narrator reaches a remarkable level of control and mastery when it comes to subverting the social superiority represented by the Monarchs: “Whether they were or not was a subordinate and almost always a profitless question” (144). Despite the perceived apparent power of their status, his art has challenged their representation in a way that follows through with a new aesthetic economy. This observation causes an immense internal struggle for the narrator, as all his carefully planned and set processes for finding balance between the two powerful forces of real social power and artistic ideals come crumbling down. In effect, he could not have predicted that these amateur figures—and he has a “detestation of the amateur” (144)—would be able to compete on level as professional artists, thus making his situation all but impossible and his ultimate goal unattainable.
Specific scenes in the story also drive home this idea of class stratification, such as when Miss Churm resists the artist’s request that she make and serve tea for the Monarchs. Despite her own social standing, she hesitates to participate in what she perceives as an act of servitude that would undermine the power dynamics between them. Such scenes demonstrate how a hierarchical social structure can be rigidly entrenched and difficult to challenge, even within the art world. The symbolic ritual of tea is again used to signify the artist’s superiority in this instance, as he attempts to exert control over Mrs. Monarch by asking her to lay out the tea: “[A] request which, for an instant, brought all the blood to her face” (158). Later in the scene, the narrator presses further, asking her to bring a cup of tea to Oronte as he poses, upon which he “took it from her as if he had been a gentleman at a party, squeezing a crush-hat with an elbow” (158).
The narrator envisions inventive transformation and thorough revision of social constraints. He sees potential in upcycling old characters and stories to create something altogether new. However, his vision is quickly derailed by the Monarchs—aristocratic amateurs who, in simply being themselves while modeling, fail to conform to both upper- and working-class ideals. The Monarchs’ “authenticity” proves out of place with the practiced professionalism of Miss Churm and Oronte, and the Monarchs serve as a constant reminder of the rigid class structures that still exist around him.
Perception and Authenticity in Artistry
A parable of representation, “The Real Thing” delves into the complex relationship between art and truth. It presents a lesson on the often-difficult process of making art—one that may require manipulation or distortion to make any real sense of truth. In this story, James presents two characters that illustrate this concept perfectly: Miss Churm, the cockney woman with a heavy accent who performs the pose of a Russian princess, and Oronte, a former peddler of Italian ices posing as an English duke. Both characters signify the powerful transformative ability of art to transport someone from one identity or class to another. Through these elements, James illustrates how the subtle manipulation of facts can give more life to an illusion than reality ever could, ultimately teaching us just how important art is in the journey toward understanding truth.
Through the story’s four progressive sections, the perception of what is considered the genuine article, or “the real thing,” is continually changing. The narrator initially accepts the Monarchs as the embodiment of authenticity until failure leads him to conclude that only artifice can be true. However, the Monarchs once more appear as genuine entities. The narrator casts the Monarchs as “the real thing,” claiming the perversity of “an innate preference for the represented subject over the real one” (144). As he does so, the narrator’s own definition of authenticity changes as a result of his interactions with the poverty-stricken upper-class pair. The ambiguous definition of truth is further revealed when we look at the narrator’s own artistic ambitions. He set out to create something perfectly real, yet he discovers that this goal is unattainable. He cannot produce a piece of art that can truly reflect reality because there are too many underlying constraints, such as class and tradition.
As if seeing through a veil, art requires one to look deeper and uncover what exists beneath the obvious; in this story, the artist does not achieve such an understanding when attempting to capture Mrs. Monarch’s brief expression. He laments that he could not capture something so fleeting, and his failure marks him as unable to fulfill his purpose as an artist. However, working-class models like Miss Churm possess the adaptability required to adopt various roles: “[H]ow odd it was that, being so little in herself, she should yet be so much in others” (146). Through the narrator’s artistic lens, James suggests that true art is the interpretation, not reproduction, of reality. Within the realm of the artist, power, prestige, and status have no bearing on the authenticity of art.
Aesthetics Versus Ethics
The artist in “The Real Thing” displays a remarkable sense of efficiency when he uses Miss Churm and Oronte as his models for their respective characters. However, the way in which he uses Major Monarch and Mrs. Monarch, who have so little choice but to follow his labors and accept payment to make ends meet, is something that may appear beguilingly dehumanizing. The artist regards them as an inconvenience, but the spectacle of their desperation intrigues him. However, when entertaining the pitiable couple leads to the artist’s possible financial ruin, he lashes out at Major Monarch with an attitude of self-preservation. Any sincerity in his actions is hidden behind a veil of obligations and expectations, leaving the reader to ponder whether he can be criticized for his self-interested behavior.
The narrator’s initial attitude toward the Monarchs appears to be driven by artistic values. Yet, as the narrative develops, it becomes clear that he is also concerned with the humanitarian aspect of their situation, often voicing his opinions about oppressive systems and taking action whenever possible. He mentions the humble quarters where the Monarchs live: “I could fancy the lamentable lodgings in which the Major would have been left alone. He could bear them with his wife—he couldn’t bear them without her” (148). The narrator’s inconsistent compassion toward the Monarchs suggests that his own system of ethics is still under development as he begins to understand “the real thing.”
After the publisher of Rutland Ramsay sends negative feedback on the illustrations featuring the Monarchs, the artist feels not only internal but external pressure to end their relationship. He turns to Jack Hawley, a cosmopolitan friend of his own social class, to help him work through the complications. Hawley is quick to confirm the narrator’s misgivings. After meeting them, he offers the consolidating opinion that they are “a ridiculous pair” (157). In this regard, the artist’s commitment sacrifices any personal gain and interest to serve something greater: the art itself. This incident further illustrates the ethical dilemma that is present throughout the story and a central theme of the piece: the difficult choice between “the real thing” and what is socially acceptable. The artist ultimately achieves his goal of creating a convincing illusion, but only by opting for artifice over authenticity.
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