A NIRANA

AZZAHRA
1804102
00074

Bundle
of Letters
by Henry James
Elements of Story

1 Story and Plot 4 Setting

2 Character 5 Narrator and POV

3 Characterization 6 Narrative and Sequence

Introduction
A Bundle of Letters first
appeared in The Parisian in
December 1879.
The tale was immediately
pirated in the USA
First appeared in book form
along with The Diary of a Man
of Fifty published by Harper
A Bundle of Letters
in New York, 1880.
1. Story 1 2 3
WHAT THE STORY
THE IDEA GENERAL THEME
IS ABOUT?

Several residents of a Paris boarding-house write letters to

their friends and family back home;
Their primary subject is their impression to each other
character.
the short story is woven around nine letters in total, four
of them are composed by Miranda Hope, and the rest by Violet
Ray, Louis Leverett, Evelyn Vane, Leon Verdier and Dr. Rudolf
Staub.
 2. THE CHARACTERS and Characterization
MIRANDA HOPE
"Miss Miranda is tall and rather flat;
she is too pale; she has bright, keen,
inquisitive eyes, superb teeth, a nose
modelled by a sculptor, and a way of
holding up her head and looking every
one in the face. She is making the tour
du monde entirely alone." (p. 19)
MAIN: write the most of letters
Protagonist: her letters which frame the
whole narrative establish her as the
protagonist of the short story
STATIC but ROUND:
”I hope—that you don’t show any of my
letters to William Platt.” but then,
"You can show this to William Platt, if
you like."
MADAME DE
MAISONROUGE
Miranda: "she is the lady of the
house, most elegant, interesting
women" (p. 5)
Violet: “has a great deal of tact…She
is what they call here a belle femme,
which means that she is tall, ugly
woman, with style. She dresses very
well, and has a great deal of talk;
but, though she is a very good
imitation of a lady.” (p. 7)
MINOR & protagonist: do not play
significant roles but help Miranda to
reach her goal.
STATIC & FLAT: her character remains
the same in the end
 2. THE CHARACTERS and Characterization
VIOLET RAY
"elegance, all expensiveness, with an
air of high fashion, from New York;
sometimes very amusing" (p. 10)
MINOR: do not play significant roles
ANTAGONIST: "she doesn’t seem to want
to know me or to like me", "it seems
as if she didn’t want to recognise me
or associate with me; as if she
wanted to make a difference between
us." (p. 12)
FLAT & STATIC: her attitude remains
the same in the end.
LOUIS
LEVERETT
"I sympathize with the artistic
temperament; I remember you used
sometimes to hint to me that you
thought my own temperament too
artistic."
"He is rather small, and he looks
pretty sick; he suffers from some
affection of the liver." (p. 12)
MINOR: do not play significant roles
Protagonist: "he has such beautiful
ideas. I feel as if it were hardly
right, not being in French; but,
fortunately, he uses a great many
French expressions." (p. 12)
STATIC & FLAT
 2. THE CHARACTERS and Characterization
LEON VERDIER DR. RUDOLf
EVELYN VANE STAUB
Miranda:"He is remarkably
Louis:"there is a lovely
handsome, and extremely Miranda:"—a German
English girl, with eyes
polite—paying a great many gentleman, a professor,
as shy as violets, and a
compliments" (p. 11) He is very learned, and
voice as sweet!" (p. 10)
MINOR & Protagonist: do has a great desire for
Violet:"she is very
not really play information; he
pretty, and, apparently,
significant roles but he appreciates a great many
very nice; but, in
helps improve Miranda's of my remarks," (p. 14)
costume,she is Britannia
french by, "I make a point MINOR & Protagonist
incarnate." (p. 7)
of talking with him as STATIC & ROUND
MINOR & Protagonist: do
much as possible. I have
not play significant
extra private lessons from
roles
him" (p. 11)
STATIC & FLAT
STATIC & FLAT
3. The Settings
PLACE:
-Macro: Paris, France
-Micro: Parisian Boarding-house which owned by Madame de Maisonrouge
TIME: September-October, 1879
SOCIAL CONDITION:
-technology has not advanced yet so the characters still use letters to
communicate over long distances.
-women who travel alone without any chaperone still considered as
uncommon habit, "she is travelling all over Europe alone—“to see it,” she
says, “for herself.” For herself!"
TONE & MOOD:
-"I was very glad to come to such a place" GRATEFUL
-"and I delight to listen to him—he has such beautiful ideas." FASCINATED
4. Narrator & POV
TYPE OF POV:
- First person point of view
"My dear mother—I have kept you posted as
far as Tuesday" (p. 2)
MULTIPLE POV:
1. Miranda Hope (chapter I, II, V, IX)
2. Violet Ray (Chapter III)
3. Louis Leverett (chapter IV)
4. Evelyn Vane (chapter VI)
5. Leon Verdier (chapter VII)
6. Dr. Rudolph Staub (chapter VIII)
5. Narrative & Sequence
ELEMENTS OF PLOT (LINEAR NARRATIVE):
1. Exposition:
Miranda Hope travelling without a chaperone, and moves to the private
boarding house in order to practice her French – but it turns out to be
inhabited by other Americans, English, and a German professor.
2. Climax:
Miranda Hope feels miffed that she cannot establish any contact with the
haughty New Yorker Violet Ray, but she is very impressed by Louis Leverett.
She also gives an unknowingly satirical account of English arrogance in her
descriptions of the English guest Evelyn Vane.
3. Resolution:
Miranda had satisfied herself and enjoyed her visit to the Parisian boarding-
house. She also obtained a good knowledge of french language and finally
decided to visit some new country.
Narrative theory
VLADIMIR PROPP:
1.The Hero: Miranda Hope
Miranda believes in democratic values and is amazed
to find European women prepared to tolerate old-
fashioned male dominance.
2.The helper: Madame de Maisonrouge
She help Miranda to learn the language by provide the
boarding-house and give a french lessons.
3.The donor: Mr. Verdier and Mr. Louis
Miranda have an extra private lessons from Verdier
Mr. Louis uses a great many French expressions so he
also help Miranda improving her french skill.
Thank Reference:
https://mantex.co.uk/a-bundle-

you!
of-letters/
https://www.academia.edu/385847
68/The_epistolary_in_Henry_Jame
s_A_Bundle_of_Letters_docx?
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