Henry James 
The Portrait of a Lady 

Henry James’s ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ is the story of American Isabel Archer who after inheriting a large sum of money falls victim to the scheming of two American expatriates, Gilbert Osmond and Madame Merle. Originally serialized in ‘The Atlantic Monthly’ between 1880-1881, ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ is the story of a free-spirited woman who affronts her destiny and in so doing ironically loses the freedom that she cherishes.