Question

Character sketch of Merle in brief

Answer 1

Answer:

Madam Merle, one of the novel’s antagonists and Mrs. Touchett’s friend, is similarly an American expatriate and an unconventional woman. She is a widow who lacks fortune, yet manages to spend her time traveling through Europe and the United States by using her social connections. Isabel Archer greatly admires Merle’s charisma and accomplishments when they meet at Gardencourt, and the two form a strong friendship. However, Merle conspires to set up the newly wealthy Isabel with her friend Gilbert Osmond. She wants to see them married, despite their incompatibilities in values and desires. Madame Merle’s strange intentions are later revealed as an attempt to secure Isabel’s inheritance for Osmond and his daughter Pansy’s benefit—it turns out that Pansy is the result of Osmond and Merle’s longtime affair, but her parentage has remained a secret throughout her life. Merle wishes to ensure their future comforts at the expense of Isabel’s happiness. She is therefore a highly ambitious character who understands the desires of others and manipulates them to her advantage. Her relationship with Pansy is ambiguous; Pansy is unaware of her parentage, and despite Merle’s efforts to win favor with the girl as a family friend, Pansy seems to dislike her mother. Madame Merle lacks moral conviction, as demonstrated by her affair with Osmond and her encouraging the union between Isabel and Osmond despite knowing Osmond’s cruelty. Merle is matched with Osmond as the narrative villains who bring down the protagonist. She is also a foil for Isabel, as although both are intent upon achieving personal freedom, Isabel shows the moral high road in that she will not sacrifice her morality and social duty in her pursuit for independence. Furthermore, Isabel pities Merle when she finds out the truth of Pansy’s parentage and the callous scheming that Merle demonstrates.

plss mark as brainlist