The Wings of the Dove Themes

Even before The Wings of The Dove gives us proof that Milly is a goner, Milly just knows. She drops little hints in her conversations with her friend Susan, saying absentminded things like, "I wond...

Family is no straightforward—or laughing—matter in The Wings of The Dove. For starters, Kate Croy has a terrible father, and, as a result, a cynical and self-interested view of the world. Milly...

The way different characters in The Wings of The Dove deal with deceit gives us some seriously solid insight into their personalities. Kate Croy, for example, has no problem deceiving Milly into ma...

Everyone wants to get hitched in The Wings of The Dove. Merton wants to marry Kate, Aunt Maud wants Kate to marry Lord Mark, and Milly wants to marry Merton. The only reciprocal relationship is Mer...

Characters in The Wings of The Dove spend a whole bunch of time people-watching. They also spend a bunch of time being watched. In a world where nobody seems to say what they mean, appearances ofte...

Ah, the old "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" tune. When hasn't that been a favorite? The only thing more popular through the ages than a heterosexual love story is a heterosexual love stor...

If the Jeopardy answer is "Society and Class," the correct question would be "What is the main obstacle to Merton and Kate's happiness?" Aunt Maud will only be satisfied if Kate marries a man who i...

The saying "Youth is wasted on the young" was not coined to describe Milly Theale. As Henry James says in his preface, The Wings of the Dove is mainly a story about the tragedy of a young woman bei...