st time since we have met her she has no idea what to do or say. She is shocked at the level of censure her actions have elicited. It would be wrong to assume that Daisy was fully ignorant of the conventions she was flouting, but it would seem fair to say that she did not realize how deep- seated and important they were within the ex-patriot community. To Winterbourne's credit he chides Mrs. Walker for her actions. To his discredit he does not follow Daisy to comfort her. His conventionality will not allow him to risk his place in the ex- patriot community.Throughout Daisy Miller Winterbourne's instincts lose the battle with his conventionality, and, in his final encounter with Daisy before her death, this is again the case. He comes upon her and Giovanelli alone, at night, in the Colosseum. This is of course much worse than anything she has done before, and it is evidence of her new defiance in the face of Mrs. Walker's snubbing. Daisy could not possibly have been ignorant of the conventions she was breaking in this instance.Upon seeing her there, Winterbourne's internal battle is decided. He is finally able to place her, unequivocally, within a purely conventional category. And again, this is portrayed through his choice of words when he thinks to himself, "She was a young lady whom a gentleman need no longer be at pains to respect" (James 186). He is relieved, even exhilarated, that he is finally able to categorize her. From this point his language changes. He is no longer polite to her. When Daisy asks him if he really believed that she was engaged to Giovanelli, he replies stingingly "I believe that it makes very little difference whether you are engaged or not!" (James 188). His words, and even his tone, are curt and brutal. He is even laughing as he says it.Later, at Daisy's funeral, he discovers that he has misjudged her. Giovanelli tells him that Daisy "was the most innocent" young lady he had ever known (James 190), and that s...
