A Bundle of Letters

A Bundle of Letters Summary

A Bundle of Letters by Henry James is a short story published in 1879, presented as a series of letters written by various characters staying in a Parisian boarding house. Through their correspondence, James humorously explores cultural differences, personal biases, and the complexities of human relationships.

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A Bundle of Letters Excerpt

Short Summary: This epistolary short story reveals the thoughts and perceptions of diverse characters residing in a Paris boarding house, highlighting their cultural misunderstandings and personal prejudices through their letters.

Excerpt:

"My dear mother—I have kept you posted as far as Tuesday week last, and, although my letter will not have reached you yet, I will begin another before my news accumulates too much. I am glad you show my letters round in the family, for I like them all to know what I am doing, and I can’t write to every one, though I try to answer all reasonable expectations. But there are a great many unreasonable ones, as I suppose you know—not yours, dear mother, for I am bound to say that you never required of me more than was natural. You see you are reaping your reward: I write to you before I write to any one else.

There is one thing, I hope—that you don’t show any of my letters to William Platt. If he wants to see any of my letters, he knows the right way to go to work. I wouldn’t have him see one of these letters, written for circulation in the family, for anything in the world. If he wants one for himself, he has got to write to me first. Let him write to me first, and then I will see about answering him. You can show him this if you like; but if you show him anything more, I will never write to you again.

I told you in my last about my farewell to England, my crossing the Channel, and my first impressions of Paris. I have thought a great deal about that lovely England since I left it, and all the famous historic scenes I visited; but I have come to the conclusion that it is not a country in which I should care to reside. The position of woman does not seem to me at all satisfactory, and that is a point, you know, on which I feel very strongly. It seems to me that in England they play a very faded-out part, and those with whom I conversed had a kind of depressed and humiliated tone; a little dull, tame look, as if they were used to being snubbed and bullied, which made me want to give them a good shaking. There are a great many people—and a great many things, too—over here that I should like to perform that operation upon. I should like to shake the starch out of some of them, and the dust out of the others. I know fifty girls in Bangor that come much more up to my notion of the stand a truly noble woman should take, than those young ladies in England. But they had a most lovely way of speaking (in England), and the men are remarkably handsome. (You can show this to William Platt, if you like.)

I gave you my first impressions of Paris, which quite came up to my expectations, much as I had heard and read about it. The objects of interest are extremely numerous, and the climate is remarkably cheerful and sunny. I should say the position of woman here was considerably higher, though by no means coming up to the American standard. The manners of the people are in some respects extremely peculiar, and I feel at last that I am indeed in foreign parts. It is, however, a truly elegant city (very superior to New York), and I have spent a great deal of time in visiting the various monuments and palaces. I won’t give you an account of all my wanderings, though I have been most indefatigable; for I am keeping, as I told you before, a most exhaustive journal, which I will allow you the privilege of reading on my return to Bangor. I am getting on remarkably well, and I must say I am sometimes surprised at my universal good fortune. It only shows what a little energy and common-sense will accomplish. I have discovered none of these objections to a young lady travelling alone which we heard so much about. No one has, as yet, offered to insult me, and I can’t see why they should, for I behave myself with the greatest propriety. I have, of course, plenty of attention, but that is quite another thing. I have made several pleasant acquaintances, and I have received an invitation to spend a month at a château. I shall not accept it, but it shows that people are friendly and that I have already made an impression. I have received a great many compliments (more than I ever got at Bangor), and I assure you, dear mother, they have not turned my head. There is nothing I despise so much as flattery or even as admiration, unless it be deserved. I have been received at the American Minister’s, where I met a great many people, all very elegant, but none of them, in my opinion, so elegant as Mr. and Mrs. ——. (You can show this to William Platt, if you like.) I have been received at the American Minister’s, where I met a great many people, all very elegant, but none of them, in my opinion, so elegant as Mr. and Mrs. ——. (You can supply the name from the newspapers.) I have been to a great many places of amusement, including the opera, the theatres, and the great café concerts. The music is quite delightful, but I do not find that the society is as good as in America. There is too much frivolity, and people appear to live for nothing but pleasure. The young girls have no opportunities of independence, and I think they are sadly deficient in character. They are pretty and graceful, but they are not, after all, as charming as our own American girls. You needn’t be afraid I will ever fall in love with a foreigner; I have seen no one I should care to marry.