A Taoist Reading of Henry James's Novel, The AmericanHenry James's Novel, The American, tells the story of one man's journey in search of the Tao. Or rather, Christopher Newman's qualities are the qualities of a student of the Tao, following the teachings of the Sage described in Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. Every time Newman strays from his path, the attraction or object he desires eventually draws him back. James's depiction of Newman as an American incorporates many of the principles of the Tao, beginning with the sudden enlightenment on Wall Street that leads to the events of this novel. Likewise, James's Europe evokes Confucianism, the belief system that Taoism eventually replaced in 7th century BC China. As the introduction to the Penguin edition indicates, Newman's American qualities can be seen in a positive or negative light. Our class discussion revealed a resounding agreement with Newman's negative side as an American, his uncultured ignorance and unrefined audacity. Unfortunately, the social class has accepted the negative European stereotype of the American. On the positive side, Newman's Taoist qualities make him the ideal American. Because of his near perfection, he is despised by the characters whose imperfections he silently reveals. Perhaps it was this very interplay between Newman's American Taoist qualities and the more Confucian qualities of the Europeans that initially fostered these negative stereotypes. Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy dating back to the 6th century BC. Many Chinese philosophers have attempted to put the Tao into writing, the best known being Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching, loosely translated as Book of Virtues, contains 81 poems asserting...... middle of paper ... the order of things. His lack of culture, social grace, and position allows him to appreciate what he finds aesthetically pleasing rather than settling for what he should; and communicate to others one's true nature rather than one shrouded in applied labels and preconceived notions. Newman and many Americans share the Taoist concept of the uncarved block. The most skillful sculptor sculpts the least. Our lack of strictly defined stratification and culture leaves us empty and therefore open to whatever can fill us, rather than already full and closed-minded. Works cited and consulted Borus, Daniel. Writing Realism: Howells, James, and Norris on the Mass Market. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1989. Dalton, Jerry O., Tao Te Ching: Backward Down the Path. Avon Books, New York, 1996. Kaplan, Nancy. Essential readings of realism. Durham: Duke University Press,1997.