The Golden Bowl

The Golden Bowl begins by focusing on Prince Amerigo. Though the narration flits frequently between the inner consciousnesses of the characters, Amerigo’s perspective dominates the early chapters of the novel, so much so that Part 1 of the novel is titled “The Prince.” Amerigo’s movements and actions also dictate the flow of the opening chapters, as he strolls through London and decides to pay a visit to Fanny Assingham. As he strolls, he thinks. He compares the British capital, the hub of the then-dominant British Empire, to Rome. To Amerigo, Rome is now just an idea. Compared to London, his hometown seems like a crumbled ruin, surviving on name alone. In many respects, the prince is in a very similar position: His family has little money, but they have the prestige and the privilege associated with their famous family name, especially in a place like London that relies heavily on social order, setting the stage for the theme of Etiquette and Alienation. Like his city, Amerigo’s family is past their prime. Amerigo, like his city of Rome, offers a famous name that means that he will always attract interest, especially from those, such as Americans, whose countries cannot compare to the pomp and power of the Roman or British Empires. Due to the 19th-century setting, Amerigo is afforded more cordiality as an aristocrat in London, where he embodies the theme of Outsiders with regard to personal identity but is accepted into society because of his social status. As such, he is also able to buy into a good marriage.

Amerigo is set to marry Maggie, whose wealthy family will allow Amerigo to return to the life of wealth and luxury to which he believes he is entitled by name. During his visit with Fanny, however, he is confronted with temptation, as Fanny reveals that a young woman named Charlotte Stant is about to visit. Fanny knows that Charlotte and Amerigo had a relationship in Rome, but Fanny does not grasp how serious the relationship was. They were deeply in love, though they broke off their relationship because they were too poor to marry one another while retaining good social standing, highlighting the theme of Marriage and Love. Amerigo is fascinated by Charlotte’s return, though their interaction is meticulously guarded. Though the narration has access to Amerigo’s thoughts, learning the significance and profundity of each gesture, their initial meeting does not make clear quite how much Charlotte means to Amerigo. Likewise, Charlotte takes care to act properly in this initial meeting. She adheres to the system of etiquette that governs life in Edwardian Britain, even though both she and Amerigo are Outsiders as people of non-British origins. The careful, mannered way in which Amerigo reacts to the return of his old lover suggests that he is not fazed by the compromising position in which he finds himself. Rather than presenting a threat to a loving marriage, Charlotte can be a distraction from an obligatory marriage. Amerigo retains his composure because he is excited rather than worried by Charlotte’s presence. Charlotte represents a truer love than Maggie, but one that is prevented from fully existing because of Etiquette and Alienation. Amerigo is guarded in his thoughts and actions because he feels the need to perform the role of the loving husband, especially in front of Fanny, someone he believes thinks as he does and hopes will help him navigate his marriage. Amerigo is happy that Charlotte has returned to his life while also being aware that he cannot be seen to show this happiness, lest he risks losing his chance at fully reclaiming his social status through his marriage to Maggie.

After the casual reunion with Charlotte, Amerigo agrees to take her on a seemingly innocent trip to purchase a wedding gift. Like so much of their actions throughout their relationship, they have an ulterior motive in taking this trip. Charlotte uses her understanding of Edwardian manners to know exactly how far she can push its boundaries. A shopping trip with an old friend to purchase a present for his upcoming wedding seems, on the surface, entirely permissible. Once they are undertaking the trip, however, the two characters’ actions reveal that they are aware that what they are doing is not right socially or even ethically. As such, they venture far beyond the neighborhoods where they might be spotted and, while in Bloomsbury, they speak entirely in Italian to attempt to conceal their past relationship and continued mutual affection. Taken individually, each of these decisions seems innocent. Taken together, they are suggestive of people who are trying to hide their bad behavior. Their guilty consciences are revealed by the extent to which they go to hide their meeting from the rest of society. This suggestion of a guilty conscience also explains Amerigo’s anger with the shopkeeper: When the shopkeeper reveals that he speaks Italian, Amerigo feels as though his scheme has been uncovered, and Amerigo exits the shop. The man poses no real threat to him, other than to remind Amerigo of the clandestine nature of this illicit trip. This alone is enough to anger Amerigo, who feels entitled to his relationship with Charlotte so long as it is invisible to society. However, in this moment of revelation, the aristocratic prince is made to feel guilty about his decisions, which he expresses as anger and avoidance.

The golden bowl itself comes to represent both the relationship between Charlotte and Amerigo and the façade of orderly society as a whole: At a glance, the bowl appears beautiful, but its flaws cheapen it. The façade of good society and the appearance of an appropriate outing both hold beneath them darker motivations and values. Charlotte’s fascination with the bowl also speaks to her unwillingness to let her relationship with Amerigo go, and the shopkeeper’s promise to keep the bowl tucked away foreshadows a revisitation, as Maggie will ultimately come across the golden bowl and thus learn of Amerigo’s relationship with Charlotte.