30 pages 1 hour read

Henry James

The Real Thing

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1892

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

Some critics of “The Real Thing” claim the artist is an unreliable narrator. Do you agree? Explore James’s use of first-person narration to argue for or against that claim.

2.

Write an analysis of scenes in the story that thematically explore social hierarchy. Consider the narrator’s position as an artist in 19th-century England and explore the ways he straddles social classes.

3.

In James’s time, photography was new and considered a lesser form of art. Use the story’s references to photography to show how James’s views on art and authenticity are expressed through the narrator’s voice.

Related Titles

By Henry James

Study Guide

logo

Daisy Miller

Henry James

Daisy Miller

Henry James

Plot Summary

logo

Roderick Hudson

Henry James

Roderick Hudson

Henry James

Plot Summary

logo

The Ambassadors

Henry James

The Ambassadors

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Aspern Papers

Henry James

The Aspern Papers

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Beast in the Jungle

Henry James

The Beast in the Jungle

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Bostonians

Henry James

The Bostonians

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Golden Bowl

Henry James

The Golden Bowl

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Jolly Corner

Henry James

The Jolly Corner

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

The Portrait of a Lady

Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady

Henry James

Plot Summary

logo

The Wings of the Dove

Henry James

The Wings of the Dove

Henry James

Study Guide

logo

Washington Square

Henry James

Washington Square

Henry James

Plot Summary

logo

What Maisie Knew

Henry James

What Maisie Knew

Henry James