The Europeans

Henry James’s short story “The Europeans” compares the attitudes and actions of two European tourists with those of their relatives who are residing in the “new” environment of New England. The protagonists of the tale are Eugenia Münster and Felix Young, who have spent their entire lives living in Europe and have come to America to see their distant cousins.

The late 19th-century cultural divide between Americans and Europeans is examined in the book. It explores the intricacies of social expectations, family dynamics, and the collision of values that results from the interaction of two distinct cultural groups.