Daisy Miller (1878) by Henry James is the story of the exuberant and na ve Daisy Miller, a young American girl who flirts and partakes of young life to its fullest while visiting Europe. Daisy meets the more subtle and self-aware Winterbourne and their romance ends in misfortune. The portrait of Daisy is a quintessential exploration of the social mores of her era. And her flirtatious disregard of them is simultaneously a breath of fresh air and the heart of tragedy.